How do you know if a job is a good fit?
by Jillian Perkins-Marsh, alumni career counsellor
How many people can truly say that they love their job; or at least, don’t mind getting out of bed in the morning to go to work?
Where would you put yourself on this job satisfaction continuum? Do you agree with the statement: ‘I feel satisfied with the work I do’?
All the time, most of the time, some of the time, not at all?
Continuums are fluid and changing. Some days may be better than others and ideally, any working professional hopes for more good days than bad. When the bad starts outweighing the good, it’s time to reassess the situation.
47% of Canadians are dissatisfied with their career according to a 2016 survey conducted by Hays, a large recruitment organization. Surprised? You may be if you are like the majority of respondents in last year’s Mac10 Survey. In that survey, a whopping 74% of respondents indicated they were satisfied with their current professional status, which paints a bit of a different and much more optimistic picture about their career satisfaction compared to Canadians in general.
16% of individuals identified they were unsatisfied due to underemployment. So, what could the other concerns be? In the Hays survey, just looking at the number is discouraging; however, upon further reflection, it reveals helpful information about figuring out how to increase your level of job satisfaction.
Let’s talk ‘fit’
Why? The top reason why people were not happy was because they were not “fitting in” with their work environment. Coincidentally, that was also the main reason people quit or got fired (Hays report). Everyone knows that ‘fit’ is important, but what does it really mean and how can you assess it?
According to Hays, ‘fit’ is determined by four things: “work ethic, social behaviour, office conformity and the ability to connect with a team’s working style.” To determine your fit, consider how you would you rank yourself in each of those four criteria in your current workplace. Where is the disconnect happening? What can be done differently to improve at least one of these areas?
Reframe mistakes as learning opportunities.
The Hays survey suggests that two thirds of their respondents don’t know what their ideal fit is or how to evaluate it. Employers are not faring much better with hiring the right candidates due to demand for quick recruiting deadlines.
As a job seeker, you may be unable to influence the recruiting deadline, but you do have control over asking the right questions to assess if the workplace and job in question is a good fit. Then dig deeper. Observe during the interview process to decide for yourself how well you will fit in. At the interview, ask questions to assess the culture and to obtain more information about what is important to you. Some examples may include:
· What do you enjoy about working here?
· What is the work culture like?
· What type of professional development training opportunities does the company support?
· How would you describe the management style?
So, what is the secret to a satisfying job?
Establishing a good fit is a balance of responsibilities between the employer and employee. When there is a good fit, people will be more productive and happier in general. It’s complicated and there is no magic formula, but there is wisdom to be gained from the experience of others.
Other reasons that influence job satisfaction positively could include:
· Getting along with the people around you
· Finding work that fits your personality and strengths
· Finding mentally challenging work
· Receiving adequate compensation and opportunities for career growth.
Having a constructive, positive perspective is an integral part of the process.
There are ways to find satisfaction within a job through initiative and flexibility. Even in the retail environment that ranked the lowest in satisfaction, there is opportunity. Several alumni clients over the past year used their retail experience as a stepping stone to build the required skills needed for their next step. One accepted a supervision role that gave her access to valuable leadership and sales training. Another used a seasonal retail experience to prove she had the requisite client service and sales skills to secure a job within a competitive technical sales role.
Despite the roles not being the best fit, in both cases, these clients maximized their experience and didn’t let themselves feel ‘stuck’. They valued the experience, defined it and used it to advance their careers.
Some tips to get started:
· Anchor your thoughts and decision making by deciding what is most important to you. Values are a great place to start. When there is conflict with values, frustration often follows. What is most important to you? You may not be able to meet all your desired needs in one job, but prioritizing is key.
· Take time to self-assess what you learned from the experience to create a career vision. Your vision should include what you want more of and what aspects you wish to change. Start working towards it before you exit. Exiting without a clearer picture of what you are looking for risks repeating mistakes.
· Don’t be afraid to say no to an offer if it doesn’t fit. It may be less complicated to say ‘no’ now than to leave later.
Source: Hays ‘Fit’ Series https://go.hays.ca/fit-series-part-1-fit-and-recruitment-request.html?_ga=2.64883503.180025411.1521686628-1238845100.1520268974
