There are plenty of job sites out there, offering standard resume-to-opening or dropdown menu matching based on job experience, availability, and other standard qualifiers. At ThisWay, we know there’s more than what meets the eye when it comes to finding the perfect career match, such as inclusiveness, flexibility, or benefits. Give yourself a bit of relief with these tips, our first installment in a series of posts about the toolkit you need to ensure you aren’t unintentionally pursuing a short-term job, by forgetting key elements to landing a long-term career.
Understand where among company structure you work best.
Within every corporation, there is a method of dividing responsibility among employees within the company, from CEOs to foot soldiers. The success of a company and the people it hires is dependent upon each staff member being effective as well as engaged in their position. Whether you’re looking to get your toe in the door with an entry level position, or to advance your career even further, it’s key to know exactly where you fit. Do you like working with lots of people? Or do you prefer dealing with the same several people to accomplish things? Do you work better alone or with a partner or group? How do you even get the answers to these questions? Cambridge University developed a series of tests that’s sure to help clear things up.
Make sure your motivation for work is consistent with the company’s.
A look into the history of a corporation is a good way to get a picture of what values the company holds dear. If they’re involved in the local community, donating to charities and holding events that benefit businesses and individuals in the area, it’d be a good match, then, for someone with a desire to be more involved themselves. In contrast, this person would probably want to avoid working for a company whose focus is corporate growth and expansion. It may seem obvious, but taking a close look at company culture and how it meshes with your own makes a world of difference.
Get the truth about what an ordinary day at the office entails.
This means more than your daily routine, although that is just as important. Details like the level of professionalism to be expected, how available opportunities for advancement within the company are, and even getting an oral job description can be very telling. Having questions to ask before the interview makes a good impression on the interviewer and provides you the chance to find out things about the position that may not have been included in the job posting. Another excellent way of getting insider information is, of course, talking to someone on the inside. Try and get a one-on-one with a potential future colleague, preferably someone who isn’t a hiring manager, and get the nitty gritty details on what to really expect on your first day.
There are plenty of possibilities for why a career path went wrong, and the extensive process that goes into finding a new path to take is plenty motivation to get it right. ThisWay understands the toll that process can have and strives to streamline and perfect it. By creating your personal passport with ThisWay, you become an important part of that process. Telling us the things you look for in an employer, from expected wages to the culture or environment you prefer working in, allows us to filter out the companies not fitted to your predilections. Once we connect you with the perfect match, it’s up to you to let them see how bright your light can shine. (Keep an eye out for our upcoming post about how to nail that interview!)
