When searching for a new job you face being assessed by numerous employers. From your CV and application through to the final interview, you are under scrutiny and need to perform at your best. When the pressure is on it’s easy to get wrapped up in trying to impress potential employers at every opportunity, in order to achieve your goal of a job offer.
It’s important, however, to be able to take a step back and assess whether an opportunity and company is really right for you. Employers come in different shapes and sizes from their working environments, training programs, rewards and career development opportunities, you need to find the one for you.
Take the time to discover if what’s on offer is really what you’re looking for in your career because you don’t want to find yourself a few weeks into a new job (that you worked hard to get) already feeling dissatisfied and unhappy.
When assessing whether an employer is right for you, here are a few things to consider:
Do you want to work for a multi-corporate giant or do you feel that you’d be better suited in a small/medium-sized business? Think about the benefits that each can offer and what appeals most to you.
Where do you want to work? How are you going to get there? Are you prepared to move? These are all important questions that you should be asking before even starting your job search. You may prefer the big city, the remote country or something in between. Perhaps your choice of career will point to a certain location.
Closely tied in with making your decision about location is whether you are prepared to commute and if so how far? Commuting can add a lot of time onto your working day and rush hour traffic/travel can also ruin your morning mood on occasion. If you don’t have a car it’s definitely worth looking into your public transport options to the employer location.
Do you like a suit and briefcase or are you more suited to a laid-back dressed-down culture? You should be able to get a good feel of a company’s culture and what their team gets up to by looking at their website or perhaps their social media.
This is particularly important if you’re looking for your first graduate job, but it is worth considering at every step in your career. Find out what training is on offer and whether it is in-house, on the job or external courses. Training is often key in being able to progress in your career, so ensure that your next role will allow you to continue to grow and develop professionally. No one wants to end up stuck in a dead-end job with no prospects of promotion and career progression.
Although we wouldn’t recommend asking this question at a first-stage interview, do your research and find out what a company’s working hours are. Some career choices naturally mean longer hours and some companies offer flex-time, so consider what you want in terms of work/life balance at this stage in your career.
Some roles may require you to travel weekly to various locations in certain areas or across the country. Some employers may offer opportunities to move abroad to work on assignments. If you like to get out and travel a lot then maybe a desk job isn’t right for you, so consider what’s on offer when thinking about your next employer.
Thinking about these 7 points will put you in good stead to start your next role with a renewed lift in motivation, productivity, job satisfaction and overall happiness. Good luck with job hunting!
