My first “real job” after college was with Lockheed Martin. I took this job mostly because my friends somehow decided that if you made $30k out of college, you were a success. The starting salary was $30,500. Sign me up!
I could have told you this was not the right fit for me. I didn’t really want to work for a big company. They were moving me to Vermont, which was interesting, but not somewhere I wanted to land. I didn’t want to work in manufacturing. I was a misfit from the start.
In my most recent job search I was advised to think in increments of five years. Ask the question: will this role put you in a good spot 5-years from now?
While difficult to answer definitively, it is helpful framing for the decision process.
Below are some of the traits of a good job opportunity. This list holds for any job, but particularly an early career position.
Will I be with good people from whom I can learn?
Do I have some particular interest or aptitude?
Am I in a growth industry?
Can I build the kind of life I want to lead?
Does the industry have a high proportion of employment?
Notice salary does not make the list.
If you can find a role in an organization that can answer those questions in the affirmative, then you are in a good spot.