Good Job / Bad Job

This post was inspired by a recent conversation where I was asked to describe my dream job. I’ve been fortunate to work in some incredible environments and I hope this post will serve as a benchmark.

A good job is challenging. A good job requires a multi-disciplinary skill set and encourages collaborative behavior. A bad job is repetitive, narrowly focused, and discourages sharing information.

A good job allows for open communication and promotes concise and clear writing at all levels. A bad job involves posturing, pointless meetings, and bureaucracy.

A good job rewards those who develop solutions to problems that are not found in the back of the textbook. A bad job rewards those who are most effective at publicizing their results, regardless of actual impact.

A good job has a broad, clear vision that is applicable to the job description and daily work. A bad job is not well defined and often contradicts with the vision (if it exists at all).

A good job provides competitive compensation, but more importantly provides the ability to invest in oneself through continued learning. A bad job focuses on “perks” or uses salary as the single bargaining chip to gain talent.

A good job encourages the freedom to pursue self-interests that are directionally aligned with the job. A bad job prioritizes immediate needs versus long term productivity gain.

A good job promotes an inclusive team environment regardless of race, religion, gender, or political orientation. A bad job screens candidates based on self-imposed criteria and referrals from someone whom you owe a favor.

A good job provides mentorship at each career stage, and understands that the skillsets needed to manage are not the same needed to be in the trenches. A bad job categorizes people as “rockstars” or “duds” and does not consider how a rockstar may become a dud without appropriate training.

A good job is something you talk about after you leave your desk. A bad job is also something you talk about after you leave your desk, but with more colorful language.

A good job understands work life balance, but does not need to emphasize the point because of the shared vision. A bad job does not consider work life balance, and employees roll their eyes when you suggest taking PTO.

A good job encourages you to bring your family and significant other to the office. A bad job does not consider your family or significant other.

A good job can become a bad job without continued consideration.