Evolving Career Criteria

• Sat, Oct 21, 2023
• 2-minute read

Back in 2018, I had a checklist of requirements when applying for jobs:

• Industry: Tech or finance
• Good earning potential within five years
• Opportunity for rapid advancement based on performance
• Large task variability
• Location near Helsinki
• Unqualified for the role

Back then, landing any three out of six would have been enough. The office location was essential because remote work wasn’t widespread. I even limited my applications to companies within a 45-minute commute.

Fast forward to today, my checklist has evolved:

• Tech industry
• Revenue growth >30% year-over-year
  • In a large company, my product/segment growing >30% year-over-year
• Builds products, not just consultancy or reselling
• Competitive compensation both now and in the future
• Sales being a significant aspect of the role
• Flexibility for remote work or based near Helsinki
• Unqualified for the role

Today, my minimum hurdle is five out of the seven. My current role meets five out of seven, which is enough. A typical job description describes six out of seven, enabling a first evaluation. The first interview gives sufficient knowledge to evaluate all seven points.

I encourage you to write a checklist for your dream job. We all have unique preferences and priorities, and they continuously evolve. Also, it’s essential to acknowledge that no job is perfect. After writing your checklist, you may realize your current job is fulfilling most of your requirements (like I did), or you may find a need to change.

Let’s normalize talking about our career aspirations. If you have your checklist or experiences you’d like to share, please do so via email!