Job Hunting's Like Choosing a Mate

Looking for a new job is a lot more like choosing a mate than you might suppose. You want to like the person (company) and what they stand for. You decide based on your observations and feelings for the moment, but what you really want is something that works for the long term. But how can you tell?

You go on dates (interviews) to try to figure out how compatible you are. You ask questions--and answer them. You try to be honest, but of course you tend to talk up your accomplishments and avoid those moments you'd just as soon forget. However, tell outright lies at your own peril--I don't even try--because I can't and also because I believe that if you do, they'll come back to haunt you later.

So, you date (meet), you talk, and when you think you've found the right one (and they agree--a rarer thing), you make a legal agreement (paperwork) and you're together. If you're lucky--and work at it, it lasts.

A good marriage can (and should) outlast a lifetime of good and bad jobs, or even multiple careers. So far, I'm doing pretty well. Ask my wife.