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When a recruiter comes calling, you should feel pleased but do NOT feel obligated. 

Managers and some executives have sidetracked their careers by taking a job that was not a good fit.

Here are three questions you should ask yourself when the recruiter does come calling:

  1. Is the job compatible with your career development plan? That is, will it offer you the type of experience you need to move to the next level?
  2. Even if the duties boost your skillset repertoire, does the job offer greater responsibility regarding the total expense budget and the number of departments you will oversee?
  3. Is the compensation appropriate.  Even if the job is a good fit experience-wise, you want to avoid a compensation step back.  That will impact your future earnings potential, as in you just invited future employers to underpay you. A lateral financial move should be a worse-case situation.  Target a 10 to 15 percent increase

It’s your career.  Take charge.