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If your plan is to get a new job, understanding your specific needs is not only important to you but important to the hiring managers interviewing you. Making sure your goals align with the company you’re interviewing for is a starting point, but here are a few tips for getting specific with your employment goals.

• Don’t Chase After Roles That Aren’t Right  

You don’t want to waste your time, or a hiring manager’s time, so it is important to look at jobs and organizations that are right for you. Whether that is more fulfilling work or more flexibility and work/life balance, you should target an organization whose company culture and employees fit with your ideal work environment. It is important that when looking for a new job opportunity, to take your personal values and principles into consideration. A Harris Poll found in a recent survey that the majority (52%) of U.S. workers are considering a job change this year. While it is totally acceptable to leave a job if you’re not happy, make sure that you are not looking for a similar situation somewhere else or a job that is completely out of your comfort zone just for the sake of change. Assess your current skill set or ways to gain new skills before jumping head-first into a new job situation.

• What Do You Want, and What Would It Take 

Before you start actively interviewing, take time to consider what it is you really want in your next role.  Take a moment to make a list of all the reasons why you might be unsatisfied with your current situation, and how moving organizations could positively impact you. Then decide what it would take for you to seriously consider leaving your current job, such as more money, better flexibility, a different title, or any other serious possibility. Make sure you are not being motivated for the wrong reasons, and that once you begin interviewing with other organizations, that you are committed to what you have decided. According to Statistica, 18% of workers said they’d like to have more flexible hours in a new job, and 21% them felt that there were better opportunities available at other companies. Having a defined notion of what you feel like success is for you will help you make a decision on what position or organization will work best for you.

• Communicate What You Want To Get What You Want

Hiring managers want to know what you want upfront when you are interviewing, so make sure you can communicate your wants and needs effectively to see if an opportunity is really something that will work for you. Once you have decided which jobs and organizations align with your goals, values, and your personal measure of success, frame your cover letter and resume to reflect as such so you can let people know what you are looking for upfront. In the interview, make sure to answer all of the questions honestly and take the time to assess if this position or the organization would be a good fit because if it isn’t, you are going to be looking for another position at another organization in six to eight months. Make sure you mention how your skills and experience set you apart from other candidates and ask them what sets them apart from other organizations.

• Final Thoughts

Being clear about your wants and needs in a position or organization will help you find career fulfillment in the long run. If you’re specific with what you are looking for, the perfect job opportunity will be just around the corner, you just have to be committed to making the leap. Check out our other blog about why you should work in the Solar Industry, and for specific questions contact us at jon@inpeakdemand.com.