If it’s time for you now to consider a new job opportunity – whatever reason there might be – you need to remember three main things that comprise this process:

First, willingness to do the job. That is the foremost thing that instigates any new job search. Hardly successful would be any work if you do not want to do it in the first place. In order to be completely sure of it, you need to know very well what the job particularly entails.

Second, ability to do the job. No doubt, even if you want very much but simply cannot do the job, hardly something is going work out. Only willingness is not enough here. Qualifications and certain experience are needed as well. Critical judgment of your abilities without underestimating them is crucial. Probably, you hope and even can later catch up with your qualifications and experience, but if you would not be able to show expected results or attain a certain level of productivity within your probationary period, you would hardly survive in the new job.

Third, organizational fit. What it really means is that we all are different and even if we do the same kind of work we all do it in different ways. The way you might used to do the job might be somewhat different from how they do it in a new organization. Besides, organizational fit encompasses also cultural nuances or psychological fit with your future manager. The first meeting with your potential manager can already tell you a lot about how comfortable you feel in the new environment. Good chemistry between you and your future colleagues means a great deal, even if you did not fully realize the situation yet.

Do not be afraid of honestly answering all these questions to yourself before moving forward in your job search. At the end of the day, you will appreciate your honesty and self confidence. Keep in mind that you are also part of the selecting process and should have your say. Self-selecting* might be in the interest of both the candidate and the employer only if their decision is based on accurate understanding and sufficient information about the job.