“Some organizations will excite you. They'll stimulate your success and growth. Others will be stressful. They may lead you to quit before you've accomplished much or learned what you hoped to. With the pressure (or excitement) of finding a new job, it's all too easy to pursue a job opportunity or to accept an offer with only a hazy view of how the institution really operates. The path to an institution you'll like is to investigate the culture you're thinking of joining before you accept the position” -- Bill Barnet for the Harvard Business Review Blog
There are several different types of job hunter; the first level can be divided into two parts - those currently in employment, and those out of work. These two parts can then be divided further, into two more; those in employment can be divided into ‘actively looking’ (i.e. you hate your job and can’t wait to get out) and ‘passively looking’ (won’t turn away any recruitment agencies who come sniffing around, or check out the odd job on a job board) - and those who are out of work can again be divided into ‘desperately seeking...’ (will look at everything, apply for anything and accept the first job offer that comes their way) and ‘selective’ people (have their core checklists of ‘must-haves’ and are discerning about interviews and offers.) Here’s my (fairly rubbish) diagram to illustrate:
There are several different types of job hunter; the first level can be divided into two parts - those currently in employment, and those out of work. These two parts can then be divided further, into two more; those in employment can be divided into ‘actively looking’ (i.e. you hate your job and can’t wait to get out) and ‘passively looking’ (won’t turn away any recruitment agencies who come sniffing around, or check out the odd job on a job board) - and those who are out of work can again be divided into ‘desperately seeking...’ (will look at everything, apply for anything and accept the first job offer that comes their way) and ‘selective’ people (have their core checklists of ‘must-haves’ and are discerning about interviews and offers.) Here’s my (fairly rubbish) diagram to illustrate:
In the article, Bill uses ‘Sean’ as an example - he interviewed for a role, was offered the position (in his words - “he was proud he’d ‘won the contest’”) yet he turned it down. Why? He didn’t fit in with the company culture. It’s horrible to feel as though you’ve wasted time and effort in an application and interview process, only to turn it down...there’s a lot of personal investment that goes into each application, and if there isn’t; you’re doing it wrong.
Bill notes that when applying for a new role, you should ask the following three questions; ‘What should I learn’, ‘How should I learn’ and ‘When should I learn’. I urge that you read his brief conclusion under each point, it may really help you in your job hunt, to find the perfect place. Following on from this, here is my list of things to check for when making sure this is the right place for you:
Of course there are exceptions to every rule - everyone has bills to pay or a family to support, so there's no shame in taking a job in order to get these things done...just remember how many people suffer if you're unhappy.
Good luck to all the job hunters out there - if there's anything we can do to assist then please let us know :)
Bill notes that when applying for a new role, you should ask the following three questions; ‘What should I learn’, ‘How should I learn’ and ‘When should I learn’. I urge that you read his brief conclusion under each point, it may really help you in your job hunt, to find the perfect place. Following on from this, here is my list of things to check for when making sure this is the right place for you:
- Did you get on well with the people you interviewed with? Chances are you'll be reporting into them, so it's great if you don't detest them from the get-go
- Were you shown around the offices? No? Then ask! It's great to be able to meet the people who work there...if they're all red-eyed and lack-lustred then you know that perhaps there's a problem
- Do you have a job check-list? You should! Write down what you do and don't want, then just as on a job description - write 'Expected' and 'Desireable'. The longer you're out of work, the more you are likely to cave on what you want (i.e. sector or location) - but hold fast, you don't want to be in a job where you wish you were anywhere else but there
- The very last point to consider post-interview, is salary. If you interviewed somewhere then you already know the salary and benefits etc, and you chose to attend so even though there is often room for negotiation; be aware of how far you push. All other 'happiness' bozes need to be ticked before considering salary - all the money in the world won't make a bad job any better.
Of course there are exceptions to every rule - everyone has bills to pay or a family to support, so there's no shame in taking a job in order to get these things done...just remember how many people suffer if you're unhappy.
Good luck to all the job hunters out there - if there's anything we can do to assist then please let us know :)
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