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Lifestyle and Environment

19 January, 2016 - 17:43

While compensation items can be quantified, the lifestyle and environment category includes the qualitative benefits of your job:

  • Lifestyle
  • Flexibility
  • Job structure
  • Culture and colleagues
Table 3.3 Areas to Explore When Considering Lifestyle and Environment Issues of Job Choices

Benefit

Considerations

Lifestyle

Is there work and life balance? Are the hours very long?

Are the hours volatile, such that it’s hard to plan for activities after work?

Is there a lot of travel? International travel? Long periods of time away?

Do people take vacations and lunch breaks, or is it an all-work mentality?

Flexibility

Can I work from home?

Can I start and end my day when it suits me as long as I get the work done? Is this a 9–5 workplace?

Can I work longer hours on fewer days?

Can I take personal days as needed?

Job structure

Is the role well defined, or will I have to make my own way?

Is the day-to-day experience very volatile? Will I be doing a lot of crisis management, or is it predictable?

Culture and
colleagues

Do people collaborate and work together, or is it a competitive place?

Do I like and respect my boss? Do I like and respect senior management?

Do I like my coworkers? Will I make friends here?

Will I have mentors and supporters here?

 

As with employer characteristics and compensation, itemize and prioritize what’s important to you. This way, you can look for jobs with these criteria, and you can assess job opportunities that come your way against the things that matter to you.