What Do I Look For In My Next Job

What Do I Look For In My Next Job I have a gap in my life. For four years I spent lets say thirty hours a week on Pluralsight courses. That might be a stretch, but the last year I did Pluralsight it was over that (I did 14 courses in a 12 month period, and it was nuts). I managed my team at JibberJobber, too. During that time two things happened: I put into place some systems that would allow me to be gone more. I built my team to the point where I didnt really have a full-time job anymore. This is eMyth meets Four Hour Workweek.   I didnt work myself out of a job, but I didnt need to be there 40 (or 60!) hours anymore. I found this out when I was done creating Pluralsight courses I put my team and systems on autopilot, but I did a bad job of vision, future, and strategy. Work was done, but the right focus (UX) was neglected.   I wont do that again were becoming hyperfocused on the user experience, which means a lot of cleanup, and focusing on some very specific things. Since my gig with Pluralsight ended I have found that I have an enormous amount of time more time than I need to keep JibberJobber doing what it needs to do. My critical path relies heavily on my developers, and some projects they are working on are a month or two out I also have a sizeable gap in my revenue/income. So what does a guy with a lot of time and a need for money do?   Maybe look for a job! Of course, JibberJobber is still moving foward, and the development team is plenty busy and Im still very involved with what is going on. But I have a lot of free time on my hands. The market is supposedly pretty hot right now, especially (supposedly) where I live, so why not give it a try? Tangent: as a business owner and entrepreneur, this is hard to post. Its an exciting time, and Im not walking away from JibberJobber theres plenty of work to be done, but I dont have to be here for a full workday anymore.   But its almost like walking away from my baby :/   At the same time, there are a lot of opportunities that are interesting to me, and they would fill the time/money gap I have right now. Ive applied to a few jobs Ive been interested in, and as I think about them, Ive realized there are certain things Im really interested in, with regard to a job: Salary: we should get this out of the way right away. Ive learned that salary isnt everything, but its pretty important. Dont take a higher salary because its higher if the culture stinks. But if the other factors are good/great then higher is okay.   On the other side, a salary too low will just not work. Youll be unhappy, especially if you think you are getting a raise soon and it never materializes.   I wish more companies would post salary ranges on postings, to let you know what jobs you just shouldnt even apply to. Location: Some people like commuting. When I was in Washington, D.C. I knew a girl who commuted from Richmond. I think it was a three hour drive, one way. NUTS. Why she liked it Ill never know. I personally dont like commuting. Options are: find a company close to me, or look at jobs that offer a lot of work-from-home freedom. Having said that, for the right job and opportunity, Ill commute! Culture: Do you believe in company culture? Have you ever worked at a company with a great culture? I have. Its almost too powerful to describe.   I want a company that has a great culture. Employees are taken care of, they are happy, and they are empowered. Im not saying that a bad culture leads to employees that arent taken care of, unhappiness, or unempowered but I know that a great culture is amazing, and its what I want. The Team: Ive worked on cohesive, tight teams, and Ive worked with dysfunctional teams. I have no need for drama and dysfunction in my life I want to be on a high performing, respected, and awesome team. This means the leader(s) and members are awesome. Its not easy to figure out how awesome your team is, but it doesnt hurt to ask around. Company Mission: What is the company doing? One company I worked with made fertilizer. Another ran a janitorial and building maintenance operation. Both are noble, I guess, but I wasnt necessarily passionate about what they were doing. I didnt care, at the time just do my job, do it well, etc.   But then I started JibberJobber and our mission is to help individuals through a really tough time. The mission of helping and serving, offering a hand and relief, was much more fulfilling than any other company Id been involved with, and my eyes were opened to how it is when you are aligned with the company mission. There are more variables, for sure. Sometimes the importance (or weight) of these can change what are the factors you think are most important in your future job? What Do I Look For In My Next Job I have a gap in my life. For four years I spent lets say thirty hours a week on Pluralsight courses. That might be a stretch, but the last year I did Pluralsight it was over that (I did 14 courses in a 12 month period, and it was nuts). I managed my team at JibberJobber, too. During that time two things happened: I put into place some systems that would allow me to be gone more. I built my team to the point where I didnt really have a full-time job anymore. This is eMyth meets Four Hour Workweek.   I didnt work myself out of a job, but I didnt need to be there 40 (or 60!) hours anymore. I found this out when I was done creating Pluralsight courses I put my team and systems on autopilot, but I did a bad job of vision, future, and strategy. Work was done, but the right focus (UX) was neglected.   I wont do that again were becoming hyperfocused on the user experience, which means a lot of cleanup, and focusing on some very specific things. Since my gig with Pluralsight ended I have found that I have an enormous amount of time more time than I need to keep JibberJobber doing what it needs to do. My critical path relies heavily on my developers, and some projects they are working on are a month or two out I also have a sizeable gap in my revenue/income. So what does a guy with a lot of time and a need for money do?   Maybe look for a job! Of course, JibberJobber is still moving foward, and the development team is plenty busy and Im still very involved with what is going on. But I have a lot of free time on my hands. The market is supposedly pretty hot right now, especially (supposedly) where I live, so why not give it a try? Tangent: as a business owner and entrepreneur, this is hard to post. Its an exciting time, and Im not walking away from JibberJobber theres plenty of work to be done, but I dont have to be here for a full workday anymore.   But its almost like walking away from my baby :/   At the same time, there are a lot of opportunities that are interesting to me, and they would fill the time/money gap I have right now. Ive applied to a few jobs Ive been interested in, and as I think about them, Ive realized there are certain things Im really interested in, with regard to a job: Salary: we should get this out of the way right away. Ive learned that salary isnt everything, but its pretty important. Dont take a higher salary because its higher if the culture stinks. But if the other factors are good/great then higher is okay.   On the other side, a salary too low will just not work. Youll be unhappy, especially if you think you are getting a raise soon and it never materializes.   I wish more companies would post salary ranges on postings, to let you know what jobs you just shouldnt even apply to. Location: Some people like commuting. When I was in Washington, D.C. I knew a girl who commuted from Richmond. I think it was a three hour drive, one way. NUTS. Why she liked it Ill never know. I personally dont like commuting. Options are: find a company close to me, or look at jobs that offer a lot of work-from-home freedom. Having said that, for the right job and opportunity, Ill commute! Culture: Do you believe in company culture? Have you ever worked at a company with a great culture? I have. Its almost too powerful to describe.   I want a company that has a great culture. Employees are taken care of, they are happy, and they are empowered. Im not saying that a bad culture leads to employees that arent taken care of, unhappiness, or unempowered but I know that a great culture is amazing, and its what I want. The Team: Ive worked on cohesive, tight teams, and Ive worked with dysfunctional teams. I have no need for drama and dysfunction in my life I want to be on a high performing, respected, and awesome team. This means the leader(s) and members are awesome. Its not easy to figure out how awesome your team is, but it doesnt hurt to ask around. Company Mission: What is the company doing? One company I worked with made fertilizer. Another ran a janitorial and building maintenance operation. Both are noble, I guess, but I wasnt necessarily passionate about what they were doing. I didnt care, at the time just do my job, do it well, etc.   But then I started JibberJobber and our mission is to help individuals through a really tough time. The mission of helping and serving, offering a hand and relief, was much more fulfilling than any other company Id been involved with, and my eyes were opened to how it is when you are aligned with the company mission. There are more variables, for sure. Sometimes the importance (or weight) of these can change what are the factors you think are most important in your future job?