January’s a Good Time to Job Hunt. Here Are 5 Perks You Should Look for in a New Role

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Looking for a new job? Take a look at some benefits you should put on your radar. 

There’s a reason workers are often encouraged to job hunt in January. First, it’s when many companies have their budgets renewed, which means there’s room for more hiring.

Also, similar to how individuals set financial resolutions, companies often set their own goals for a new year. And sometimes, it takes more workers on board to bring those goals to life.

If you’re going to search for a new job this month, your primary goal may be to boost your salary. Higher pay could do a lot of great things for your personal finances. But it also pays to aim for a job that comes with these important perks.

1. Paid vacation time

It’s important to take time away from work to recharge and spend quality time with the people you love. A recent Pew Research study found that 62% of Americans say it’s extremely important to them to have a job that offers time off for vacations.

Some companies even have an unlimited vacation policy. You may want to pursue a role with that benefit if you’re someone who’s passionate about travel or has family out of state.

2. Subsidized health insurance

Health insurance is something you should really never go without, and buying it yourself can be horrendously expensive. So it’s best to find a new job that not only comes with subsidized health insurance, but one that allows you to join its group plan right away.

Also, if you have a spouse and kids, you’ll want to make sure that putting them on your plan will be possible.

3. A retirement plan

If you don’t have a retirement plan through work, you could always go out and open an IRA on your own. But that’s a step you may not take right away because it requires some legwork.

As such, you may want to find a company that has a 401(k) so you can sign up and start saving for retirement with ease. Plus, many companies that offer 401(k) plans also match worker contributions to some degree. That’s not something you’ll find with an IRA.

4. Sick time

Some companies offer a blanket time-off policy where you get a fixed number of days to use for any purpose, whether it’s to take a beach vacation, nurse an illness, or care for a sick child who can’t go to school.

But during your job search, you may want to focus on companies that treat sick time separately from vacation time. After all, they’re two completely different things. And you don’t want to end up in a situation where you can’t take a vacation because your household happens to get hit with a string of ailments in short order.

5. Mental health days

Some employers are starting to recognize the importance of helping employees maintain good mental health. As you look for a job, see if any of the companies you’re talking to offer mental health days. These are usually separate from sick time or vacation days. They’re one-off days you can take at certain intervals when you feel you need a break from the grind or you’re going through a personal crisis and need an opportunity to decompress for a bit.

January can be a great time to seek out a new job opportunity. But keep these perks on your radar in addition to salary, because all of them could really tie into a better quality of life.

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