Seven Things I Want in a Job

As you know, I’ve been on the job hunt lately. Just like changing countries, moving apartments and other big changes, a job search forces you to get concrete about what you want your new life to be like. And because I love working, my job is a big part that vision.

1. I want to make things with people who are energetic, smart, and unusually interesting.
2. I want to be at a company that is clear about what it is, inspired by what it wants to become, and admired for being exceptionally good at what it does. (I’m anthropomorphizing. Forgive me.)
3. I want to be able to dress like myself. Edgy and bold and professional. My workplace cannot require heels or suits (only my clients can); I live in the hills and I like to walk too much.
4. I want to be respected for my ideas (ooh!), my rigor (hmm…) and my irreverence (gasp!).
5. I want to use my skills as a social scientist to further a creative agenda of problem solving.
6. I want to use my skills as a teacher, persuader and story-teller to lead challenging changes in how people work, behave, and think.
7. White boards, sketchbooks and post-its are a must. I love my Macbook Pro to an almost fetishist degree, but for creative collaboration, nothing beats analog.

Some of these requirements (like the last) may seem mundane, but they are culturally significant: It’s important that my workplace that supports visual thinking, rapid prototyping, and collaborative problem solving.

And some of them are just things I’ve learned that I want in a workplace, time and time again. My former acting coach taught me that it’s essential to love using the tools of your trade. It’s important not to ignore those things.

So let me know…..  where should I work?  And what do you want in your next job?