How do I pick the right job for right now?

A little over a year ago, after several months on the job hunt, I was in the (very) fortunate position of having to decide between two job offers.  The offers were for positions with the same title, at two different universities. One of those positions was directly in the field I hope to work in, and the other was more tangentially related.

I had a decision to make. At 23, fresh out of a master’s program, wages and benefits mattered. Unfortunately (or is it fortunately?), the jobs offered benefits packages and wages that were roughly equivalent, so it was back to staring at my pro-con list.

I had been on the job hunt for months by the time I was making this decision, so I had a compiled quite a list of ‘job duties’ and ‘preferred skills’ from the postings of my dream jobs. When I really wanted to depress myself, I took it out and stared at it. With these offers on the table, I finally had an opportunity to do something about the list. I decided to scrap my pro-con list and try something different.

I asked myself, “What will my resume look like in two years if I take this job?”

I thought about the opportunities I would have at each job to:

• gain new skills (grant-writing, marketing, event planning)
• participate in professional development (join associations, get certified,  or attend conferences)
• build relationships with leaders and experts in my field
• commit to things outside of work (serving on non-profit boards, volunteering, blogging)

After thirty minutes of furiously scribbling, I put my new list(s) down and walked away for a while. When I came back, it was very clear to me that the job slightly outside of my target was the right fit.

In fact, during my interview for that position, I had told the director of the office (and my current boss), “I am looking for opportunities to try lots of things, and to grow my skill set. I would like to try to write a grant; I know you have had great success with major national grants and I would really like to learn from you.” She listened intently and said she would happy to help me write a grant, and that I would definitely have a chance to get my hands dirty in a variety of programs.

She has more than lived up to that promise. Before I had even celebrated my four month workiversary, I was writing my first grant proposal. By the six month mark, I got a text from my boss congratulating me for receiving the grant. Just last night, I met with the first cohort of our new program for the third time. In a little over a year, my resume now contains many of the hot ticket items from the ‘dream job postings’ compilation.

Go for growth when choosing new positions.

My advice? Go for growth. Whether you’re looking at jobs to apply for, or weighing your options, think about how your choices impact your career long-term. I know it can be tempting to go for the one with the better salary. Trust me, I know.

Obviously, you shouldn’t set yourself up for financial failure, but it pays to be forward-thinking when it’s early days in your career. Whether you know exactly where you want to end up, or you have no idea what you want for dinner, let alone what you want to do with the rest of your life, putting yourself in the best position to learn is key.