When making a new career choice people often fail to consider things such as transportation, schedule, and job duties which often account for job dissatisfaction.
With gas prices soaring and transportation becoming harder to find you should have an idea of how far you are willing to travel for your new job. If you live in a larger city where public transportation is an option you may also want to think about how far you will have to walk from the bus or subway stop to your new job. If you are driving yourself consider the roads you must take, rush hour traffic jams and even weather issues. Also look at how much transportation will cost you. Is the cost worth the salary or are you going to be better off taking something that pays less, but is closer to home? For some people this may not seem big issue, but the worst thing that could happen is getting your dream job only to find out you can't tolerate the twenty minute walk from the bus stop to the office or the expense of bi-weekly fill ups at the pump.
Are you a night owl or an early bird? it helps to know the answer when looking for a new job. Many companies offer a wide variety of schedule choices. Besides the normal first, second or third shifts you may also find split-shifts, varied hours or jobs where you work three 12 hour days then have four days off. Having a clear idea of what will work best for you will ensure you won't end up hating that your new job cuts into your social plans or worse that you end up getting fired because you can't seem to get the hang of third shift life.
You probably already know what kind of job you want, but do you know what kinds of job duties you like and do not like to do? Every company has their own way of doing things. That is why every employer has some sort of training or orientation program to teach you their way of doing things. For example, at some fast food restaurants you must work in each area of the store, while at others you usually work at the same area. If you do not like cooking you will want to look for a job at a restaurant where you could just work the cash register. Be sure to ask at your job interview what your specific job duties will be, so you do not end up with a surprise on your first day. If you have something you really do not like doing and find out it is something you will have to do everyday at your new job then things probably won't work out.
Keeping in mind travel, schedule, and your likes/dislikes when making a career change will help you make a good career choice. All you need to do is be honest and realistic about what you really want. It is helpful to make a list of what you want when job searching and then for the interview have a list of questions to ask. The better prepared you are for your job search the faster you will find a new career that is good for you. You will find a new career that you are happy and stay with your new company for a long time.
