Don’t take that job…
IS IT A JOB SEARCH OR A CAREER DECISION?
Impatient to land a new job, many six figure candidates neglect to evaluate the long-term affects accepting the wrong job can have on their career.
“I just want a job,” is heard from coast to coast. It takes an amazing amount of self-control and long spousal conversations not to jump at an opportunity just to pay the bills. It is often a short-term solution. Long-term damage to your career can affect future earnings and job satisfaction.
With the intense competition of a tight job market, preserving one’s resume is paramount. The first thing hiring authorities and gatekeepers look for on your resume is your tenure. If you have bounced from one employer to another every two years or less, they look for other candidates with more staying power. That said, you can see why finding a job where you will stay, excel and become known for your expertise is critical.
There is more harm done to your career when you leave an employer after, say nine months, simply because the fit was wrong or the resources for your success were missing. No amount of explaining changes the fact that you made a bad decision.
To avoid contaminating your work history thus, create a go/no-go list to rule in that which you need to be successful and rule out that which will impede your career. Then use it. Say no to any opportunity that doesn’t include your ‘go’ list variables.
What else can you do? Vet the company. Use the same criteria investors use: If you wouldn’t invest $150,000 of your own money in the company, don’t take the job. Why? Because that is exactly what you do when you accept a job. You are investing your compensation amount that the company will be able to pay you and offer continued employment. For specific metrics used by investors read, Job Search Debugged.
Short tenure is especially harmful to VP level candidates. As officers of the company, they are especially vulnerable to being overlooked if they can not demonstrate long-term fiduciary responsibility and strategic planning and execution; things not apparent with a short stay. Short stints at two or more companies will take you out of the running for most VP level jobs in solid companies; a real blow to your career.
Themocracy
So true. Desperation will only get you deeper into trouble…AND going into interviews with the attitude that you’ll take anything you can get is a turn-off to high quality employers, they won’t want someone that desperate.