Gut Checks for the Job Seeker to Filter Out Jobs You Don't Really Want 

"This tech job market is not for the faint of heart," a tech leader and friend told me the other day. I’m not surprising anyone with that statement. Although I've been on a brief career break for the past few months, I'm in the thick of re-entering the job market right now and looking for full-time roles. 

Some days I get desperate. I start to wonder if I’m in the right field, given how draining it is for me to put myself out there. In those times, I start to consider how I’ll even know if I find something that appeals to me. 

But the other day something came alive in me while I was applying to a job, and it made me realize that some roles and organizations are indeed better natural fits than others. Through the fog, I can trust myself to know when something’s a good fit for me deep down. 

If you struggle with feeling jaded through this job market, I’ve created a few quick gut checks for whether or not a job or an opportunity is worth the time. 

•  Do you put down everything just to apply to the job? 

If not, something is off. Why aren’t you eager to get you application out there? Maybe it's not singing your name.  

• Do you actually enjoy the process of applying to the job and interviewing?  

Do you feel light and authentic when filling out the application form? Or do you feel that you're twisting your experience and values in order to explain why you're a good candidate? In the latter case, it’s probably not a good fit. 

• Can you find folks at the company with whom you want to network REGARDLESS of whether or not you get the job? 

If you're looking at the team bios and are bored by them all, the role you're applying for may be a bad fit. So much about your success and what you learn in a role come from the other people on the team.  

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