When I started my job search, about 6 years and three weeks ago, I knew what I wanted:
- More than I was making in my last job (I had forgone three years of raises and salaries, and really felt I was underpaid (long story)).
- A short commute from my house. The commute I had just left was 30 minutes, which I didn’t like.
- To stay in my house. I didn’t want to uproot my family.
I’m sure I had other criteria, but those are the three that I am remembering right now. As the weeks went by, and my job search got more pathetic, my criteria changed.
I was okay to not have such a senior level title.
I was okay to commute into the city (yuck – I cringe as I write that!!).
I was started to look at jobs that would require me to move. And I figured if I would move outside of my town, I might as well look anywhere in the world.
What would I entertain? I was more excited about moving overseas and working in the high tech space. For example, I would have loved to work at TomTom… here is a link to some cool TomTom jobs. Doesn’t that look freaking awesome?
Honestly, if I found a job a couple of hours away from my house, I might as well move 20 hours away, right? A job at TomTom, working on that awesome technology, in another country, is exciting to me, even now 🙂
What was on YOUR list of requirements when you first started your job search, and how has your list of requirements changed?
I was prepared to accept a job within one plane flight of home or four hours of driving. After 9 months of looking I was lucky enough to find a job with one of the few companies ready to hire older workers. I now work ten minutes from home and I am an HR manager for Home Depot.
A deal breaker for me has been I don’t want to move out of the area. My wife has a good solid job where she has been since….. January 1985.
Her parents live about 90-120 minutes from us. Mine less than 15 minutes. Commute – I have done 28 miles one way, did it for over 7 years. For the right job I would do it again, but it would have to be the right job.
Just got back from an interview with a small (~$5 million revenue) company – 20 minutes/22 miles mid to late morning. I imagine it would be 10+ minutes longer in order to make it by 8:00 am.
The salary is a lot less than what I was making but I would take it in a heartbeat. The title is lower but the responsibility is just as great, maybe more – that is the thing about working for a small company.
There is room for salary growth, but it will always be a fairly small company as the owner doesn’t (at this time) want to grow it to much beyond where it is now.