How to Choose a Job That's Right for You

Finding a job is one thing. Finding a job that suits you (and that you’ll love), is something else completely. Sure, you might be able to fill a certain position in the “help wanted” section. If you don’t enjoy the job, however, your overall happiness is likely to suffer. Job dissatisfaction can even impact your health.

So, how exactly do you go about finding a job that you’ll love? You can browse online, but you can spend hours searching and still come up with nothing. Finding a great job requires a strategy. Here are a few tips that can help you to find the best job for you.

Determine What You Like to Do

Doing something you already love to do can help make work feel, well, less like work. Think about the things that you enjoy doing. Perhaps you enjoy driving. Maybe you like taking care of children or you’re good at figuring out problems with computers. Consider academic classes or training events you attended just for the fun of it. Taking the time to think about what you like can help you to determine what field you should get into.

Analyze Your Skills

Make a list of all of your skills, including soft skills and skills that you’ve acquired outside of the workplace. What are the skills that you excel at, or the ones you most enjoy using? Make sure that you can provide evidence for all of your skills, such as getting references from past jobs or certificates from the classes you took.

Figure Out What You Want in Your Job

Take some time to figure out what you want in your ideal job. What prompted you to begin looking in the first place? Are you just getting back into the workforce? Do you want to change your career path? Knowing why you’re looking can help you narrow down the jobs you might want.

It’s also essential that you figure out what you need to have in your new job versus what’s negotiable. A non-negotiable item might be a salary you can’t go under, the availability of certain benefits, or where the job is located. On the other hand, you may be more flexible on things such as the size of the company or the specific job title.

Try Different Searches

These days, many job searches are conducted online. Even on job search sites, the search terms you enter may yield over a thousand results. Entering slightly different search terms can help to narrow down the results.

As you scan through the results, you may notice that some job titles pop out at you more than others. If you’re someone looking for a job in the trucking industry, this can make finding the best truck driver job for you much easier. It can also be helpful to use filters. Adding specific salary requirements, locations, or posting dates can help to narrow your search even further.

See if You Meet the Requirements

As you start finding interesting jobs, it’s time to take a closer look. Read the job descriptions. See if your skills match up with those required by the position. Does the job offer the things you’re looking for?

If you like what you see, make sure that you take the time to do some research on the company. Should you apply and receive an offer for an interview, you should know a bit about who the company is and what they do. Take the time to research the position as well, especially if you’re unfamiliar with it.

Just because you can do a specific job, that doesn’t mean it’s the best one for you. Job satisfaction is incredibly important. When you like what you’re doing, you’re more likely to experience greater overall happiness. Take the time to consider what you like doing and what you’re good at. Whether you’re looking to get away from your current job or get back into the job market, a little time and research can help you to find a job you’ll love.