Keep up to date on articles and news and subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Searching for a new job is stressful in the current tough job market. You need to be very clear about what you are looking for in your new job and how you will identify it during the job interview.

Current thinking is that the most important factor people seek is engagement with their work. What does this mean?

Engagement is the degree to which employees identify with their job, how much they feel they belong and how much they feel they are valued. This is largely determined by the relationships they have with their colleagues and managers, the support they receive within the position to perform their jobs properly, the trust level they enjoy, the compensation and rewards they receive, the growth and development opportunities and the nature of the job itself.

When considering a position focus on the following six C’s to decide if this job is going to truly engage you.

Content of the job - Ask yourself: Will the work itself be meaningful? Is there opportunity for growth and development? Will I have what is needed to properly perform in the position? How fulfilling is this type of work?

Coping resources - You need to be given sufficient resources to cope with the demands and stresses of the job. Any employee will become demotivated and eventually burn out if they have to deal with unreasonable job demands, unrealistic targets, poor managers and unsupportive colleagues. Studies show that stress costs US business in excess of $300 billion annually. Access to enough resources to cope with the work is essential. Ask yourself the following: Do I have or have access to the tools, knowledge, technology and training I need to do this job? Is the work environment supportive? Do the demands of the job match my own work-life expectations?

Compensation - An employee needs to feel fairly valued to remain motivated in a job. Pay and benefits are the first factors looked at when deciding on fair compensation. However consider other sources of compensation as well. Is this job respected within the company? Is the work in this position recognized? Will my efforts be appreciated and make a difference?

Colleagues and community - Work should also fulfil a certain amount of your social needs. Ask yourself: Am I going to enjoy myself at this organization? Will I get on with my prospective colleagues? Is this a pleasant working environment? Do the employees seem happy and friendly?

Congruence - Are my values and goals in line with the job and organization? Will my expectations be met? Is my prospective manager someone I can relate to and respect?

Career opportunities - Are their sufficient career opportunities in this position and organization? Will the work challenge me and allow for personal growth and development?

When deciding on the right position for you, consider all the above. To what degree is each of the factors met by the job and by the organization? You deserve a job that truly enhances your life. Finding out whether the job you are interviewing for will engage you, in all senses of the word, is essential to career happiness and success.

To determine if this is the right job for you read through the examples of good, insightful questions to ask in your job interview.

Julia Penny is an organizational psychologist with many years experience interviewing and placing job candidates. She offers her expertise to jobs seekers at her free website which provides a complete guide to preparing for and succeeding in job interviews.