I knew it wasn't a fit

Default

"I knew it wasn’t a good fit before I even started the job."

She was clearly upset.

“But I had to get out of my current role, and with the job market the way it is, I just accepted and figured it would be better than what I was going through.”

Turns out, it wasn’t better. Or worse. It was just a different set of mismatches.

In her previous role, this capable, data-informed technologist was discouraged from using her superpowers to help drive necessary changes. She was expected to do what she was told. Even when it didn’t make sense.

You and I both know that’s a tough way to spend every day.

In her current job, she’s consistently asked to react to strategy changes at speed. When she communicates the limitations of the “solution” her team can deliver to meet arbitrary deadlines, her leadership gives the “We get it - no problem, we’ll make it work”.

And then at Go Live, of course it’s not enough. Over and over, she’s shielding her team from demoralizing feedback about limitations they’d never wanted to ship in the first place.

It’s a daily heartbreak. But it’s a heartbreak of a different DNA.

At the end of the research conversation, I asked, “You knew this job wasn’t a great fit. How did you plan to navigate that?”

She explained her plan: take a few weeks off between jobs, rest up, and think of the job as a way to trade time for money while she looked for another role.

But with the reality of onboarding, feeling responsible for the team’s success, and juggling life outside of work, her job search stalled, and here she was.

Working in a job that didn’t fit.

When we’re looking for our “What’s Next”, our default is to find a job that seems like a good match for our skills and interests. One that meets (or exceeds!) our salary requirements, at a company we’d feel proud to work for.

But job fit is so much more. Researchers Christina Maslach and Michael Leiter have spent over 40 years developing their understanding of burnout.

“Not a one,” she said, “And I know my values will never line up with how this company works.”

Quick favor: forward this email to someone who told you they’re not a fit for their current job. Making the workplace a healthier place is going to take all of us.

Ambition

Her decision? Resuscitate the job search, and create a “fit questionnaire” while she’s interviewing to make absolutely sure her next move is a strong match.

I’m a huge fan of this approach. It’s logical, backed by years (and years) of research, and helps us be more ready to make great decisions as the architects of our careers.

But mostly, creating a “fit questionnaire” is a way to crystallize our must-haves vs nice-to-haves. And knowing what our deal breakers are.

The new ambition is making well-rounded, healthy work decisions that reduce our likelihood of burnout. And hiring the same way.

And when it comes down to “Should I stay or should I go?”, taking the first step of trying to find ways to improve your fit in areas where you’re not a strong match can be done in a focused way, rather than frantically.

Values misalignment, though, can be a deal-breaker, especially if there’s not a clear path to influence change.

Going deep to understand how well you match across each of the fit characteristics is important. My level of tolerance across the six areas won’t be the same as yours.

Because fit is personal. And good fit feels great.

GO | DO

Time needed: 10 minutes | Energy required: Low

Creating a Job Fit Questionnaire can be part of your “what’s going on with this job” toolkit, your job search toolkit, and your hiring toolkit.

I’ve started the ball rolling by giving you some questions for each fit characteristic by scenario below.

For today, start with your current job. For each Fit Category, consider the match (Strong Match, Weak Match, Mismatch).

Strong Match: where you and the job line up well. Leverage these areas as opportunities to expand your growth and energy.

Weak Match: your focus areas. Pick ONE to focus on finding opportunities to potentially improve your fit (through workflow optimization, delegation, depriorization)

Mismatch: your red flags. If you have a mismatch in an area you consider non-negotiable (like Values), it’s a good topic for discussion with your mentor, manager, or coach.

Get In There

• Read “The Burnout Challenge” from Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter for a deeper understanding of the importance of fit at work, how fit is related to burnout, and ways to combat poor fit at work.

• Add to queue: In "5 Science-backed Steps for Burnout Recovery,” I talk about how a poor fit accelerates burnout, and share low-ish lift resilience builders to help you get in the best mindset to figure out where you grow from here.

• ICYMI: The World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs Report 2025” was published in January, but it's worth a bookmark when you’re considering how to understand how the workforce is expected to shift over the next 5 years.

At last, here we are allllll the way down at the bottom of this post. And for that level of dedication, I can’t thank you enough. We have work to do to help each other make better decisions, set stronger boundaries, and grow in the direction of our considerable talents. Your eyes being down here tells me we’ve got a shot. Have feedback for me? Reply to this email - I read every response.

P.S. I’m hosting research meetings over the next three two weeks to gather feedback on healthy work, healthy leadership, and burnout. These important, confidential conversations inform the content, services, and products of The New Ambition.

Nothing to buy. No obligation whatsoever. I need your help. Schedule Your Session