Is Any Job Better Than No Job - Why You Should Never Settle

Economic necessity – This one can seem like a very valid reason to accept any job you can find. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but taking a lesser paying job that you aren't happy with is like taking aspirin for a broken leg. It might help a little, but it is only delaying your real recovery. If you are being paid significantly less than you were before, it will take longer to get caught up financially and you will still not be able to lead the lifestyle your were accustomed to before. Not only that, it is harder to be open to the right opportunity when you are working the less than perfect job. You can't be open to taking anything new when your hands are full.

Feeling valued - When you have been out of work for awhile, you might think that if you took a job with less responsibility, you would have a better chance of having an easy time at work. The thought is that your boss will feel lucky to have someone as qualified as you and won't want to let you go. In the professional world, and the dating world, this doesn't ever work. If the fit is wrong for you, odds are good that it is wrong for them as well. When you aren't happy, it shows in your work and your attitude. The hard truth is that you are more likely to get fired from a job you don't like than one you love. What seems like a sure thing in the beginning is really a landmine. Employers can train people to do the job, but they can't do anything when an employee has a bad attitude, is deeply unhappy and think that they are doing the company a favor by being there. And, the truth is that people who have this sort of attitude aren't bad people, they are just stuck in the wrong situation. If you can't be happy in a job, then it just isn't the one for you and no amount of hard work is going to change that.

How will it look on my resume? - The question is, Is it better to have 12 months of unemployment or 4 months unemployment and a year working a lower skilled job? It is hard to say which is better, but the ladder to success works both ways and once you take a step down, you have to spend just as much time and effort to climb back up as you did the first time. A new employer is going to look at your current or most recent job to determine your abilities and even your salary requirements. Even if you held the position for many years, once you take a lesser position, getting your old job title back is a promotion.

Professional momentum – While it is true that it is easier to find a job when you already have one, this isn't reason enough to take a career downgrade that doesn't make you happy. If you feel that you really need to get back into the workplace, rather than taking a step or two down on your career path, consider finding a part time job doing something that you love. Something that relates to a hobby or something you are passionate about that isn't on your career path. For example, if you love to read, maybe look for positions at a bookstore. If you are a cooking fanatic, try looking at kitchenware stores. This way, you haven't stepped down as much as you have explored a hobby and made some money while continuing your job search. An added plus to this is that when an interviewer asks you about your current job, you have a window of opportunity to tell them something interesting about yourself rather than trying to explain away your step down.

You might have been overemployed before – This is one of the only valid reasons for settling. But, if you were truly overemployed before, then your job was probably stressful and you weren't very good at it. This would leave you unfulfilled and dissatisfied. Taking a step down and changing the type of job you are looking for would make sense. It wouldn't really be settling as much as it would be self-correcting. The goal is to find a job that makes you happy and feels like the right fit for you. It isn't important that it have the same job title as the one you had before. So, if it makes you happy and feels right, it isn't settling.