7 Questions to Ask About Any Healthcare Job

Whether you're a medical learner preparing for your first job, considering a promotion, or wondering if you should stay where you are, one thing is clear: choosing the right position isn't just about salary, benefits, or even prestige. It’s about aligning your job with your life—and that takes intention.

As I tell my learners during their six-month check-ins, the decision-making process around job choices needs to go deeper than a traditional pros and cons list. This isn’t just advice for trainees. It’s the kind of reflective practice all of us in healthcare need—especially as our personal and professional lives evolve.

Here’s a simple yet powerful framework to help you assess whether a job (or job offer) is the right fit for you—right now.

1. Start with Your Season of Life

The first question to ask yourself isn’t “What job do I want?” It’s “What do I need in this season of life?”

Are you in a phase where career growth and experience are your top priorities? Or are you looking for more stability and predictability because of what's happening at home?

For example:

• Are you paying down student debt?

• Trying to buy your first home?

• Caring for young children, a partner, or aging parents?

• Recovering from burnout and need to protect your energy?

Your answers to these questions shape whether things like salary, schedule, flexibility, location, or autonomy matter more to you right now.

The key is honesty. If you're not clear (or not truthful) about what matters most, you're more likely to end up feeling frustrated—at work, at home, or both.

2. Define What in the Healthcare Job Fills You Up

Next, think about the experiences that make you genuinely happy at work—not the ones you're relieved to have survived or proud to have achieved, but the ones that made you feel alive, connected, or deeply satisfied.

Ask yourself:

• What workdays left me energized instead of drained?

• When did I feel like I was using my gifts fully?

• What types of patient encounters or team collaborations felt meaningful?

These answers point to the kind of work—and workplace—you should be seeking out.

Then ask: Does this current or potential position offer opportunities for these kinds of experiences regularly?

3. Name What Drains You in the Healthcare Job

Now look at the flip side: What types of work leave you depleted?

Be honest about the parts of past or current jobs that you've dreaded. Maybe it’s:

• Long shifts with no autonomy

• Poor communication with leadership

• Excessive charting and administrative burden

• Lack of support from your team

No job is perfect—but you can assess how much of the role includes your known energy-drainers.

Ask: How much of this job involves the kinds of tasks, interactions, or responsibilities that weigh me down?

If the answer is “a lot,” that’s worth taking seriously.

4. Check Alignment with Your Priorities

Now that you’ve identified both your priorities and your preferences, take a clear-eyed look at the job in question. Does this opportunity allow you to protect or support the things that matter most to you in this season?

For example:

• If flexibility is your top need right now, does the job honor that?

• If you're craving mentorship and growth, is there a clear path?

• If income is a major driver, does the offer match your financial goals?

If a job conflicts with your top life priorities, no amount of potential will make it a sustainable fit.

5. Evaluate the Potential in the Healthcare Job

Even if a role doesn’t check every box, sometimes the opportunity for future alignment makes it worthwhile. So ask:

• Is there room to grow in this role?

• Will I be supported as I evolve?

• Are there mentors or colleagues here I can learn from?

• Does the leadership seem open to feedback and development?

Think long-term: Can this job grow with you—or will you outgrow it too quickly?

6. Weigh the Whole Picture

At this point, you have a more nuanced understanding than a simple pros and cons list can offer.

Now ask yourself:

• Does the good outweigh the not-so-good?

• Are the challenges ones I can manage with the right support?

• Do I feel curious and open about the role—or hesitant and tight?

If you’re comparing multiple offers, walk each one through this same framework. You’ll get a much clearer picture of which job truly fits you, not just your resume.

7. If the Job Looks Great, But You Still Feel Crispy…

Sometimes, the job is right on paper—and even matches your priorities—but you still feel exhausted or unmotivated. If that's the case, the issue may not be the job itself. It may be that you need some restoration or support before you can thrive again.

Burnout, overwhelm, or compassion fatigue can cloud your ability to feel excited about any opportunity, even a good one. If that sounds familiar, give yourself permission to seek help, rest, or recalibrate—before making big decisions.

Choosing the right job in healthcare is less about checking boxes and more about choosing alignment. Alignment with your season of life. Alignment with your values. Alignment with the kind of professional and person you’re becoming.

Whether you’re a trainee stepping into your first role or a seasoned clinician reevaluating your path, remember: You don’t need the “perfect” job. You need the right job for you, right now.