Vocations · Professional Development

Is this job a fit
for you, right now?

“Do I like my job” is too big a question to answer well. Break it into eight parts and rate each one, then pick the two that matter most to you right now. The questionnaire works out a fit score that weights those two, names the weakest part and asks for the evidence behind it, so the next step is a specific conversation or a specific question, not a vague feeling.

Add a jobWhat you get

Jobs

The worked example is made up: a current retail management job with an unpredictable schedule, an office offer with a long commute and an apprenticeship being considered. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Vocations · Professional DevelopmentFree

What you finish with
A record per job: name, the date rated, whether it is current, an offer or an idea, the two parts that matter most, ratings of eight parts from 1 to 5, the evidence behind low ratings and what could change. Works out a weighted fit score and the lowest part; ranks every job by score; flags important parts rated low, low ratings with no evidence, current jobs with no option written and offers with no questions to ask.
Who it is for
Working adults weighing their current job, an offer or a change, and young adults choosing between first jobs, apprenticeships and training.
Format
Browser questionnaire with a saved record per job. Prints one job, all of them side by side in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Professional Development space in Caveat Vocations.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the job you have now first.
  2. Pick the two parts that matter most to you this year.
  3. Rate each part from what has actually happened.
  4. Write the evidence behind the lowest ratings.
  5. Add an offer or an idea and compare.

Add a job

Before deciding

Three questions before decidingCan it change?Some gaps, like aschedule or a trainingbudget, can be raisedwith a manager.Ask before deciding.Does it matter to me?A low rating onsomething you do notcare about rarelydecides how a job feels.Weigh the two thatmatter most.What is the evidence?One bad week is not apattern.Write down what actuallyhappened.Three questions before decidingCan it change?Some gaps, like a schedule or a trainingbudget, can be raised with a manager.Ask before deciding.Does it matter to me?A low rating on something you do not careabout rarely decides how a job feels.Weigh the two that matter most.What is the evidence?One bad week is not a pattern.Write down what actually happened.
Research on person and job fit finds that fit with what a person values and needs predicts satisfaction and staying more than any single feature of a job.

Why only two count double

Most people care about everything a little and two or three things a lot, and the few that matter most change with life: schedule with young children, pay with debt, growth early in a career. Weighting two keeps the score honest about what you said matters.

A score is a start

Two jobs a few points apart are not meaningfully different. Use the score to see where the gaps are, then use the evidence and the questions to decide.

Sources

  1. Kristof-Brown, A. L., Zimmerman, R. D., and Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: a meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 281 to 342.
  2. Hackman, J. R. and Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), 250 to 279.
  3. U.S. Department of Labor, CareerOneStop. Work values and job satisfaction tools (careeronestop.org).
  4. U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeship.gov: how registered apprenticeship pay increases (apprenticeship.gov).

The worked example is made up. The score is a weighted average for your own reflection, not a validated test. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.