By Caroline Ceniza-Levine,Senior Contributor

Copyright forbes

Multiple Interests? 7 Questions To Narrow Down Your Career Choices

I have deep experience in my industry, managing large teams and P&L. I regularly get unsolicited calls from recruiters, and the opportunities all sound interesting. How do I get clearer about my next step? – Manufacturing Executive

It’s a good sign when you get called about job opportunities – decision-makers know who you are and value your potential. That said, every pitch is designed to sell, painting the most optimistic picture of what the opportunity is. If you want to make informed, proactive decisions about your career path, reflect on what you want and need, and don’t get distracted by bright and shiny objects. Here are seven questions to help you narrow down your career choices:

1. What Problems Do You Want To Solve?

For early- and mid-career professionals, work problems can often be categorized your title or department (e.g., marketing, sales, operations, finance). As you ascend into leadership, your work is more cross-functional, but you’re still solving problems for the company. Is the company facing a turnaround situation or in rapid growth mode? Is there a disruptive technology or competitor that needs to be addressed (e.g., AI)? Is there an internal issue (e.g., low company morale) that needs to be handled? As you look around for what’s next, identify the problems you’re most passionate about, so work on something that fulfills you.

2. Which Industries Are You Interested In?

This manufacturing executive may want to stay in their field, or they may want to pivot to another industry. When you’re skimming news headlines, are there specific industries or companies you like to read about? Do you have friends who work in other industries, where you love to hear about what they’re doing? Is there an industry or company in crisis (e.g., an NGO that lost funding) that you’re inspired to help? Just like a specific problem to solve, working in an industry you care about can fuel your desire.

3. Where Do You Want (Or Need) To Be Located?

Even if the company you end up working for is fully remote, strong relationships and maximum visibility are best accomplished close to headquarters. This might be non-negotiable for senior leadership positions. You might also not want to relocate even for a plum job – for example, you’re in a dual-career relationship where your partner can’t easily move, you have kids embedded in schools or activities they love, you’re at your best in the big city (or small town) you’re already in. If you have specific geographic constraints, keep these limits top of mind so you don’t waste time on positions located outside your boundary.

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4. What Type Of Company Do You Want To Work For?

Do you want to work for a startup, a Fortune 50 or something in-between? Are you willing to look at new entrants to a market, or do you only want to work for more established companies or even the top player in its field? Does it fire you up that the company is in a turnaround situation (e.g., losing market share, decreasing sales), or do you thrive at a place experiencing rapid growth, opening new offices or adding customer segments? Company size, market share and financial situation will greatly impact your work objectives and focus, so choose where you’ll thrive.

5. Who Do You Want To Work With?

What is the company culture? If you’ll be managing a team, do you get to hire, or will you be inheriting people? Look at the skill level and engagement of your teams, and assess what type of management challenge each opportunity offers. Who’s your boss and what is their management philosophy? Think about what you need in terms of communication, development and support. At the senior levels, you’re also accountable to key customers, strategic partners, potentially investors, and even board members, so do your due diligence on as many key interactions as possible.

6. What Skills And Expertise Do You Want To Grow?

One opportunity may require you to reengage a disenfranchised team, but that may be exactly the management challenge you want. Another opportunity may put you in a head-to-head market competition with a fast-growing upstart, but you may relish the chance to turn around a business. Or, you want your next opportunity to be hands-on with an emerging technology, or to incorporate a bigger regional scope than you’ve had in the past or INSERT LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE HERE. Reflect on what you want and need in terms of career growth, and choose a stretch role that moves you in that direction.

7. What’s Your Next Job?

Ideally you want new skills and expertise to fill in gaps you need to address for each subsequent job. Even if you join as CEO, this company may still not be your last job, so select jobs that support your long-term career aspirations. Thinking longer term than your immediate needs will help you shape your current job. Business conditions, market dynamics and the overall economy continually change, so even in a single role and company, you have multiple opportunities to hone different skills and expertise and solve different market and leadership challenges.

Bonus Question: Is Another Job The Best Next Move?

You may get an unsolicited recruiter call that piques your curiosity, but your best next move doesn’t need to be to another job. If you have entrepreneurial aspirations, taking an executive-in-residence position at your local college or small business incubator may be the smarter pivot. If there are big transitions at home – e.g., your partner is making a big career move – you may want to postpone a big change on your end. If you have already checked off a number of items on your professional bucket list, but your personal list has been unattended, you may be better off planning for a sabbatical than jumping into yet another professional challenge. Is another job the best next move, or is something else calling you?

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