Not sure this is you? Take the 5-minute assessment to find your archetype.
You are not ready to move yet. You are gathering intelligence.
This is where you are right now, not who you are. Retake the assessment when your situation shifts or after 90 days.
Where you are right now
You are the most methodical archetype. You will not move until you have done the homework, and that instinct is valuable. The challenge is the opposite: analysis can become paralysis. Use these tools to build a systematic picture, set a deadline for action, and then move.
The shape of this archetype
What it feels like. Cautious optimism with a need for control.
Where it can go wrong. Researching forever and never making a move, or getting so focused on finding the perfect opportunity that you miss good ones.
What matters right now. Turn research into a decision framework, not an endless project.
Your decision framework
Start with Tools 10 and 11 to define your criteria and build your target list. Set up Tools 12 and 13 (your intelligence system). Work through Tools 20 to 24 to investigate employers systematically. Use Tools 18 and 8 to evaluate company stages and salary. Apply Tool 26 to force decisions. When ready, move to Tool 19. Set a hard deadline. By a specific date, you will start applying.
- Tool 10. Decide Important Company Characteristics
- Tool 11. Build Your Target List
- Tool 12. News and Blogs
- Tool 13. Follow That Page
- Tool 20. Investigate: Employee Turnover
- Tool 22. Investigate: Employee Reviews
- Tool 23. Investigate: Customer Reviews
- Tool 21. Investigate: Financials
- Tool 24. Investigate: Government & Lawsuits
- Tool 18. STaRS
- Tool 8. Salary Research
- Tool 26. Cull Your Target List
- Tool 19. Interviews
Start here
Research without a deadline becomes its own job. The book and companion workbook walk you through these tools in order, with weekly checklists that keep your investigation moving toward a decision. You’ll have your answer in weeks, not months.
Visit For Organizations if you’re interested in leveraging the framework at your institution.