The Data Point #1: How to know if a job is the right fit

Read time: 3 minutes

Navigating your emotions during the job hunt can be tough. The interview process is no exception.

And sometimes it can be difficult to decide whether a job is actually right for us or not. If you don’t have a job at all, the stakes are even higher and the decision tougher.

We’ve all been there at some point. We want the job, but there are some red flags. You try to justify them the best you can and trust that it’ll work out. You need a job so you’re willing to make some compromises, but something feels off.

If we’re desperate, we may end up accepting an offer for a job that isn’t a good fit. But this can lead to trouble down the road. We may end up leaving before too long or working under conditions we’re unhappy with.

So how do you know when you should jump ship or hang on during the interview process?

There are 3 things that can help us with this process:

1. Knowing where you’re willing to compromise and how far

2. Knowing your non-negotiables.

3. Trusting your gut.

1 | Knowing where you’re willing to compromise and how far

It’s important to be flexible.

This is especially true earlier on in our career. Our ideal role might be a fully-remote job with six-figure pay, flexible hours, equity, and tons of perks.

But is that realistic for a first data job?

Sorry, but no. Because of this, we need to be flexible.

Maybe the role is hybrid rather than remote. Maybe the pay is a little under what we were expecting. Maybe the perks are less than we hoped for.

Some or all of these might be acceptable if the role and company culture seem great.

Side note: good culture is NOT happy hours, swag, and free lunches. It’s being treated with respect and provided work-life balance.

To summarize this point, don’t sell yourself too short, but know where you’re willing to be flexible.

But how far is too far?

That brings me to my next point…

2 | Know your non-negotiables

While being flexible is good, there is a limit.

To avoid exceeding these limits, you need to know your non-negotiables. Here’s a personal example relating to my first analyst job.

I was willing to compromise on my desire for a fully remote job because the offer exceeded my target salary by 14%. Of course, the job looked good beyond just the compensation too.

It was also a great opportunity with a chance to have a real influence on the department and the office was very close to my home.

Because of all this, I was willing to deviate from my ideals a bit.

Salary is a good example, but non-negotiables can apply to many things:

• Mentorship

• Working hours, (is OVT standard?)

• If the role does require trips to the office, having a distance limit

To get a good grasp on the opportunity, you’ll want to ask good questions.

As a rule of thumb, you should never only ask questions about working conditions. You should also be asking plenty of questions about the role and the organization itself. Having about 5-10 questions prepared overall is my recommendation.

With all this in mind, it is vital to listen to and trust your gut.

3 | Trusting your gut

Sounds great, but what does that even mean.

Trusting your gut is listening to the physical feelings your body gives you about a decision. The gut is also often referred to as the “second brain” in medicine. When the neurons in your gut communicate with those in your brain, they lead to feelings of intuition. Our intuition gets developed over time through our life experiences.

Alright, so trusting your gut. Awesome. But how do you identify those feelings?

One way that I do this is to gauge my level of excitement during an interview. If I’m excited at the opportunity, that’s a good sign. If I’m not, then that’s a bad sign.

To me, that excitement is my gut telling me, “Yes!”

Sometimes these feelings become more clear after the interview upon reflection.

Pay attention to what you feel as you tell someone else about the role or as you picture yourself working there.

Of course, prudence is of value here too. The job should objectively appear to be a good opportunity without any red flags.

Even if it’s not your absolute dream job, having excitement about it is very important. Enthusiasm mixed with what appears to be a good opportunity is often a very strong sign that the job is a good fit.

It can take a lot of courage to walk away from a job offer, but if you’re not excited about it, it’s not worth it,

So pay attention to those gut feelings inside of you. They could end up being your lighthouse in a storm of indecision.

That’s it for this week.

See you next time.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 resources that can help you:

1. If you’re looking to create a data portfolio but aren’t sure where to start, I’d recommend the following book:

   1. The Data Portfolio Guidebook: Learn how to think like an analyst, develop a project portfolio and LinkedIn profile, and prepare for the job hunt. Join 350+ learners here.

2. For help navigating the data job hunt, consider booking a 1:1 call with me. I can help in the following ways:

   1. Resume, LinkedIn profile, or portfolio review

   2. Career guidance

   3. Interview prep

      1. Schedule a time here.