Accepting a job: What is the most important long term consideration?

Into the Future
Have you ever been asked the question: Where do you see yourself in five years time?

Whenever I have asked myself that question I have not really had a good answer. Actually my first consideration is money. I hope I will be earning more money. I also hope I will be with the same company. What do you feel when asked that question? Will you be able to look back with satisfaction and contentment about your achievements?

If five years is too much, how about one year in the future?

Rarity
If you look at CVs these days it is rare that people have stayed with the same job for many years.

Track Record
If I look at my CV the maximum time that I stayed in one position was 10 years, two jobs where I stayed for about 5 years and two jobs where I stayed less than two years. In my current job I have not yet done two years. What about you - what has your track record been like so far?

Stay or Leave
Of course we console ourselves that we were looking for better jobs but often the shift is lateral or brought upon because of some dissatisfaction in our job such as an overbearing person (a kinder word than bully but it feels like bullying).

Reality Check
Think about your career up to now and how it has been going. Could you do better and where could you do better? What are the realities about you and about your job choices? Who can help you and how can you help yourself? Look within and look at your existing job and see how you can improve.

This I Know
In all the jobs I have been in there have been people who have liked me and people who ... That is life.
What you should make a greater effort on is to know yourself better and more deeply - in other words what makes you tick and click. In addition, work on the things that you need to get up to speed. This will help to increase your confidence translating into better choices of what to embrace and what to avoid. With greater confidence people's respect and acceptance will increase. It may still mean that not everyone warms to you but hopefully that won't matter so much or affect your career.

Career Development
If you have been in a company that gives you access to free training or bosses behave like mentors then you are truly lucky. Most of the companies I have worked for have not and so you have to develop your own plan. Even if you work for the ideal company and you get all the training you need, do think how you can add to that. But again remember why are you training - to make you better at your job or to make you better with your relations with others.