When looking for a new job, it can be tempting to think only about the role itself – what will I be doing? What’s the salary? Will I use my strongest skills? How do I position myself to be the best candidate for this job?
In my work with clients, I emphasize the ‘3Ps’ in the job search: People, Place, AND Position.
When well-balanced, they lead to another ‘P’ – Peace.
As you contemplate new roles, you might want to ask yourself (and, when appropriate, other people) some of the following questions.
It may be hard to discern the answers to some of them, but trust your gut. If you know these things matter, and you see red flags: pay attention.
People: what’s the culture of the organization? Is the company large or small? Is it private or public? How big is your future team? To whom would you report, and what kind of manager does this person seem to be? How does the team interact? What kind of employee resource groups, if any, exist, and how do they operate? How is conflict handled? What about boundaries? What about diversity, equity, and inclusion? What are meetings like? Do you admire the leadership? How do folks communicate – which platforms are used, are there retreats or all-hands meetings, and what’s the expectation about your availability and response time? Is there mentoring for employees, and how is that structured? Is your role external facing, or do you work primarily with your own team/group, or alone? What does collaboration look like in this role? Who are your peers?
Place: Where is the organization based, geographically? Will you be in-person, remote, or hybrid? What is the building like? What’s your office like? Are you able to move around freely during the day, or are you tied to your workstation/computer? Are amenities close by that matter to you: parks, the gym, child care? What’s the commute like? If you have a home office, how is this handled by the company? Will you need to travel in this role, and if so, where, and how often?
Position: What skills and experience will you use on the job? What skills and experience could you develop on the job? Are your work hours flexible or set? Will you manage people? Do you want to manage people? Is there clear career pathing within the organization? How is success measured? Who gives feedback in your review? What’s the salary structure, and how are raises / bonuses calculated?
These are the type of questions I urge clients to consider when thinking about roles that are a really solid fit for them.
It’s also why I emphasize self-awareness in the job search. The more you know about yourself, and what you need to be happy, the more productive you will be at work.
What’s missing from this list? What do you find important to your happiness at work? Have you been surprised to learn that something mattered – too late?
(I’ll be presenting a workshop on this material to Devex Career Account holders on 2/27/23 at 9 am EST. I hope to see you there! I will also post the link on this web site and on my LinkedIn page once the link is available.)
