Some people may make bad career decisions. It is not uncommon to hear that someone feels he made a bad decision, following a few months in a new role. Such circumstances are commonplace for young employees who have just started in the corporate world and may be less aware of certain hints, which indicate that the job may not be the ideal fit for them.
In this article, we will discuss some warning signs you need to consider before you accept the job. Don’t forget that things will always seem to be exciting at first. Familiarising yourself with some subtle hints shall arm you against making the wrong career move.
Increasingly non-compensated list of responsibilities
Although you have familiarised yourself well with the job description, you keep getting hints that you will take on more tasks of higher responsibility, which you will not be compensated for and may be doing things which may not necessarily fit your area of expertise. Although your job description will contain something along the lines of “other duties as may be required or assigned by management”, you will need to investigate whether such tasks are an opportunity to learn more or else a set of dead-end projects which no one else wants on his desk.
No mention of learning opportunities
Learning opportunities are vital for your career growth. In the initial discussions prior to getting a new job, you need to make sure that your new employers will invest in your training and development. This allows you to grow and sustain a better career. Such examples may include training seminars, programmes and conferences where you are exposed to industry best practices.
The position is not consistent with your career needs
The job offer may not be consistent with your career experience and qualifications. You might be seeking a role where you would want to make a certain impact. If you have a bad feeling from the offset, it might be a good idea to think it through.
High turnover
During the negotiation stage, you will need to investigate employee turnover within the company. Before accepting the job, you should have a look at LinkedIn profiles of employees who work there or were engaged by the company in the past. Having a look at their employment span gives you a good indication of how long employees last in the company.
No roadmap
You will need to determine your progression plan during the initial stages. It is important that your new employer knows exactly what your long-term objectives are and comes up with a plan on how you can achieve them. If your new employer has not asked or does not show interest on where you plan to arrive, it may not be worth the move.
Job changes are indeed tricky and need to be managed appropriately. Analyse the situation carefully so as to ensure that the change is beneficial for your career prospects.
