You’ve been offered a role that doesn’t fit, should you take it?

This is a tricky one... you may have been job hunting for a while and the job you’ve been offered isn’t quite what you want or expected. There may be some un-ticked boxes and you’re a little unsure of the business’s employment brand, its leadership style, and the working environment. So what should you do?

The voices in your head as you consider the pros and cons say:

“You’ve got a mental list of the important boxes that need ticking and the offered role ticks half of them. It’s close to home, the hours are perfect and the pay fits in your desired scale. Not all roles can have all your boxes ticked, can they? Stop being so picky and take the role.”

On the other hand:

“Something doesn’t feel quite right because you’re not excited by the prospect of working in this role for this company. The pay is great and so are the other external factors, but you’re unsure if the leadership style will fit with you. If you take it, you’re going to have to work at fitting in from day one, can you do that?”

What to do?

You could use it as a stepping stone to get to your desired destination: career plan and work on developing your own personal brand along the way. Ask yourself if this move puts you in a stronger position for your future career than if you don’t take it.

Perhaps you can’t expect a 100% fit with every role but you do want to be happy. If you can’t overcome the obstacles on your list then maybe it’s time to move on to the next opportunity and politely decline this one. Only you can decide.