By Ian Christie, LiveCareer Counselor
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Just like the perfect pair of jeans, career success comes from finding the right fit.  In this case, you’re looking for fit with what you do, the environment you work in and the people you work with.  To find job fit, you need two things:  focus and confidence.

• Focus allows you to concentrate on opportunities that fit who you are and avoid jobs and work environments that don’t suit you. 

• Confidence means knowing you’ll make a great candidate when the right opportunity presents itself.  Confidence also enables you to say no when the job isn’t a match.

When Considering Opportunities

Your mission is to apply focus and confidence to identify career opportunities that truly fit you ― first, when you are considering whether or not to apply for a job, and later, when you are interviewing.

Before You Decide to Apply

When analyzing a particular job, combine information from your LiveCareer report with your past experiences and ask:

• Can you do the job?  Do you meet the requirements they are looking for?  Is there a strong or reasonable probability that they will consider you?  Be ambitious, but grounded.  Focus your time on applying to jobs where you make a viable candidate.

• Are you really interested?  Do you care about the work and business of the organization?  It is a proven fact that success comes from doing something you like to do.

• What will you get out of it?  Does the job potentially contribute to the goals you have set for yourself in career and life?  Look for the jobs that match your values and that help you develop as a person or professional.

• What about the work environment?  Does it look like the circumstances and environment of the job fit with your situation and what you are willing to accept?  Define your requirements relative to travel, commute, work schedule, pay structure and benefits.

You’ll find that developing your résumé and cover letter for positions that you’re a strong fit for is much easier than trying to stretch or spin your skills and experience for a job that’s not a match.  Review the last newsletter “Seven Steps to Uncovering Your Brilliance” to highlight your greatest assets that relate to the position.

Your goal is not to be considered for any job, but to be seriously considered for specific jobs that are right for you.  Spending time applying to jobs you’re not really interested in or capable of doing will only reduce your chances of success.

When you are interviewing

The interview is the next opportunity to learn more about the job and how it fits.  Just like on a first date, you want to put your best foot forward but you’re also looking for compatibility.  Keep the following in mind:

• It’s a two-way street.  Both you and the interviewer have a common goal: to figure out if you’re the right person for the job.  While they are evaluating your qualifications, you should be considering whether the job, company and workplace are right for you.

• Read between the lines.  When preparing for the interview, carefully review the job posting and company website.  Aside from what they are directly asking for, try to guess at the skills, experience and qualities that might also be important but not specifically stated. Also consider what’s implied about the position, work environment and company culture to see if it matches what you’re looking for.

• Manager fit. The most critical relationship is the one with your immediate boss.  You don't have to be best friends, but there needs to be some level of fit and ideally, mutual respect.

• When it’s your turn.  Once you pass the first interview, you’ve earned the right to ask questions. You can still show enthusiasm for the opportunity even though you have some hard questions.  After all, you want to fully understand the expectations of the position.  Here are a few sample questions:

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  • Why is this job available now?
  • What are the key challenges you see in this job?
  • What are the performance objectives?
  • What resources are available to achieve these objectives?

• Don’t ignore red flags.  It’s hard to stay grounded when you’re excited about a new job.  But be aware of indications that the job is not the right fit for you.  Some things to look out for: 
  
  • Lack of clarity and agreement about the role
  • Unrealistic performance expectations
  • Not enough support
  • Obvious conflict or company politics

Don’t Say Yes Yet – Making the Decision

They’ve offered you the job, but do you really want it?   Many people rush to take their first job offer even though it doesn’t meet their criteria.  Confidence and focus are equally as important here as they are in earlier stages.  The bottom line is you want a job that fits.  Accepting less means you may be sacrificing your long-term happiness, success and even health.  Here are some ways to help you make smarter career decisions.

• Sift through the data.  Make sure you take the time to fully assess the opportunity.  Does the job meet your requirements for salary, career level and work environment?  Include work schedule, commute, travel requirements and other aspects that affect your work-life balance.  If you’re comparing more than one opportunity, create a grid of your requirements and see how each job stacks up.

• Can you be successful?  The job may be a fit, but the performance expectations may be too high. Evaluate your probability of success.

• Workplace fit. You fit better in some environments than others. Some people thrive on change. Others find it very difficult.  Some people do best when rules and processes are established and clear.  Others find this stifling and frustrating.  Weigh these contexts as you evaluate the suitability of the job.

• Environmental context.  Consider how this affects you.  The industry or organization might be going through significant change.  The company might be growing rapidly or trying to turn itself around.  The team you work with might be experiencing high turnover.  There might be a new manager.  Even the size and stage of the company will impact how you perform your job.

• What don’t you know?  What questions do you still have?  It’s not too late to ask, especially if they’re important factors in your decision. Alternatively, use your network.  Perhaps you know someone who works for the company who can give you an insider’s perspective.

• Do a gut check. Very rarely will you be able to make your decision based on perfect information.  Sometimes, it comes down to what your gut tells you.  If you have most of the information you need, then trust yourself.  Have the confidence to know that you will make the best possible decision. 

You set yourself up for success when you base your career decisions on fit.  When applying for jobs, interviewing or making a job decision, the focus and confidence you possess can empower you to seize the opportunity when the job is right or to walk away when it doesn’t measure up.

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