There are so many jobs out there. Because of the aggressive job search, some may feel that if the job is within their field, they should apply. However, jobs are not made where one category fits all. Businesses are private, public, small, medium, or large; career-driven vs. family-driven; nonprofit and for profit. There are so many different types of businesses and organizations that finding your niche can be an undertaking in itself.
There are two things to keep in mind when applying for and interviewing for jobs.
1. Look at the business’ values. What is important to you needs to be what is important to your company so that you can find the right fit. A lot of people switch jobs all the time because they aren’t happy. Penelope Trunk, founder of three startups, blogged about the stability and conformity that Generation Y craves. In order to move up the ladder in your career and stay with a company, you have to make sure that the company fits with your lifestyle.
2. When you are in the interview, make sure that you request to meet with more than one person. On a daily basis, you will be interacting with people in human resources, marketing, the credit department, etc. When you ask to meet with other employees, it shows that you value the people you work with.
In a Harvard case study, a recent Harvard MBA graduate got a new job and she quickly discovered that the person she interviewed with did not fit the personality of the people that she interacted with on a daily basis. She found herself lost and unwelcome in the company. Most of all she was frustrated that who she thought she was going to be working with and would jive well with was not her boss nor an employee with whom she interacted.
Values are the foundation of a company, and people who share those values will be happier where they work.
What do you look for in your company?
