The most common reasons that someone accepts a job are:

• Salary
  
• Benefits
  
• Location
  
• Job Title
  

That seems reasonable doesn't it? But it leaves out the most important reason of all: compatibility.

It's a little bit like dating and finding a long term mate. The primary reason that men and women get together is based on physical attraction. As most of us learn physical attraction doesn't help sustain a relationship in the long term. If she wants to go out and party and he wants to stay in and watch dvds there might be some conflict. If he’s a spender and she’s frugal that will create some struggles. Incompatibility may seem cute at the beginning of a relationship but it soon turns into frustration and disappointment.

It's the same in the working world. To find a compatible job, you also need to look beyond the obvious. I know of a young woman fresh out of college and enthusiastic about getting her first "real" job. She was bright, outgoing and personable. She had been the leader of her sorority and always involved in coordinating activities. She interviewed with a small and growing web design and search marketing company. The position was for a search researcher. Her job would be to spend most of the day on the computer researching key words for search engine campaigns. The pay was reasonable, the location good, the people seemed nice enough. She accepted the job offer with enthusiasm. After some training, she set to her task. She was capable of doing the job, but sitting in her cubicle doing work on the computer all day every day was difficult. She was the ultimate people-person and this job did not have any interaction with people. She started doing less and less of her required work. Her boss was always on her back. In less than a year, she left for a position at a larger firm that involved interaction with customers.

I know another man whose first job out of college was as an engineer in military defense contractor company. This young man's political leanings were anti-weapons build up. The industry of his company was not compatible with his views. He stayed for awhile to learn and strengthen his work history but then left to work in the commercial world.

Some of the successful online dating companies like eharmony.com use compatibility measures to help create relationship matches. You can do the same to prepare for your interview with potential employers. First take some time to understand yourself. Do you like to work alone or in groups? Do you prefer to have someone watching over your shoulder in case you need help or do you like to figure things out for yourself? Do you learn things by reading a book or by having someone show you or in a classroom setting? Can you work with a strict schedule or do you need flexibility? Can you work in a loud environment or do you need quiet? Are you numbers oriented or people oriented? Do you like a variety? Can you focus on one task at a time? You might not know the exact answers at this point but you can make some guesses based on your experiences at school and in any part time jobs or internships that you have held.

After you inventory yourself, make a list of questions that you can ask during your interviews to help you find out more about the industry, work environment, position duties and management style of the supervisor. Write down your questions and bring them into the interview with you. Ask about a typical day. Find out about the industry and how it is doing in today’s economy. Ask the manager about his or her management style. Ask about initial and ongoing training. Along with helping you determine your compatibility with the position and company, it shows the interviewer that you have put some thought into your job search. I can’t think of an interviewer who wouldn’t give you brownie points for that.

You’ll also find that many of your questions will be answered without you even having to ask. Listen carefully to what the interviewers tell you. Look around as you are walked through the building. Find out where you will be seated and how you will be trained. Make sure you meet the manager and if possible some of your future co-workers.

Getting to know yourself and getting to know the positions and companies that you interview for will help you create a long term work experience.

Please note that I’m not suggesting that you become a picky and turn down every job that is not a perfect fit. In fact few jobs are a perfect fit when you first start with a company. Generally you will have to do some thing that you don’t like or find boring. That is just the nature of work, especially when you are new. The key is whether or not the position can lead into something that suits you so that you can find long term happiness in your job.