The Best Job to Have in 2020…and Beyond

As technology continues to change the American workplace, the list is out for the best job to have in 2020. But what makes a job the best job for you? There are three factors that determine the best jobs on Glassdoor’s list, says Geek Wire: “Median base salary, number of U.S. job openings, and overall job satisfaction reported on Glassdoor by actual employees in these roles.” It may come as no surprise that 7 of the 10 top jobs are in tech roles.

The top 10 best jobs to have in 2020, according to Glassdoor, are Front End Engineer, Java Developer, Data Scientist, Product Manager, DevOps Engineer, Data Engineer, Software Engineer, Speech Language Pathologist, Strategy Manager, and Business Development Manager. There are 50,438 Software Engineer job openings, by the way! The highest paying job on the list is the Product Manager position, at a median salary of $117,713. The job that brings the most satisfaction isn’t even in the top 10–Corporate Recruiter received a 4.4 satisfaction rating, with a median salary of $65,607.

What Makes a Job the Best Job for You

Obviously, money isn’t the only thing that makes a job the best job for you. But what are the factors that make a job the right one?

As we recruit, interview, and select candidates for various jobs, we’ve noted that there are many variables that make a job appealing or not to professionals considering a change. Any pain point in your current working conditions could make you feel that another job with less of that pain is preferable. For instance, if you currently have a long commute, a job with a shorter commute could seem more desirable. If your boss never listens to your ideas, you might focus on finding a job where team members’ input is valued. Or you could hate the narrow scope of your current work and want the broader opportunity another company provides.

But be careful not to focus just on alleviating your major pain point in your quest to find the best job. Having a well-rounded checklist of everything that’s important to your career success can prevent you from myopically pursuing only one aspect of a job. We believe that finding meaningful work is crucial to job hunt success. It’s why our mission statement is, Helping companies build high-performing teams and helping people find meaningful work. You spend more hours at work than anywhere else each week. While there is no perfect job, you should love what you do, be able to succeed at it, and enjoy your team members and environment.

8000Hours.org agrees. “To find a dream job, look for: Work you‘re good at, Work that helps others, Supportive conditions: engaging work that lets you enter a state of flow; supportive colleagues; lack of major negatives like unfair pay; and work that fits your personal life.”

What Makes You a Good Fit for a Job

Finding the best job can be reverse-engineered. Consider that when our recruiters screen job seekers, they look for three main things that make someone a good fit for the position. They’re called the 3 Cs:

Competence: Do you have the skills, training, and education necessary to perform the responsibilities of the position? Are you able to do the job?

Character: Do you have the ethics and personal qualities that match the expectations of your new employer? Are you honest, reliable, and hardworking even when no one is watching?

Chemistry: Are your personality, values, and demeanor a good fit for this new organization? Here’s how Jeff Suderman, a leadership and strategy consultant, spells out what chemistry includes:

1. Person to job fit: does the individual fit this vocation?
2. Person to supervisor fit: does the individual fit the supervisor they will report to?
3. Person to group fit: does the individual fit with those they work with on a daily basis?
4. Person to organization fit: does the individual fit the company?
5. Person to culture fit: does the individual fit the culture of this organization?

This insight into how an interviewer measures you can be informative in how you measure the potential employer, too. As you seek the best job for you, remember that an interview is also your chance to interview the interviewer to learn whether you are a good fit for this position, environment, and organization.

If you’re seriously thinking about a job or career change, learn more by reading Create a Scorecard for Your Next Career Move.

Amtec actively serves customers all over the United States who seek top professionals with well-rounded skills. If we don’t have the most current version of your resume, please click here to post it, and visit our job board while you’re at it! You or a friend might be a good fit for one of our open positions.