“How do I find the right job for me?” is a question asked by people at various stages of their life. From freshers straight out of college to professionals with decades of work behind them, the question plagues everyone equally. If you’re trying to figure out how to find a job that fits you perfectly, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will discuss:

1. What exactly is “The Right Job”?
2. What You Should Do to Find the Right Job
3. Mistakes to Avoid While Seeking the Right Job for You

Let’s dive in!

What Does “the Right Job” Even Mean?

In short, the “right job” is the job where you get to be the best version of yourself. It’s the job that is best suited to you, and vice versa. The right job will be the one where you are the most productive, happy and best compensated simultaneously. While these three conditions may be met individually by many jobs, your goal is to find one that can ensure –

Productivity

Your ideal job must naturally encourage you to become, and stay, productive. There might be many jobs you feel good about doing at first, but will it always? An average professional spends more than 30 years working, so you need to think ahead. A job that you will eventually tire of is not going to help you at all.

Happiness

The key to maintaining productivity, among other things, is happiness. Your job may give you lots of money, but eventually, what matters more is happiness. If you’re not happy with your job, you’ll never be happy with life itself. The alarming number of millionaires (CEOs, industrialists, superstars – you name it!) who end up committing suicide is solid proof of that. We are given one life to live, and our primary goal should always be to be as happy as we can be!

Ideal Compensation

Everyone can’t be a millionaire, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for less. Your talent, hard-work and value deserve payment that is justified by your merits. In a capitalist world, we are taught to maximize our wealth, but that isn’t always the best way to go. Your ideal job will pay you what you are worth, nothing less – nothing more. While money can’t buy happiness, it does sustain your life, so you need to make sure you’ve always got enough.

So, How do You Find the Right Job?

So now you’ve got an idea about what the ideal job should be like. While it sounds simple enough, it’s very difficult to find that match. Most people never end up doing so and even fewer get to start off with it. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try, so let’s look at what to do, and what not to when looking for the right job.

Test Yourself

Most of you will have encountered some form of career counselling in your school or college life. Be it aptitude tests, counselling sessions or job fairs – we are made aware of our potential and prospects pretty early on! This is the first important step. Take career quizzes, aptitude tests and talk to career counsellors to help you figure out what career your nature is best suited to.

There are many kinds of tests, such as the Myers-Briggs personality tests, that are designed to map out your aptitudes and help you identify what you would be good at. Make a list of roles that suit you before you go searching for jobs.

Upskill

No matter which industry you work in, it’s always a good idea to refresh and update your knowledge of things relevant to your job. Take a look at some courses on Udemy and acquire a new skill or upgrade your existing skills. You can also try out some options available on edX for the same.

Do yourself a favour and check out KelbyOne courses on photography and everything related to it. You may be surprised by how much of a difference it makes to have this particular skill to your job prospects in a massive variety of fields.

Research the Employer

Once you’ve got a good idea about yourself, it’s time to research your potential employers. Take your list of preferred employers, and research them thoroughly. Check out the company website, talk to current employees and get a good idea about the company. Get a feel for their beliefs and practices, worldviews, and company outlook. Make sure that the company culture suits you – are they formal or casual, startup or corporate, etc.

Exploit social media

Make sure you make good use of social media when you research a potential employer. Unlike their own websites or current employees, social media isn’t biased towards them by default. Websites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor will give you a comprehensive report on a company’s performance, behaviour and ground reality. Check out reviews by employees, ex-employees, interview and workplace reviews, salaries and other facts that have been verified.

Mistakes to Avoid While Seeking the Right Job for You

Being Hasty

Avoid making hasty decisions, be it a yes or a no. A job offer might look very lucrative or unattractive at first glance, but hold off on making any final decisions just then. Go around and get as many offers as you can, compare them, and map out all pros and cons. Don’t be swayed by promises of future increments in salary, perks or benefits when choosing.

Selling Yourself Short

Salary discussions are sometimes surprisingly close to marketplace haggling! Barring a few extremely reputed and big companies, HR departments will try their best to recruit you at the lowest possible salaries. When discussing your compensation, make sure you are confident about what your time and effort are worth, and don’t agree for anything lesser. Trust me, if the job is right for you, it will pay you what you deserve.

Being Rigid

It’s not very probable that your pre-set notions about your perfect job are entirely correct. No matter how many aptitude tests you’ve done, sometimes you may not be the best judge of yourself. Many roles are different from what the general understanding of them is. Sometimes, your interviewer may identify aspects about you that you yourself might not be aware of. If they feel strongly about your prospects in a certain role, it’s a good idea to try it out. Who knows, you might enjoy it once you begin!

Conclusion

With these points in mind, you can go about searching for the ideal job for you. Always make sure you think well and take your time before you make any decisions, but don’t overthink either. A lot of people find their true calling after years of working at other things, through trial and error. Consult with your mentors and seniors, keep looking till you find the right job, have confidence in yourself, and most importantly – never give up!