Six Tips to Prevent Your Dream Job from Turning into a Nightmare

The first few weeks after a major life change can be stressful and fraught with danger. Newlyweds find out in a few weeks things that they didn’t know about their new spouse before they said “I do.” New business owners can get tripped up quickly by not enough customers, cash, inventory or advertising and too much overhead, payroll and debt. The first few weeks of a new job can bring a few surprises and some measure of regret if you didn’t do your homework or jumped too soon to take a job out of desperation.

The temptation in this tight labor market is to try to fit your round peg of a resume into the square hole of a job that is being offered. It’s flattering to be offered a job. It’s a relief to finally be able to pay the bills, get out of debt, and rebuild your self-esteem and confidence. But, not every job is the right one. Here are six tips to make sure the job you take becomes a dream come true rather than your worst nightmare:

1. Before you send out resumes or interview, make a list of what you are looking for in a job. That includes location, commute, salary, benefits, working environment, company culture and values. Are you looking for something long term, or a job that can lead to another in your industry up the ladder, not necessarily in the same company?

2. Rank your list by “must have” and “nice to have.” If you don’t decide first what your requirements are, you can be easily “sold” on the wrong job some attractive but unnecessary perk or promise. Taking a job that pays more but is an hour commute, when your limit was 20 minutes, will lose its attraction after a few late nights or traffic jams that make the commute even longer.

3. Make a list of companies that you want to work for. List them by A, B, and C—“A” being the top companies, “C” are marginal. Visit those companies when employees are coming in the morning or leaving in the afternoon. Observe how they dress and what their general mood is. Can you imagine yourself as part of that group? Are they smiling, talking to each other or rushing to their cars, silent, heads down?

4. Once you take a position, give yourself time to get to know your job and co-workers. You are walking into a group who already has history with each other. Don’t try to impress with what you know, try to change things or brag about how great (or horrible) your last job was. Do a lot of listening, asking questions and learning.

5. Be flexible and easy-going. Be sure that what was promised in the interview is delivered, like the lap top or access to certain critical systems or a certain work schedule, but don’t be demanding and impatient.

6. Remember, everyone was on their best behavior in the interview. There may be a few surprises, but if the job seems the opposite of what you expected, honestly assess your ability to stay and succeed. Leaving a job after a few weeks or months isn’t the best resume builder, but can be better than making everyone miserable. Have an honest conversation with your manager, thank them for the opportunity, and don’t burn your bridges. Take responsibility for the situation, and move on.

Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.