In our post last week, we shared some examples of ways you can use our Benefits, Concerns, and Suggestions framework.

In our example for deciding on whether to accept a job offer, we recommended using our framework to ask yourself questions like this:

As I look at the job description, the information I gathered at the interview, and my core criteria,

  1. What are the BENEFITS of accepting this job offer?
  2. What CONCERNS do I have about accepting this job offer?
  3. What SUGGESTIONS do I have to make this job opportunity a great fit for me?

Some of you wrote to us wondering what we mean by core criteria, and how to go about identifying yours. When we talk about your core criteria for work, we mean your life priorities, skills, and working environment.To support you with identifying yours, we’re providing you a brief overview for each of these three key areas.

YOUR LIFE PRIORITIES

Identifying the things that matter most to you in this life can be a helpful foundation as you’re considering whether to accept a job offer.

If you’re interested in doing this exercise, you can download a PDF here: Life Priorities.

Once you’ve completed it, we recommend making some notes as you answer this question, “What role do you want work to play in your life?”

YOUR SKILLS & STRENGTHS

Exploring the skills you use when you’re doing things you love, can be profoundly helpful in identifying the ways you want to offer yourself in your work and your life.

Consider answering these questions, to help you identify your top skills and strengths:

  • What are some of the projects (personal and professional) you’ve worked on that have been the most satisfying for you? What skills were you using?
  • In your life, what’s the work that motivates you the most?
  • When you’re at your best, what skills have you been using, what was the work, and who were you working with?

If you’re having trouble with this section, consider asking trusted loved ones/colleagues something like, “What do you think I do well?”

YOUR WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Your day-to-day working environment can make a significant difference in your satisfaction with your work.

Consider answering these questions, to help you identify your top working environment and conditions:

  • Do you enjoy a friendly coworker atmosphere or one that is strictly business?
  • Would you rather be managed closely or work independently?
  • How do you communicate when things are going well? How about when things get messy?

Once you’ve thought about the above prompts, we also encourage you to paint a bigger picture by asking yourself something like, “What are the right types of working conditions, environments, and culture where I’m most likely to thrive?”

The clearer you are about what you’re looking for, the more likely it is that you’ll find work that fits with your needs.

We encourage you to spend some time this week, identifying your own core criteria.

If you’re unsure whether to accept a job offer consider using the Benefits, Concerns, and Suggestions framework to assess whether it’s the right fit for you.

Let us know how it goes!

If you’d like support
identifying your core criteria,
contact us today.