Life/Career Goals:

Take a look at the issues below, and list in order from most to least important. Make sure your job plans support at least the top two or three goals.

• money
• geographical location
• leisure & vacation time
• family
• prestige/glamour
• travel on business
• opportunities to move up in the organization
• professional growth
• job security

Considering Relocation:

There are many factors that influence your success at relocating. Some issues to consider include:

• The personal cost of moving - will you be leaving family, a significant other, a close group of friends?
  
  
• Climate changes - have you lived in the climate before? Can you handle climate shifts?
  
  
• Urban vs. rural - if you’re looking at a shift, are you prepared for the cultural adjustment?
  
  
• Can you afford to relocate? Or are you in a field where you can expect the company to pay moving expenses?
  
  
• How will the cost of living affect your starting salary?
  
  
• For more insight into issues to consider for relocating, check pages 62 and 63 of The Ultimate Job Hunter’s Guidebook, Second Edition, by Susan D. Greene and Melanie C.L. Martel, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.

What Kind Of Company/Organization Do You Want To Work For?

Different types of organizations have differing characteristics. The same job category can be very different depending upon the size and type of organization. Keep in mind that the characteristics listed are generalities. There are organizations that break the rules in every category.

Large organizations

• Generally a more structured environment
• More opportunities to move up, and more competition
• Jobs tend to be more focused and specific
• More opportunities for training and development

Small organizations

• Often have informal or flexible structures
• More opportunities to expand your role
• Jobs tend to be broader in focus
• More limited opportunities for formal training

New organizations

• Structures are fluid and undefined
• Often opportunities to move up quickly and expand role
• Policies and procedures often undefined
• Change is frequent and sometimes dramatic
• Less job security

Established organizations

• Both formal and informal structures are often clearly defined
• More limited opportunities to move up or expand role
• Generally more job security

Industry Characteristics:

Different industries have very different characteristics. Is the industry you’re considering extremely competitive and fast-paced? or more unchanging and traditional? It’s important to make sure your personality is a match with the industries you’re considering.

WorkPlace Environment:

Where you work can be as important as how you like to work in terms of your final success. Of course, as an entry-level employee, you won’t have that nice large corner office with a view. But some aspects of an office environment are useful to find out about, in terms of making a successful match. It’s up to you to decide what is required for you, as compared to a "nice to have." Some things to consider are listed below.

• noise level
• social expectations - at work and out of work
• clothing requirements
• company culture - fun or serious, fast or slow moving, friendly or competitive, trustworthy or...not

Job Characteristics:

To help determine the job characteristics you will be happiest and most successful with, take a look at your life experiences. Some suggestions for issues to consider include:

• The role you have preferred in team experiences or projects (organizer, researcher, integrator of information, writer, presenter, other.)
  
  
• Do you prefer working with people, records/facts, ideas, or things?
  
  
• Do you work better alone or with people?
  
  
• Do large groups of people/organizations excite you or distract/confuse you?
  
  
• Do you prefer to have a number of things to work on at one time, or just one?
  
  
• Would you prefer to work on different projects, or in one specific area doing one specific series of things.
  
  
• Do you want to stay in the same office/department all day or move around from department to department or outside the organization?
  
  
• How much time do you want to spend:
  • on the phone
  • writing/composing
  • meeting with others
  • selling ideas/things
  • calculating/tabulating
  • coordinating/organizing
  • thinking, solving problems
  • being creative
    
    
• Take the information you have culled from your answers and analysis to the information above, and write your job objective.

  "I would like a job in a small relatively young organization that allowed me to work on a variety of projects in a number of areas of the organization, with extensive exposure to the outside community and opportunities for travel."

  –OR–

  "I would like to work for a good income in a task-oriented structured environment in one department of a large, well-established firm, with a well-defined career ladder and training opportunities."

• It’s important to remember that one job is not necessarily better than another, just better for you. Be honest with yourself about who you are and what you really want. This is your life, not someone else’s.
  
  
• Remember, the goal is to find a fit--a job where you will be happy and successful, and the organization will be happy with you.

Careers: Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Welcome
  • Making Your Life Easier
  
  
• Taking Stock
  • What Do You Have to Offer a Future Employer?
  • Putting Together Your Package
  • Determining What You Want
  
  
• Making It Happen
  • Getting In
  • Making a Match
  • Shining at the Interview
  • Negotiating the Deal
  • It's a Career, Not Just a Job
  • If Nothing Is Happening
  • Encouraging Words