Like millions of Americans out there, you might be on the hunt for a job. Not just any job, but a stable source of income for you and your family. After a long decade of high unemployment, there are no more job openings than there are people looking for work, which is a huge improvement.
Yet, despite the numbers, not everything is as it seems. All jobs are not created equal and some can even have many disadvantages. A lot of young people make the mistake of taking the first decent job that pops up or deciding solely based on finances and not other factors.
In a lot of cases, you’d be better served declining a job offer rather than having a history of short-term jobs on your resume. No employer wants to see you worked at 20 different jobs in the span of 5 years. To prevent yourself from taking a bad job, you should consider these five points and reevaluate your decision:
1) Is Your Heart in It?
If you’ve been trying for months to find work, you’re behind on your bills, and you finally get an offer, you might be inclined to jump at the chance. But, are you accepting this job offer because you want this job or because it’s the only one you’ve managed to get? If your heart isn’t in it, the job won’t be a good fit and can cause a black mark on your record.
Employers are looking for enthusiastic workers who care about the work they do. Thinking you can just get a job for a few months and you show you don’t care about the job only makes you look bad. Don’t hurt your professional reputation by making lots moves and haphazardly accepting jobs your heart isn’t in.
2) What is the Reputation of the Company?
Some companies just have atrocious records when it comes to treating their employees well. Thank goodness for review sites! For most places you should be able to find a website where you can see reviews from previous employees. Turnover rates are another thing to look at. High turnover rates can reveal a toxic culture within management.
3) Is It a Good Fit for You?
Another tough reality is some jobs aren’t made for everyone. Many can require hours on your feet doing hard labor. Others are intellectual and/or analytical. If you’re a withdrawn introvert, you might not like working in a customer service-oriented job or one that requires you to work as a team.
There’s nothing wrong with finding a job that suits your needs and accommodates your style of work. You’ll be more successful in the long run if you don’t deviate too much from a culture that is close to your own.
4) What is the Future of the Company?
You want stability as one of the biggest deciding factors. There’s nothing worse than trying to start your career with a company that’s on the skids and about to close their doors. Of course, a lot of companies try to hide the fact that they’re not doing well, but with a little bit of research, you can find out for yourself.
For example, what are their stock prices? Are they falling? Any clues about potential mergers? Has the CEO stepped down or considering it? Was there a major PR incident that forced this company to get blasted in the news? While you’re checking their reputation, also look at the financial side of the business to get a clear picture.
5) Is There Room to Grow?
There’s nothing worse than being stuck at a dead-end job, with no opportunities for advancement, raises, or leadership opportunities. That means, no matter how well you do and outperform others, you’ll remain where you are. Good companies will offer not just advancement, but great development opportunities to help you advance.
