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Evalauate Job Opportunities

Filed Under Unemployed |

It’s no secret to those people that know me that I object to most jobs. I think they’re often a poor use of people’s talents and they rarely pay a person what she or he is worth. However, I don’t claim my opinion is the right one. I just like to present another outlook on the approach people should take with their jobs.

More than anything else I believe that people need to evaluate their jobs in terms of how the job benefits them in the long term and the short term. The short term benefits of a job are basically 1) cash, and 2) benefits (like health insurance).

But what about the long term benefits of a job? Most conversations I have with people about their jobs tell me they either don’t think about the long term benefits or they’re confused about them. I often hear things like “It’s a stepping stone to other things.” or “This is really a resume builder for business school.”

I don’t really follow that logic. Take those statements one layer deeper - a stepping stone to what? Once you get there, why will you be happy to be there? Will you be ecstatic that you’ve arrived? Will your quality of life be what you’ve dreamed of?

My fear is that people make these statements when what they’re really thinking is “I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, but I have to make a car payment so I’m really going to take whatever job I can get as long as it allows me to stay a week or two ahead of my bills.”

I’m not trying to get on a soap box here. We all do what we have to do to pay our bills, and I respect anybody who does what’s necessary to provide for themselves and their family.

I am proposing that with any job we take (or business we start) we should ask ourselves a question. The question is not “What will I do?” or “How much will I make?” The question is “Who will I become?”

What ultimately matters is the skill and knowledge we possess. The greater the skills and knowledge we possess, the more employable we are (or the more capable of running a successfull business). Resumes can take you a certain distance, but your performance will be your paycheck over the long haul.

Bottom line - when evaluating a job, consider who it will help you become. Will the job stretch your creativity, problem solving skills, and ability to deal with people? If so, great. If not, think hard about taking it, even if it has a great salary and 401k matching program.

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