5 ways to determine if a potential job is right for you
If you’re looking for a job, you’ve probably spent hours and hours trying to find the right ways to make yourself the perfect pick for that potential employer. You tweak your resume, rehearse interview answers in the mirror and begrudgingly delete that profile photo of you and Miss Corona Light 2016. All of this, of course, is done in hopes of making yourself the ideal candidate for that potential position. But what about that potential company? Have you taken a close look at whether or not it’s a good fit for you?
“We spend so much time perfecting ourselves for certain jobs that we often fail to check if those jobs, or in more specific terms, those companies, are places where we could succeed,” says Jyll Henon, a Miami-based recruiter who specializes in advertising and marketing positions.
Henon, who moved to South Florida in 2013 after spending six years with Yahoo in Sunnyvale, Calif., says she was always surprised when a recently hired employee at the mega-Internet company would approach the HR department to discuss issues they had fitting into the Yahoo culture. “Yahoo, Google. Apple – these companies are open books. You can do a minimal amount of research on the Internet and you’ll see what you’re getting into,” says Henon. “That’s why it was always surprising to listen to people questioning the work culture or the dayto-day approach to the job. I would be as professional as possible but in the back of my mind, I’d be pretty critical of their position. But I’d get it – some people just aren’t ready for certain types of positions or employers, no matter what they think ahead of time.”
To avoid this, Henon suggests five ways to ensure that a potential employer is the right employer for you:
1. Do your research
All of the major job websites, as well as sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor, have extensive reviews of companies. Granted, this user-generated content isn’t always 100 percent reliable, but Henon says if you read between the lines, you can get a good idea of what to expect. “Employer reviews are a lot like Yelp reviews,” she says. “You get a bunch of evaluations, some more positive than others, and you try to see what the majority of people say. Of course, if there are several negative reviews and one absolute glowing review, it’s a good bet that the glowing review was written by someone who represents the company.”
2. Ask around
“LinkedIn is perfect for getting honest reviews of companies,” Henon says. “You can always find connection who work, have worked or know people who’ve worked at the companies you’re considering, so reach out to them for a little insight.”
3. Check with your recruiter
The people who are empowered with the hiring responsibilities aren’t just judged on the people they bring in, but also on the people who head out. “If you’re in HR and 75 percent of the people you’ve recruited and helped hire for your company leave within a year or two, that reflects badly on you,” Henon says. “So if you’re a recruiter, you want to make sure your candidates have a strong understanding of their potential job, and the best way to do this is to share as much information as possible.” But Henon says the onus for receiving that information is often on the candidate. “Ask a lot of questions. Ask to speak with current employees or see if you can shadow someone for a few hours. You should be as determined to gather information from your employer as they are determined to learn everything they can about you.”
4. Observe your surroundings
When you visit a company for an interview, keep your eyes are ears open. Henon says there is much to learn from simply observing how a company operates. “Are office doors closed? Are people gathering in spaces and gossiping? Is the space conducive to creativity? There are the questions you need to ask yourself,” she says. “I think that a simple walk-through an office tells a lot. Do people seem happy? Are they sitting at their desks with their heads in the hands or are the moving around the office, creating a space with the positive energy you’ll need if you decide to accept the position.”
5. Research their competitors
Using any of the strategies listed above, Henon says it’s possible to learn a lot about a company by researching its peers in advance of your interview. “A lot of industries mimic their counterparts when it comes to employee space or benefits,” she says. “A real estate office may look pretty standard across the country, as might a design firm or a law office. Do you homework and find out what the standards are, then ask questions based on that information. You can mention that you have a friend who works for Microsoft and she says this is how they do things, and then ask if the company you’re interviewing with does things the same way.”