Way too often, people interview for jobs that, if they really understood what the “day-to-day” reality of the job is, they’d run the other way.  And, thankfully less often but much more damaging, they actually take the job. 

Believe me, you do yourself (and your prospective employer) a favor when you ask questions of whomever interviews you about what exactly you will be doing.  Then listen carefully to the answers.  Compare the answers you may get from the recruiter with those you get from the hiring manager or those who actually work in the department.   Get clarifications as needed to figure out the real story.

I am not suggesting that you can expect to be delighted with each and every aspect of a role but you should like at least most of them.   In Her Place at the Table, we call this “drilling down.” Women sometimes avoid doing it because they don’t want to hurt their chances to get the job or for a host of other reasons.  But the worst thing is being surprised when you start the job.

TAGS: Coaching Tips, communication, disconnects, Women at Work