03. Debrief: Self-Reflection Exercise Part 2

What are your preferences for a compatible work environment?

You may already have some idea of what you need and want in a job, but taking the time to articulate each factor may reveal what is actually the most important to you. Below we’ve provided a list of things that you may take into consideration during your job search; we highly recommend crafting a list of your own.

• Type of employment (do you want a full-time job or part-time/contract opportunity?)
• Work day flexibility (for example, would you prefer a steady 9-5 or the ability to work your own hours so long as you get the work done?)
• Benefits (how much do things such as healthcare, stocks or equity, and vacation days matter to you?)
• Job growth opportunities (how do you want the company to support you in your career development?)
• Perks (how much do things like foosball tables, company-sponsored lunches, and happy hours matter to you?)

What are 2-3 personal values that matter to you above all?

Each company has its own mission and values, which guide its business approach and company decisions. Identifying your own key values will help you look for companies where you will be able to do work that aligns with and reinforces these values. You might be surprised by the emphasis placed on identifying personal values, but consider this: if you work at a company that clashes with what you personally believe is important, you probably won't be happy.

You can start exploring this question by coming up with 2-3 (or more!) values that are most important to you. Once you have articulated these values, extend your research and begin networking to learn how you can identify a company that exemplifies these values. What does this look like? Hear from Trinh's experience:

"Years ago, I was looking for a new job and originally thought myself open to anything - any job, any field. My attempts to network were not fruitful - every conversation seemed so forced and awkward!

I realized that I didn't just want any job - I didn't have a clear idea of an exact role, but I knew I wanted to work in education and, in particular, help young students. I then started to find people on LinkedIn who worked in afterschool programs, school lunch services, and college prep non-profits. I reached out to them for informational interviews and got job leads on small organizations and companies.

These networking attempts were actually fruitful because I was interested and passionate, which resonated well with others and they were more willing to help me. One person added me to a private jobs mailing list, which is how I found my job!"

Separate Your Job Desires and Job Needs

After performing a self-reflection, you have a blueprint for conducting your career and industry research. Furthermore, identifying your "must-haves" and "nice-to-haves" will help you determine which things are job desires and which are job needs.

Consider this example:

To Clara, it is a necessity that her job be about working on environmental sustainability. For her, a nice-to-have to have is the option to work remotely, but she wouldn't mind working somewhere that didn't provide this option.

Jenny loves to travel regularly, and remote work is required for her to keep her lifestyle. Working in environmental sustainability would be nice to have, but she's open to any good job that allows her to telecommute.

To Clara, environmental sustainability is a "must-have" because it's her passion in life and where she wants to make her mark. Even if she got an amazing job in another field, she wouldn't be as happy working for a company whose mission didn't align with hers. However, although it would be nice to work remotely, she's willing to come into the office every day or even move cities for a chance to follow her passion.

To Jenny, the ability to travel is the most important thing for her, since her passion in life is meeting new people and exploring new places. She's always been interested in environmental sustainability, but there are also other rewarding fields out there in education, healthcare, and services. She's open to any remote roles in those industries.

Using the list you created for the "compatible environments" question, circle some factors that immediately jump out to you as “must-haves” right now. For now, consider everything else a “nice-to-have”. These factors may change over time or you may discover more, but it’s good to have a baseline to work with at the start of your career development!