Is The Job You Interviewed For Right For You?

How do you know if the job you interview for is right for you? I get asked this question a lot.

The short answer is: you don’t. Without a crystal ball, none of us knows with certainty whether or not a job is the “right” one.

But there are clues we can pick up during the interview process that provide valuable insight.

• Is the interview process organized?
• Does HR call you back in a timely manner with information about the decision making process or do they leave you hanging?
• How about the hiring manager; does he/she seem open and engaging or are they closed off, as if they are reading questions from a script?
• When observing employees in the office, what is the vibe? Is it general work or is it stress and chaos?
• Above all, did any of the people you met, especially the hiring manager, set off any alarms? Is the little voice inside your head telling you to heed those alarms; that something isn’t quite right?

One time I made the mistake of not paying attention to the red flags that popped up as I interviewed for a new job.

That little voice inside my head tried to tell me that something was not quite right as I was being wooed and courted with all kinds of promises. Sensing a dark side, I politely turned the job down. Yet their force was stronger and upped the ante with more money. It was an offer that seemed too good to pass up.

Thinking I had totally misread the cues during the interview process, I pushed my inner voice aside and accepted the offer. After all, I could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong with the opportunity. What did I have to lose?

Within the first two weeks I realized my mistake. That little voice inside my head had been right and all of those red flags meant “stop” and take serious notice. No amount of money could make up for the fact that this was not the right fit for me, yet now I was committed.

Ultimately, after staying for awhile, I left the company for something that was a much better match.

Word of caution: Remember, no job is perfect. Do not use your “inner voice” as an excuse to find fault with every interview or job opportunity that comes up.

Back to the original question: How do you know if the job you interview for is a good fit? Again, there are no guarantees. One thing is for certain: listen to your inner voice and look for any red flags.

When it’s right you’ll know it. And when it’s wrong, you’ll know it too.