Essential Questions for Evaluating the Fit of a Job

Know Before You Go: Part 4

Years ago, I was running late for work. Like, throw-on-deodorant-in-the-car kind of late.

After I finished buttoning my dress shirt, I realized that it needed some touch-up ironing.

I didn’t have time to pull out the ironing board, so I thought, “I’m wearing a cotton undershirt. I’ll just keep it on and do quick presses. I should be fine.”

It actually worked! While I was celebrating my ingenuity, I noticed a wrinkle that didn’t come out.

“No problem”, I thought, ‘I’ll just hit it again with another quick press.”

It was a bit more stubborn than I thought, but it wasn’t going to win. After all, I had a steam button that could deliver the finishing blow. Without hesitation, my thumb descended on the steam button with three aggressive pushes.

Bad idea.

The massive blast of scalding vapor went directly to my skin, branding my chest with a pattern of circular burns that matched the steam holes on the iron.

It was quite a painful ordeal, but I did make it to work on time!

This is a great example of the problems that can occur when we have facts but fail to consider implications.

I had all the facts, but failed to consider the implications...and got burned, literally!

And that’s exactly what I want to prevent from happening to your teen or twenty-something. I don't want them getting burned by a bad career choice simply because they didn't take the time to think through their research findings.

Today, we’re talking about why it’s not enough for your kid to gather information about a job they’re interested in. They’ve got to slow down and actually reflect on what that information means...for them.

Research without reflection is like seeing without noticing.

They might have all the content, but miss what it’s actually telling them.

Reflect to Detect
Once they finish their research using the Job Research Blueprint™ and strategies I shared in the last post, they should “reflect to detect”. This involves thinking through each area of the job to discover “don’t-haves” and “dislikes”.

Don’t-Haves
Don’t-Haves are things required in the job that they feel they don’t have. It could be required skills or an interest in some of the content.

Dislikes
Dislikes are things about the job that they simply don’t like. It could be an aspect of the job’s work environment or a requirement.

Here are some of the reflection questions they can use to think about specific items on their Job Profile:

Duties: Do these duties make you more or less interested in the job?
Skills: Do you see evidence of these required skills in other areas of your life?
Content: Does working with this content make me more or less motivated?
Setting: Can you picture yourself in this setting day after day?
Outcome: When you think about getting this outcome day after day, does it make you feel inspired or bored?
Salary: Will the salary provide enough for you to live your envisioned lifestyle?
Outlook+: Is there anything alarming about this job's outlook or the way AI will impact it? Does it seem pretty stable?
Requirements: Are there any requirements that feel overwhelming? Is there anything in this section that you don't feel motivated to accomplish?
Pathway: Can you see yourself investing time, money, and effort in these steps? Does this path make you feel more or less eager to pursue this job?

If you'd like access to the full question bank, you can access it HERE.

The whole point of doing the research is to detect problems early on. The reflection process allows your child to discover facets of the job that are deal-breakers before they invest any time, money, or effort pursuing it.

RYG and Conclusion
When I work with clients, I have them evaluate each area on the Job Research Bleueprint™ and determine whether it’s red, yellow, or green. Red means the section is a problem for them, yellow means they have concerns, and green means they feel positive about it.

Once they’ve reflected on each of the nine areas, I have them come to a conclusion about the job using one of the three options:

I definitely don't feel this job is a good option for me and will look for something else.
I have concerns and am not really sure.
I feel good about this job and will add it to the list of good options.

You’d be surprised what this simple activity can accomplish.

And that’s the beauty of this whole process. Instead of rushing into a job choice and hoping it works out, your teen or twenty-something can step back, reflect, and make a decision with eyes wide open.

At the end of the day, it’s not about chasing every opportunity. It’s about spotting the ones that feel like real potentials. When your kid slows down to reflect, they don’t just collect facts; they notice what those facts actually mean. And that’s how they avoid getting burned by the wrong choice—and instead move toward a well-informed decision.

In the event that your child's research and reflections make it clear the job is not a good option, and they start to feel uncertain about how to actually identify a great fit, you may want to consider the career guidance coaching I offer so they can get right to a match and avoid the guessing game.

I’ve created the Know Before You Go digital course and personal coaching experience to help teens and twenty-somethings through this entire process. If you believe your child needs to learn this process and would benefit from it being taught by someone else, please explore those resources in the Additional Related Resources section below.

The Know Before You Go Series

Part 1: How Most Young People Choose A Career Path and Why It’s a Serious Problem

Part 2: What Your Kid Should Discover About a Job of Interest to Avoid a Regrettable Choice

Part 3: Three Proven Strategies for Critical Job Research

Part 4: Essential Questions for Evaluating the Fit of a Job

START A CONVO
Use these prompts to start a conversation with your child about this topic.

Do you think reflecting on the facts about a job is just as important as discovering them?
What could be the benefits of deep reflection on newly discovered facts about a job of interest?

THE FREE RESOURCE
Please access your free copy of The Know Before You Go Method digital flipbook HERE. It will reveal how your teen or twenty-something can make an informed career decision and avoid a regrettable choice!

ADDITIONAL RELATED RESOURCES

The Know Before You Go not-a-book-book on Amazon
Know Before You Go digital course digital course.
Know Before You Go personal coaching.

About the Author

Jay DuSold

Jay has spent over three decades working with young people and parents as a mentor and life coach. He started focusing exclusively on career guidance in 2014 after helping his son figure out career direction while he was a junior in high school.

As a youth career guide, he helps teens and twenty-somethings around the world identify a job fit to gain clarity and confidence about career direction so they’ll reach their full potential and avoid the waste of getting it wrong.

As an author and speaker, he equips young people to think differently about their identity, true success, and figuring out where they can be awesome in the world of work. He also empowers youth advocates and organizations to more effectively support the young people they serve through their career guidance initiatives.