Is that a broken job?

Q: During an interview, you realize the manager has no clear definition of the job you're being considered for. But you like the boss and the company, and you want the job. What should you do?

Nick's reply: I refer to such jobs as being "broken" because they are indeed disasters waiting to happen. So if you chose option (1), I wouldn't argue with you. If the boss doesn't have a clear idea of what the purpose of the job is, it will be difficult to manage you and measure your performance. Come review time, the boss could decide you failed because you didn't meet the undefined expectations.

A job does indeed develop over time, and it's part of an employee's job to make that happen successfully. But if a job is seriously broken, it can be risky to try to fix it after you've taken it. Don't be a glutton for punishment.

I don't believe managers are infallible, and I don't give them the benefit of the doubt unless they can show me a plan for success. I also don't believe in wasting my time doing meaningless work so I can coast. I hope you don't, either. Life's too short, and a job like that could kill your reputation. So I think options (2) and (4) are weak career decisions.

The really intriguing and bold option, I think, is (3). While some readers see the wisdom in it, I wonder how many would actually suggest to a manager that they should meet again to "try to define the job more clearly"? It's a great approach, but it requires a lot of self-confidence and the willingness to take a risk, as well as the ability to judge whether the effort is worth it. That doesn't mean I think my readers are all talk. I just know that this requires considerable confidence. So let's take a look at how you might "walk the talk."

If your intuition tells you this is a good manager and company, it may be worth investing more time in candid discussions. The boss may be in search of a solution to a vague problem and may need help to define it. If you can provide that help, the boss may let you create your own job. When approached carefully, this can be the best kind of job opportunity. It might be tailored to fit your skills and work philosophy. But it can be risky to invest time in helping a manager you don't know well. You might wind up with nothing to show for it. Or it might turn into the big break you've been looking for. (If I sound wishy-washy, it's because I can't make this judgment for you. You must judge for yourself. I'm just laying out the gotchas.)

How can you help a manager in this situation, assuming the manager wants to be helped? Ask:

-- What problem is the job going to solve?

-- What steps need to be taken by the new hire to tackle it? (It's important to be specific. For example, what tasks need to be done day one, week one, month one?)

-- What tools will be at the employee's disposal?

-- What are the milestones over the first six months?

-- What are the objective measures of the employee's success?

-- How will the work that's done contribute to the company's profits? (How will it lower costs or increase revenues?)

This is best handled as a discussion, because your input will be required. Avoid quizzing the manager. Remember: Your goal is to help solve a problem, and that requires dialogue.

Here's the message in this challenge: It's important to recognize a broken job when you see one. You may decide to avoid it, or you may conclude it's an opportunity that requires a little extra attention.

A broken job is an excellent test of a job candidate's skills and expertise -- and it's a challenge that can be fun to tackle in an interview. Just don't make the mistake of accepting a broken job as-is. It's likely to collapse on you. You must get it fixed before you accept it.

Copyright 2008. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.