Getting the Job Is Only the Beginning

Or Bar Cohen

Sep 3

3 min read

Most job searches are built around one goal: getting the offer.

You improve your CV, work on LinkedIn, prepare for interviews and learn how to present your experience.

But there is another question worth asking:

What happens if you actually get the job?

Being qualified enough to get hired and being in a position where you can succeed are not necessarily the same thing.

Getting hired is only one kind of fit

Research on person-job and person-organization fit has consistently connected fit with outcomes such as job satisfaction, performance and intention to stay (Kristof-Brown, Zimmerman & Johnson, 2005).

But fit isn't simply about enjoying the company culture.

It can also mean having clear expectations, the right level of autonomy, a manager you can work effectively with, realistic workloads and access to the resources you need.

These things are difficult to understand from a job description.

And sometimes they barely come up during interviews.

What don't you know yet?

Candidates usually know what the company wants from them.

They often know much less about what they'll need from the company.

Research on realistic job previews suggests that giving candidates a more accurate picture of a role before joining can influence outcomes including turnover and performance (Phillips, 1998).

So instead of using every interview only to convince the company to hire you, part of the conversation should also help you understand the reality of the job.

Ask questions such as:

What would success look like after six months?
Why is the position open?
Where have people struggled in this role before?
How will my performance be measured?
What support can I expect while getting up to speed?

These questions matter because joining a company is itself a transition. Research on organizational socialization has linked factors such as role clarity and self-efficacy with performance, satisfaction and retention (Bauer et al., 2007).

Before you say yes

Before accepting an offer, try a simple exercise.

Write down three things:

What I know.

What I'm assuming.

What I still need to know.

The second list is often the interesting one.

Maybe you're assuming the manager will give you independence. That the workload is reasonable. That you'll receive proper onboarding. Or that the responsibilities described during the interview will actually be your priorities.

You won't remove every uncertainty from a career decision.

But you can identify which assumptions are worth checking before signing.

A successful job search isn't just about getting chosen

It's easy to measure a job search by interviews and offers.

But perhaps there is another measure:

Did you choose a role where you have a reasonable chance to succeed?

Getting onto the bike is one challenge.

Staying on it once it starts moving is another.

How I work with job seekers

My career coaching work isn't focused only on getting the next interview or offer.

We work on positioning, strengths, LinkedIn, networking, and interview preparation, but also on understanding which opportunities actually make sense and what needs to be clarified before making a move.

Because the goal isn't simply to get hired.

It's to make a better career decision.

References

Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., & Tucker, J. S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(3), 707–721.

Kristof-Brown, A. L., Zimmerman, R. D., & Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals' fit at work: A meta-analysis of person-job, person-organization, person-group, and person-supervisor fit. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 281–342.

Phillips, J. M. (1998). Effects of realistic job previews on multiple organizational outcomes: A meta-analysis. Academy of Management Journal, 41(6), 673–690.