Worried Youll Hate Your Job Here Are 6 Ways to Figure It Out

Worried Youll Hate Your Job Here Are 6 Ways to Figure It Out Worried Youll Hate Your Job Here Are 6 Ways to Figure It Out 6The last thing you want after going through a job hunt is to repeat the whole process because you hate your job. While no job is perfect and every job involves a settling in period, clues oftentimes exist beforehand that should raise red flags suggesting this role might be one to avoid. Decrease your chances of accepting a job, and then realizing you hate your job, by taking these six steps: 1. Do your homework. Knowledge is power, so learn everything you can about your potential employer. Start with a Google search of the company’s name, a thorough investigation of its website (including the blog and employee profiles), and a good look at its social media profiles. Check out reviews on sites such as Glassdoor. See if any of your LinkedIn connections can introduce you to past or present workers. 2. Ask great questions. Now that you have an arsenal of information, identify what you’d still like to know or have explained further. Generate thoughtful questions that get to the heart of these topics. Hiring managers would rather you ask now instead of taking a job you’re uncertain about and then quit. 3. Examine your qualifications. When trying to impress an interviewer, candidates frequently describe how their background matches the position at hand. And while it’s a smart strategy, remember that the interview is not the actual job. The employer may have loved the example you presented on managing a project, but if you’d struggle to come up with another instance of team leadership, perhaps you should rethink your candidacy if that qualification is a priority for this role. Feeling way over your head is a quick way to hate a job. 4. Do a reality check. Just as important as having the skills to perform a job is the desire to do so. Sometimes applicants get so caught up in landing a position that they focus on what they want the role to be rather than what it actually entails. For example, if you’re a people-person in a job with little social contact, odds are you won’t be happy. “One significant career risk occurs when an applicant accepts a job where they are interested in 20% of the work but not the other 80%,” says Duncan Mathison, co-author of Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful  Job Search When Times Are Tough. “Employees have a tendency to put most of their effort in what engages them the most- at the risk of being out of alignment with the job or their employers expectations. Ask how employee performance is evaluated for the position or even the expectations of how much time during a typical week would be spent on each of the jobs responsibilities. Does the balance of duties and job objectives feel right for you?” 5. Judge the “fit.” Based on everything you’ve learned and thought about, does the job “sound” like you? Do your values and the company’s culture align? Did you enjoy being around the people you met? Want a bit more input? Mathison recommends asking the interviewers to talk about the most successful person to do the job before you. By asking why they thought that employee fit the job so well, you can get a better perception of company expectations and culture- and use this information to contemplate how you’d stack up. 6. Listen to your gut. Finally, remember that you know yourself best. If something about a potential job doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. You may be able to address nagging thoughts, such as by negotiating better terms. But if doubts linger, passing on the position may be the best thing you can do for long-term career satisfaction. Are you already in a job you dislike?  Check out this article on what to do if you  hate the job youre in.