Candidates must learn to be a little flexible

April 19, 10:18 AMEntry Level Careers ExaminerHeather Huhman

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May graduates, given the state of the economy, are going to search for and land jobs differently than in the past. But, you already know that. What you might not know (or want to hear) is that you also must learn to be extremely flexible—about certain aspects. You can’t be overly picky, but you shouldn’t necessarily take the first job offer, either.

Be Flexible

1. Geography. This is number one in my book. Do not—I repeat, do not—limit yourself geographically. I see it time and time again; students apply for jobs only in their college towns or where they grew up (where their family is located). Not every type of career can be built in every town. I can hear you saying, “But I can’t afford to relocate!” My response: can you afford to go months without a job? It’s not cheap to move, but it’s also not practical to wait for jobs to come to you.

2. Salary. Know what you’re worth and don’t give away the bank, but this truly is an area in which you can be flexible. Do not use services like Salary.com to figure out how much entry-level practitioners in your field should be paid—for some reason they aren’t anywhere near accurate. (According to Salary.com, I should currently be making $100,000 per year. Wow, I wish!) Instead, ask your professional association if they do annual salary surveys. Or, ask a few mentors in your field what they think an entry-level practitioner should make. But then, getting back to the flexibility part, be willing to make a little less than your ideal salary to start and do a fantastic job with the hope that the economy turns around and you are rewarded in salary and/or bonuses. 

3. Organization type. If you’re anything like me, I had a particular type of organization (i.e., nonprofit, corporation, government agency, etc.) in mind for my first job. Perhaps you feel most jobs in your field are offered at particular types of organizations. Start thinking outside the box—you’d be surprised at the number of options at your fingertips. Again, your professional association or an industry mentor should be able to point you in the right direction.

4. Job title. Again, you might have a particular title in mind when you’re job hunting. But, at the end of the day, your title shouldn’t matter—don’t get hung up on this point whatsoever. Your goal, I assume, is to move up within an organization over the years. Concentrate on doing a great job to achieve that and stop worrying about your title.

Hold Out for More

1. Organization culture and fit. Most recent graduates leave their first jobs within two years (or less). You might be able to avoid becoming part of this statistic by waiting until you know or are reasonably sure the fit is right for you. If you receive an offer, the organization obviously feels the fit might be right for them, but that doesn’t mean the fit is necessarily right for you. If you can, arrange to speak with your potential co-workers during the hiring process to assure you get a well-rounded view of the organization—not just the show they put on during interviews.

2. Your immediate supervisor. Similar to organizational fit, you should not accept a position in which you don’t feel a click with your potential boss. You are going to have to work closely with him or her, and while you shouldn’t expect friendship status, you should expect this individual to be your mentor as you build your career. This is particularly important in your first position, and unfortunately not everyone in management is cut out to be a manager. You should be able to get a feel for this during the interview by asking good questions, but speaking with a few potential co-workers might also help.

3. Benefits. Particularly if you are making concessions in salary, see if the organization will budge in benefits. Again, go in knowing what you need. Health insurance, dental and vision are three major ones. Your whole life up until this point you’ve likely been on your parents’ plan. If the organization does not offer what you need, and will not make the deal a bit sweeter after suggesting a lower salary than you had in mind, you might want to keep looking.