You Can Make Your Next Job A Great One

(Warning: Some Detective Work Required)

With employment opportunities improving, now could be the perfect time to apply for a more fulfilling position. But your next job should be the right job, and being proactive in evaluating your prospective boss can result in positive, even life-changing results. Your next job can change your life significantly for the better (or worse). A little investigative work upfront is well worth the effort.

Long before you face your prospective boss, there is Your Pre-Interview Checklist. You shouldn’t even schedule an interview without having done some important research (more on it here). It’ll help you to peek behind the façade and evaluate your potential workplace.

(A little aside: use any downtime at your current job to do your research for the next one. Read this article by Jacquelyn Smith at Forbes.com for experts’ opinions on how to make the best use of downtime. Although, if you are already set on changing jobs, there’s no better use for those slow days than preparation for this important step.)

If the prospective company checks out OK, and you do schedule that interview, don’t relax yet. Even in a good company there are some unknowns you need to clarify before putting your career on the line. The most important of those is surely your future boss, and you’d want to make sure it’s someone worth working for. In my Psychology Today column I offer tips and warning signs to help you sort out tyrannical bosses from terrific ones. Use them and save yourself a major misstep.