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    Doing and becoming: Focus on long-term benefits when evaluating job offers

    Short-term positives might be getting in the way your long-term job fulfillment. Here are 5 questions you should consider or ask in an interview when evaluating a job change to avoid leaving one unhappy situation for another.

    By Kate Warren
    When promoting positions to job seekers, play up the “doing and becoming” aspects of the opportunity, says Lou Adler, CEO and founder of The Adler Group, a training and search firm helping companies implement performance-based hiring. What impact will the position have on the organization and its work? What will someone in this job be able to do and achieve? These are questions that both those hiring and those being hired should consider when deciding if a position is a good fit. People usually leave jobs for negative reasons and accept jobs for positive ones. However, if job seekers focus on only short-term positives like more money or a big title, Adler warns, instead of more long-term positives like career growth or identifying with the mission, they are likely to become unhappy again in the new job, creating a cycle of moving from job to job in search of one that will bring fulfillment. Here are 5 questions you should consider or ask in an interview when evaluating a job change to avoid leaving one unhappy situation for another. 1. Do I identify with the organization’s mission and values? Most global development workers are not in this field for wealth or prestige, but to make an impact in a meaningful way. Working toward a mission they believe in is what keeps aid workers motivated even when the day-to-day aspects of the job are frustrating or overwhelming. Choosing an employer whose mission and values matches yours is critical for long-term happiness in a role. 2. What impact does this position have to the mission of the organization? If you are a mission-driven individual, then understanding the role a position plays in achieving an organization’s goals is an important criterion to consider. Many people working in global development, particularly those who are based in a home office, can’t see the direct impact of their work. But even if you won’t feel it on a daily basis, how will the work you will be doing play a role in achieving these goals and is it enough for you to be fulfilled? 3. What is the most important thing this position will need to accomplish in order to be successful? This is a great question to ask in an interview. It shows to a recruiter that you are results oriented and are already thinking about how you would succeed in the job. The answer will be very telling in showing you what this position will actually do, too. Job descriptions are notorious for being a long list of required skills and qualifications without explanation as to why those requirements are important. Understanding how those skills will be used to create impact on the job will help you position yourself better as a candidate, even if you are missing some of those skills. 4. Will this position stretch you? Yes, more money and a bigger title are nice and hopefully most professionals are able to achieve these as they grow in their careers. However, in order to really achieve professional growth and fulfillment, learning and stretching your skills is more important. Will this job do something bigger, have more impact or more visibility? These are all questions to consider, advised Adler. A bigger title or paycheck will only get you so far if you are not adding and expanding your skills and experience. 5. Is there more risk in staying or leaving? Changing jobs is risky, especially if you are content in your current one. You are trading a known situation for an unknown one. But there can also be risk in staying. If you are within an organization for too long without seeing any real career growth like learning new skills and stretching you in new areas, then staying could mean stalling out. Looking to make a career move? Visit our career center for expert advice on how to navigate your job search - all you need is a Devex Career Account to get started.

    When promoting positions to job seekers, play up the “doing and becoming” aspects of the opportunity, says Lou Adler, CEO and founder of The Adler Group, a training and search firm helping companies implement performance-based hiring.

    What impact will the position have on the organization and its work? What will someone in this job be able to do and achieve? These are questions that both those hiring and those being hired should consider when deciding if a position is a good fit.

    People usually leave jobs for negative reasons and accept jobs for positive ones. However, if job seekers focus on only short-term positives like more money or a big title, Adler warns, instead of more long-term positives like career growth or identifying with the mission, they are likely to become unhappy again in the new job, creating a cycle of moving from job to job in search of one that will bring fulfillment.

    This article is exclusively for Career Account members.

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    About the author

    • Kate Warren

      Kate Warren@KateDWarren

      Kate Warren is the Executive Vice President and Executive Editor of Devex, where she leads a global team of journalists, event producers, and communications and marketing professionals to drive conversations around the most pressing and urgent issues of our time, including climate, global health, food security, philanthropy, humanitarian crises, and foreign aid funding. Through live journalism — via in-person and virtual events — along with insider news, analysis, podcasts, content series, and special reports, Kate and her team ensure the most important ideas, voices, and debates reach an influencer audience to drive impact and make progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

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