How to work out what you want from your next job
It’s easy to start a job search with a title.
Marketing Manager. Financial Analyst. Head of Operations.
A title gives you something to type into a search box. But it doesn’t tell you whether you’ll enjoy the work, thrive in the team or feel good about the move six months later.
Before you apply, spend a little time understanding what you actually want to change.
Start with the work you want more of
Think about a recent working day that left you feeling satisfied.
What were you doing? Solving a difficult problem? Explaining something? Making something? Helping someone? Bringing order to a messy situation?
Write down three tasks you would happily do more often. Be specific. “I enjoy marketing” is a starting point. “I enjoy interviewing customers and turning their answers into campaign ideas” gives you much more to work with.
Then list the tasks you want less of. Every job involves some work you don’t love, but it helps to recognise what currently dominates your week.
Separate the role from the environment
You might enjoy your profession and dislike the conditions around it.
Perhaps you want a manager who gives clearer direction. A smaller company where you can see the impact of your work. More flexibility. Less travel. A team that shares information.
Changing profession won’t necessarily solve those problems.
Make two lists: what you want to change about the work, and what you want to change about the workplace. That distinction can stop you making a bigger move than you need.
Decide what matters enough to turn down an offer
A useful preference helps you compare opportunities. A non-negotiable tells you when to walk away.
These might include a minimum salary, a location, working hours or a particular arrangement you need to manage responsibilities outside work.
Be honest about them. An opportunity can be impressive and still be wrong for your life.
Keep your non-negotiables short enough to be meaningful. For everything else, consider the trade-offs you would accept.
Explore a few plausible directions
You don’t need to discover one perfect job title.
Choose two or three directions that could give you more of the work you enjoy. Read actual job descriptions and speak with people doing that work.
Ask what occupies their week, what makes someone effective and what they wish they had understood before starting.
Look for evidence that the everyday work appeals to you. The title alone won’t provide it.
Turn your thinking into a short brief
Try completing these sentences:
- I want to spend more time doing…
- I want less of…
- I work best when…
- My next role needs to…
- I’m open to exploring…
That brief will help you explain yourself to a recruiter, assess an introduction and ask better interview questions.
At Seat At The Table, our starting point is a conversation about your experience, strengths and ambitions. Understanding the person behind the title gives us a better starting point for relevant introductions.
You can explore your next move without having every answer ready.
Take your seat at Seat At The Table.