With so many students gearing up for summer jobs and graduating seniors looking to enter into full-time employment, it’s time to start considering what we want out of our careers. Two of the most commonly considered factors are pay and location.

However, I would argue that there is another highly important element of job choice: workplace environment. It is important to identify exactly what you want out of your workplace environment when looking for a job. A good workplace full of friendly coworkers can go a long way toward your productivity and personal fulfillment.

If you get stuck in a bad workplace, then you can expect your life to be quite a bit more miserable. As someone who has worked a few jobs in his lifetime, I can tell you two of the most important factors I have identified:

1) A friendly environment. As a radiology assistant at East Tennessee Medical Group, I began working with individuals in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s when I was only 21 years old. Obviously, there tends to be a bit of a cultural breakdown between individuals when this age gap is in place. However, one thing that doesn’t change throughout your life is a desire to be treated well. At ETMG, I was surrounded by loving individuals who truly seemed to enjoy having me around. The administration fostered a true sense of community within the organization as well as a feeling of family. The radiology department even threw me a going away party on my last day of work. This type of environment made going to work every day a little bit easier and much less daunting.

2) Supervisors that see me as a positive investment. As an undergraduate researcher in the Center for Environmental Biotechnology, I have had the privilege of being around some of the brightest minds at UT. One such mind is Research Associate Dr. Melanie Eldridge. Dr. Eldridge is currently helping me work on my senior thesis, but has done so much more than simply serve as an advisor. Dr. Eldridge strives to ensure that I am constantly learning in my lab experiences. After writing a letter of recommendation to medical school for me, she has also taken a more personal interest into my future academic success. I know that to Dr. Eldridge, I am more than simply a student. I fully believe that she sees me as a worthwhile investment in the future. In a career environment, I want supervisors and administrators who are over me to display this same behavior. I want to know that those who guide and direct me will also see me as an investment in the future. Similarly, if I ever find a role as a supervisor or administrator, I hope to provide the same experience for those I lead.

I believe that as long as these two factors are satisfied, one’s personal experience in the workplace should be a positive one. When combined with reasonable pay and a comfortable location, it is hard to go wrong with your choice in a job.

Take time to identify your own desires in a workplace environment when applying for your next job. They could heavily influence what you take away from it.

— Hunter Tipton is a senior in microbiology. He can be reached at [email protected].