by Martha Z
20. January 2010 14:41
You’ve found it! Found it! The perfect job for you! It’s exactly the type of job you want, and you’re sure the work, people, and salary will be great, right? Maybe—but maybe not. This scenario is not uncommon to many of us. We have all gotten very hopeful at one point or another during our job search, and why shouldn’t we? There is nothing wrong with being hopeful; staying positive is a great attitude to have while looking for work. But the rules of finding a job can be a lot like the rules of dating—you don’t want to get too attached without getting to know each other first.
Things to Find Out Before the Interview
Job description. Job boards will usually have some kind of job description, but you may encounter jobs that don’t have a clear, written description at career fairs or other networking events. Ask yourself if you know the following:
• Areas of responsibility and job functions
• Required education, experience level, and technological experience
• Location of the job
• Time requirements (how many hours per week you are expected to work and the shift you are expected to work)
Based on this information, decide if this is the right job to apply to. If you cannot find this information in the job description, either try calling the HR rep to find this information out; or if this is not possible, apply to the job and find out this information during the interview.
The company’s products, services, and mission. Let’s say you’re a PR graduate who wants to work in meeting planning. You apply for a meeting planning position for PETA—but you own a crocodile skin purse and a fur coat. It doesn’t seem like your values align with the company’s mission, so this may not be the best fit for you. If you don’t find this information on the company’s About Us section on its Web site, you might be able to find out more on sites like www.zoominfo.com where you can get detailed information about companies and their industry leaders. You can use LinkedIn to find out more about the company by using the Search Companies option. You might also want to find out who will be interviewing you and search for that person through LinkedIn, using the Search People function.
Things to Find Out at the Interview
Company culture. The company wants to decide if you are the right fit for an organization, and conversely, you are deciding the same. Ask the interviewer about the company culture—the shared values and actions of the employees. This might be something difficult for an interviewer to define (and what the interviewer says may or may not actually be what the culture is), but pay attention to keywords like casual, friendly, busy, efficient, ethical, and so on. Take notice of the way the employees are dressed and how they interact with one another. Ask questions like, “Would I be expected to work more in teams or individually?” “What is the company’s growth plan?” “Why is this position open/what are the primary reasons for people leaving this company?”
Expectations for this position. Just because you’re interviewing for the same title you had at your last position, doesn’t mean the job expectations are the same! Find out the following:
• What kind of traits does the ideal candidate have for this position?
• What are some of the challenges in this position?
• Do you see any significant changes in this position in the near future?
Things to Find Out After the Interview
With dating, there are certain things you may not want to ask your partner until you are “official.” The same is true with waiting to ask certain questions until you get the official job offer. After you have received a job offer, there is a litany of questions you may want to ask to find out if the job is the right fit for you:
• What is the yearly/hourly salary?
• How many paid vacation days do I have?
• What is your benefit package?
• Am I expected to work overtime? Do you pay for overtime?
• When do you assess raises; what is the typical raise rate?
• Do you give bonuses, and what is the typical bonus amount?
Just like finding the right partner may take a long time, so might finding the right job. Find out everything you need to know to create a successful partnership, and make sure you don’t settle!