Falling in Love with a Job? Know Your Dealbreakers.

Imagine someone offers you your dream job. Maybe you can picture the job itself already, or maybe you can only picture the feeling of how exciting this moment would be.

Everything is lining up. But, there’s a catch.

Take sticky notes or index cards (whatever you have handy), and on each one, write down something that would make you think twice about taking that job.

Would you decline the job if it was in a completely different field from what you’ve studied or worked in so far? What if you had to move across the country? What if they offered you a wage that allowed you to live, but only paycheck to paycheck without building savings? What if your ex worked there?!

Get as creative and goofy as your heart desires, and be as specific as possible for each one.

On a commute dealbreaker: what is the maximum distance you would be willing to travel daily? On a salary dealbreaker, what is the minimum you would accept so that you would take this as a stepping stone?

Now, arrange these on the wall or a bulletin board in order of priority.

Toward the bottom, you’ll place ones that you might be willing to budge on if they made up for it in other areas. Toward the top, place ones that make you sick just thinking about having to take that job.

Keep these in mind as you design your career possibilities and search job boards. No need to feel guilty passing on an opportunity that you know in advance, in your heart, is not the right job for you.

This list will keep growing and changing over time.

The more you honor your dealbreakers in your job search, the more you will prevent burnout in your next role.