Perfect Match: Your Preferences and Career Opportunities

As product professionals, sometimes we face career decisions. Whether you're contemplating a role at a new organization or an internal move, it's crucial to look beyond the obvious factors like compensation and job titles. Let's discuss a list fo questions to evaluate career opportunities in tech.

Before diving into specific factors, remember that there's no universal "perfect" choice. The key is alignment with your personal preferences, strengths, and career aspirations. Here's a structured approach to evaluate opportunities:

• Company Scale: Consider the trade-offs between large enterprises (established processes, competitive compensation) and startups (agility, broader impact)

• Process Maturity: Evaluate your comfort with structured workflows versus flexible approaches

• Change Velocity: Assess your adaptability to organizational changes and market dynamics

• Relationship Dynamics: Consider whether success depends on relationship-building or process-driven execution

• Career Track: Evaluate the management versus individual contributor paths

• Work Environment: Analyze remote, hybrid, or in-office arrangements based on your productivity patterns

• Career Trajectory: Examine potential growth opportunities beyond the immediate role

• Compensation Structure: Consider the total compensation package, including equity and benefits

• Professional Identity and Title: Assess how the role and title align with your career narrative

• Company Autonomy: Understand the decision-making dynamics, especially in subsidiary relationships. How much influence will a holding company have?

• Methodological Fit: Evaluate alignment with existing methodologies (Discovery, Kanban, Scrum, Shape Up, etc.)

• Domain Expertise: Consider the required industry knowledge and learning curve. Can you bring experience or are you willing to learn?

• Time Commitment: Clarify expectations regarding working hours and flexibility, incl. full-time vs. part-time

• Stakeholder Interaction: Understand the level of external engagement and exposition required

Prioritize these factors by:

1. Identifying non-negotiable requirements

2. Ranking remaining preferences

3. Using this framework to evaluate opportunities systematically

Remember, while this framework provides a structured approach, it's not exhaustive. The key is understanding both your preferences and the organizational context to make informed career decisions. You as a person and the job need to match well in order for you to perform well.

As usual, I will list some of the best articles I read on the Internet. I will keep a list of the best articles (currently >800) at https://www.digital-product-management.com. These are today’s picks:

Ack, think, act: Building trust as a product manager

How to find work you love: Why we leave jobs, what you’re doing wrong in your job search, lessons on energy vs. drains, etc.

Wicked Framework for Wicked Problems: Evaluate them across six dimensions: Volatility, Intricacy, Modularity, Scalability, Ambiguity, and Reflexivity.