A sportscaster I know quit three jobs within fourteen months of graduating college. Each of the jobs was a highly coveted position that received dozens of applicants. None of the three, though, moved him appreciably closer to his goal of television play-by-play.
Our friend has all the ability in the world. What he lacks is intent.
What purpose will this job serve in your career plan?
This person didn’t know what he wanted from each job. Without intent or purpose, whether it’s the job market, your career or life, you have no direction.
None of those three jobs moved this individual closer to his TV play-by-play goal. He ended up taking a fourth job — in TV news — that again moved him no closer to his goal.
Consider intent when deciding whether to accept a job offer.
Being wanted feels nice, working towards your purpose feels better
Sometimes we are tempted to accept an offer simply because it feels good to be wanted. That’s not a good reason to accept a job. Think about intent. Why are you taking this job? How does it move your career forward? How does it get you closer to your long-term goals?
Understanding how a job opportunity will benefit you in the long run makes it easier to decide if it is in your short-term best interest.
