One of the most stressful times in the job search is also one of the most exciting—being offered a job. It feels amazing to know that you made a strong impression on a company, and now they want to offer you the job, but why does that good feeling quickly fade and turn into stress? Turns out there is good reason to feel stress or panic after the initial euphoria from receiving a job offer subsides. It’s natural to wonder how to know if a job is right for you.

Making the decision to change jobs can be frightening for many job seekers. According to a Monster poll, 87% of job seekers said they have anxieties about starting a new job, and 46% said they have had times when they regretted accepting a new job offer. Even scarier, according to the poll, 30% had moments of wishing they had just stayed at their old job. Yikes!

Okay, hopefully, you’re still with us. We promise we’re done with the scary statistics. We want you to know that while starting a new job can be stressful, it can also be one of the best life changes. New jobs can, in some cases, be an opportunity to start over or to ignite growth, meet new people, gain new skills, and perhaps find a happier place mentally.

These are all the reasons why it is important to write out a plan before entering the job market. A job selection plan will help guide you in your decision-making process from the types of jobs you apply to and the types of questions you ask to remove some of the perceived risks when that job offer rolls in. We’ve got a few of the top considerations to make when building your job selection plan.

Understand Your Why

It could be that you don’t see upward mobility in your current role or that you no longer want to compromise time with family to put in the extra hours required at the office – whatever the reason make sure you make note of it. Humans are predisposed to prioritize their short-term memories, often holding onto the last negative experience they had. What happens when you make a change and leave a negative experience only to introduce another perceived negative experience? We inevitably forget about the reasons why we made the change in the first place.

This is a phenomenon we know too well, and it leaves us questioning our decisions. It’s the same reason we get nervous when that job offer comes in and it’s time to decide. Will we end up with buyer’s remorse? Take note of your feelings and reasons for wanting to leave your current role before starting your job search so that you can be confident that you made the right choice.

This process of writing your feelings down can also help you determine if the problems you are experiencing with your role are solvable, which can potentially help you avoid making a rash decision. All it takes is a bad day to hop on LinkedIn or Indeed to start applying for jobs. The next moment you have a recruiter reaching out to discuss the role and, before you know it, you have a flattering offer to consider. Do the intake on the front end to avoid placing yourself in a position of regret.

Non-negotiables

What are the things you feel you’re missing in your current role that you need to find in a new job? List these things out as they will be your North Star that will guide you through the initial conversation with the recruiter, hiring manager, and any subsequent interviews. If you stay true to your non-negotiables, you increase the chances of finding the perfect job fit and eliminating the risk.

Everyone will have their reasons for what they are looking for in a new job but here are some of the common factors job seekers want to find:

• Work-life balance
• Salary
• Benefits
• Promotion
• Growth and development opportunities
• Career Advancement
• Culture
• Ethics
• Better match with skillset
• Stability
• Flexibility
• Company values

We suggest listing out all the main factors that would help you decide but choose at least three non-negotiables. The most common reason for regret after starting a new job is that the choice to accept was driven by just one non-negotiable. Too often job seekers accept an offer for more pay or job titles without considering the other factors that make a company great. Don’t let shiny objects blind your judgment when changing jobs.

Have Your Questions Ready

After you list your non-negotiables, you need to start preparing the questions that will get you the information you’re looking for. We all know that asking questions in the interview process is best practice, but you shouldn’t just be asking to demonstrate your interest. Plan out the questions you want to ask the recruiter and hiring manager, and these should be a different set of questions. If you get the opportunity to meet with the team as well, prepare specific questions for them.

We know this part of the interview process can be tricky because we don’t want to give off the impression that we’re needy and we don’t want to take up the interviewer’s time.  Ask them anyway. They’re important and any company worth your time will be happy to engage.

We put together helpful examples of questions you could prepare for each level of the interview process:

Recruiter:

• How is the salary structured for the role? (recruiters may be reluctant to provide a salary range but will likely ask for your salary expectations)
• What is the hiring manager looking for in the person that fills the role?
• What kind of flexibility does this role provide? (i.e. opportunities to work from home)
• Why are you recruiting for the role?

Hiring manager:

• What are the soft skills you are looking for in the person that fills this role? (you will learn a lot by the answer to this question)
• What does success look like to you in this role?
• What is your leadership style?
• How would you describe the culture of the team and organization?

Team:

• What do you like most about your job?
• What are you looking for in a teammate?
• How would you describe the culture of the organization?
• How would you describe the manager’s leadership style?

Not all interview processes are structured the same but take the time to prepare questions that both show your interest in the role and company and help you make an informed decision. Think of interviews as a dance where both parties want to make an impression. Remember, they wouldn’t have invited you to interview if they didn’t see something in you that they liked, so be yourself and know your value.

The job search process can be stressful and finding the right job can be a daunting task. When you prepare a job selection plan beforehand you can go into the job market with confidence that you know what to look for to increase your odds of finding your perfect job.