I’m at Starbucks. I’m at work.

In my search for my next challenge, I’ve decided that it is best not to sit at home all day. Yesterday I went to Baltimore Coffee & Tea to check out some of the employment opportunities that look promising to me.

In this search, I am keeping these truths in the forefront of my mind:

1. I want to work for a non-profit, preferably faith-based, organization;

2. I have to be in love (or in strong like) with the mission and vision of the organization;

3. The leadership of the organization must be very strong and in line with my beliefs about leadership.

All three are important, but #3 is probably the non-negotiable for me. In fact, the importance of these truths is in reverse-order: #3 is at the top and #1 is the most negotiable.

I’ve been so blessed by friends, and particularly one friend, who has connected me to many people who can assist me in making this search end well. I will surely owe him dinner and a nice bottle of wine when all is said and done.

There is something important about getting up, putting on semi-nice clothes, and taking your briefcase to a coffee place. This is work. Indeed, you can argue that the most important part of a new job is selecting properly and doing your homework.

So, you can find me at any number of local coffee places in the near future. Or you can comment here.

What do you think is the most important part of a new job search?