The document provides advice for factors to consider before taking a first job, including having a clear understanding of your skills and goals, whether the job will help you gain experience and advance towards your dream career, if there is room for growth in the company, adequate benefits, researching the company history and culture, finding a good job-location match, prioritizing job satisfaction over just salary, getting input from yourself rather than others, assessing training opportunities, and the importance of networking.

1. Understanding of Yourself
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
A clear understanding of yourself: skills, hopes, ambitions, personality and limitations
needs to be required. You also need to find out the ability to match your skills with the
opportunities out there.

2. Experience you will Gain
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Take time and access if this job will play a pivotal role in pushing you toward your
professional goals and your dream role, which you aspire to be in your career.

3. Potential for Advancement
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
You need to understand, if there is ample career growth in the profile you are opting
for. And also if the company hierarchy supports that needed growth.

4. Benefits
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
This goes beyond salary. Check, is your health insurance adequate. Does the pay match
what it will cost to live comfortably in that particular location, does it take in account
of your expenses incurred for official travels.

5. Company History
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Have you done your due diligence on the company’s stock value, business practices,
employee turnaround and potential for success? When you're searching through job
adverts, measure each against these points to give you an idea of what the company is
like.

6. The Environment
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Everyone is different when it comes to the type of environment they'd like to work in,
so decide your criteria and check out the companies that offer a good match. Does the
actual office or culture match with image portrayed in the Industry. Will it be more of a
corporate or startup vibe. All these things to be found out before joining.

7. Job satisfaction
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Consider job satisfaction as well as salary. Launch yourself in a direction you want to go
by considering the skills you have and enjoy using, skills you want to acquire and
rewards that are meaningful to you.

8. Get rid of the "shoulds"
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Don't listen to what other people tell you that you should want. "Before accepting a
job, make sure it's a job you want and not a job your parents want, your college
counselor wants or your friends want.

9. Training and development
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Find out where former employees in that position are now. Training and development is the
most important thing about a first job because it's the springboard for your career. Your
prospective boss's record for having his employees promoted to good positions both inside and
outside the company is a key indicator of how good that person is at developing his people.

10. Job location
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Consider job location. Would you rather have a good job in a great location or a great
job somewhere you're not so crazy about. If location, culture and way of life are
important to you, consider taking your second or third job choice if the location
appeals to you more.

11. Know what you're looking for
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Despite the fact that you've invested a lot of time and effort ,not to mention money into getting your
degree, far too many of us don't really know what we want to do after graduation and we're hoping
we'll just figure it out along the way. You don't need your whole life planned out, but at least have an
idea of what you want to do so you don't waste time and energy applying to jobs you don't really
want.

12. Power of Networking
Top Things to Consider Before Taking That First Job
Networking is the mantra for career development and landing full-time jobs. Don't wait until you need
a job to utilize your network. Most openings are filled through word of mouth and referrals, so keep in
touch. Keep your eyes open as you search for new jobs and never miss an opportunity to chat to
friends and colleagues about possible openings. You never know what might turn up.