If you are on the hunt for a new job within the Fire Security Industry, whether you are looking whilst you are still employed, or whether you are looking whilst you are unemployed, just remember that salary isn’t everything. It’s not the only reason you should accept a position or leave a position, and there are plenty of other factors to take into account.
We’d like to cover those other factors in more detail, but why is it so important to take a step back and analyse? Well, because in this day and age mental health awareness is higher than it’s ever been before and being unhappy in your job can have a huge impact on your daily life.
Work Environment & Team Ethic
It’s crucial that you feel comfortable within your work environment and that you have both a supportive team & a supportive manager. Much like your friendship group, you’re going to want to have colleagues that you can have a good laugh with, have open and honest conversations with and have healthy debates with, but most importantly you’re also going to want to feel listened to & supported when you have questions or when issues arise that need further discussion. Is there a good fit with the company’s core values & ethics & does it feel like they care for their employees?
Working Hours & Travel
If you travel a lot for your work, have a long commute or consistently work overtime – this can have a serious impact on your home life, especially if you have a young family. Of course, there can be traffic implications & jobs that run over, but just ensure it doesn’t get too much, or that you can deal with it if it does. You don’t want to keep missing out on things at home, or potentially end up with a poor work/life balance as a result. Of course work is important, but your family and your health should always come first.
Pension & Benefits
All employers must offer a workplace pension scheme by law, and make contributions into that pension if you are eligible for automatic enrolment. Of course it’s harder to negotiate this, as the amount will probably be company-wide but do you feel valued as a result, especially if you’ve spent most of your career with the same employer. What amount of holidays will they give you, is there a car allowance or company car, will they give you the necessary tools to do your job effectively such as a phone or laptop? Do they offer overtime pay, a bonus structure, insurance & company social events, etc…
Career Growth
Do you want to grow within the industry and if so, what are the opportunities for you to do that within the company? Or, if you are ready to take that next step can your employer meet your ambitions and give you more responsibility. Are there courses you could take within the company directly in order to further your education, or would they be happy to put you on an external course free of charge. Are there any accreditations or awards you could get, to help you?
Job Duties & Responsibilities
It sounds silly, but can you actually do the work you are being asked to do? Are you being tasked with jobs outside of what you applied for or are you being given responsibilities that you aren’t prepared or trained for? Some of us can thrive under pressure, others can’t. Not only can it be quite de-motivating, it could also be quite dangerous, especially within the Fire Security Industry.
In Summary / Key Points.
Here’s the thing – having the right work/life balance is key and that includes all aspects of the above. It’s great that you get paid for what you do, but where possible, you have enjoy it at the same time, and you must look beyond the salary.
If, for any reason you aren’t happy then of course it’s time to do something about it, but please, don’t just jump ship straight away, employers will value honesty and they will value loyalty… talk to them about the situation and see what the options are, then go from there.
