Job search challenges – An ultimate guide on how to find the job that will suit you
The basis of each interview is the famous phrase “describe yourself in a few words”, in other words, simply saying “Who are you?”. Well, who and what we are will determine our results at work, mobilization, honesty, honesty and diligence, but the answer to this question is important not only for our future employers, but above all for ourselves. By the time it comes to an interview, usually the traffic is on our side. We are looking for companies, we browse the Internet and open positions trying to find “something for me”.
Knowing yourself, your own values and expectations with regard to patterns or systems that, in our opinion, should be copied, it is easier to choose the company you want to become a part of. Living according to the statement “It’s just a job, my life starts after 5pm.” can make us very unhappy. Summing up the hours that we statistically spend at work throughout our lives, we get 6 years. A little too long to spend doing anything against yourself or against your values.
Job market is changing.
Fortunately, the job market is changing and in recent years there has been a growing social trend of consciously looking for a job in order to live in harmony with ourselves. Companies, like the people who create them, have their own company culture. Why risk a relationship with someone whose priorities do not suit us? The company’s culture consists of many factors, the work environment, values, ambitions and goals, the people it associates and the system in which they work together in the pages of the brand. appropriate preparation in the form of asking yourself fundamental questions.
- “What do I care about?”
- “What is the most important to me?”,
- “What career path will suit me best?”
These are issues that we should consider before career change in order to find the perfect job. Having a reference point in the form of the current reality of employment can be extremely helpful in defining and clarifying our preferences as to the future workplace, boss, co-workers, type of contract, work system, atmosphere and opportunities. Of course, this type of facilitation is a solution for people who have already gained some experience. So what is missing in my current company? What annoys me in my job and what would I change? What would be the right path for me? If you’re job hunting for the first time this article could be helpful.
Knowing yourself is the key to finding the perfect job.
There is nothing wrong with objective criticism, especially when we put our own happiness and the aforementioned 6 years at stake. Maybe the current company does not provide us with flexibility, it is not culturally or ethnically diverse, the atmosphere is stressful instead of motivating, colleagues and superiors follow different values from ours and something else is important to them. We would prefer to work in a place with a more competitive approach to results, or, on the contrary, in a company that puts cooperation first. We prefer environments with diverse personalities, teams with a creative approach to work and freedom of expression, or we value tradition and clearly defined boundaries.
However, you should not just focus on the shortcomings of your current job, as it certainly has priorities or an approach that suits you and is compatible with us. What do I like my job for? Every thought, remark, or feeling may turn out to be valuable. So these are all issues that are definitely worth diagnosing and giving a moment of attention.
Read more about finding the right career path here.
When we have clear needs and priorities, we can start looking for the perfect company, i.e. the one with which our personality, our style of work, goals and plans harmonize. What fits me and how do I see myself as a human being? When most people see a job offer, they start by checking the salary range they can count on. However, it is equally important to achieve, apart from financial satisfaction, also personal satisfaction, because it is able to develop and make us happy also in private life.
By undertaking a job in which people around us share important qualities, priorities and mindsets with us, we feel like part of a larger whole. Then our work has a goal, and as a result, we feel fulfilled, and the people around are no longer just a person from the next desk, but a partner in sharing values. However, in order for this to happen and for us to be able to achieve the described effect, it is necessary to carry out appropriate research and research on our own and in our own interest.
If you are not sure which career path would be right for you, you can also take some career tests, in order to find a dream job.
Get to know the potential employers.
Technological progress means that we can learn almost everything from our own home. By browsing social media, LinkedIn, and Facebook, we are able to define the company’s priorities, its goals and the image it creates.
Exactly, created by herself. This means that these will be in part the features, goals and opportunities that the company wants to show to the world.
The most accessible website will certainly be the website of the company from which he wants to be seen and the way he wants to tell others about himself. This is certainly a huge help and can be extremely telling in itself, but we should not stop at the online content presented by the company.
Effortlessly we can find the right people, for example with the help of LinkedIn, who work in the company we are checking. So let’s look “inside the machine” and find out more from people who have experience in working with a given brand. Internet forums, comments and conversations with friends may turn out to be a confirmation or a contradiction of the information we obtained while looking at the created image of the company.
Therefore, it is worth making a double check in this form. This will lead us to obtain a holistic, objective view of a potential new workplace. Take a look at other advice about finding the right job.
Here are a few points worth looking at when researching your future workplace:
– How many locations does the company have, where are they located, what would the issue of possible travel to the workplace look like. It is possible to work remotely.
In the realities of unmanned work and the one in the office, an extremely important issue is travel, the place of the company’s headquarters and the time that we will have to spend every day commuting to work and then home from work. In the interests of emotional hygiene and general wellbeing, it is recommended that the workplace is close to home.
– The amount of the payment we can count on.
Money and financial satisfaction are a big aspect of our overall job satisfaction. Therefore, it is worth making sure that the company does not provide for “financial ceilings” that will prevent us from further development.
– Does the company care about work-life balance? What does the issue of holidays and non-working days look like?
A vacation policy is an important aspect of any company. The most effective and happy employee is the one who, apart from work, also has time for rest, family, vacation or making dreams come true.
– What type of people does our future team consist of and with whom we will work.
It is advisable to look at the president and the future boss. This person is responsible for everything, takes responsibility and makes decisions, so he has a direct and enormous influence on the company and its priorities. The composition of the team in which we will work is people with whom we will talk every day for an indefinite period of time, so it is worth having people with whom we will be able to find a common language and cooperate.
– What is the market of the industry to which the company belongs and how big is its competition?
High competition means high requirements and high ambitions. If we want work that will require motivation and clearly defined goals, large companies and corporations may turn out to be a good solution.
– General benefits and healthcare.
In return for devotion and work, the employee should receive a sense of security. It is not only the financial aspect that contributes to it. Equally important is health care and the system of action in the event of a disease, accident or other random event.
– Story of the company, its background and how it came into being.
Knowing about any scandals or scandals of the company can help us avoid working in a place that does not respect employees or tolerates fraud.
– Company policy, goals, assumptions and ambitions.
At this point, listed last, the personality of the company is extremely important. The way he treats employees, this work system, a loose startup ethos, or rigid rules. Priorities, image and character of the company.
New job – first contact with the potential employer.
The first contact with a new company and boss is a job interview. Usually people treat it as a kind of test, an interview with them, they think about presenting themselves at their best, how to “sell”.
However, work is cooperation, so it works both ways. Therefore, it is worth remembering that we are also to be satisfied with the answers from the boss, recruiter or supervisor. So let’s not be afraid to ask, listen, make sure and be curious, because in the end we also want to learn something.
The phrase “I listen because what I say I already know” should apply here. Intuition in such moments is extremely important, our feelings and first impression are sometimes a good advisor in making decisions. Here are some questions to ask when talking to your manager or potential supervisor:
– How much time will the boss, president or business owner spend in the office?
– What would you describe as the company’s latest success?
– What is the dress code?
– How long will people be employed in my future team work?
– What is considered an employee’s success?
– Does the company run charitable or social activities?
– Does the company offer training or courses to educate employees?
– What would be my duties?
– What is the highest schedule flexibility that can be expected?
– Could you show me around the office?
Time is money, so let’s not waste our time on making applications in places far from our hearts and values. By maintaining a strategic approach to finding a job, guided by honesty and sincerity in terms of our competences and expectations, we will be able to find the right place for us.
Each person has their own strengths and advantages. A company tailored to our intellectual resources is committed to encouraging us to work and join the team. Proving your value will give us the greatest tool of action, which is choice. Working on a multi-faceted basis will give us a broader view and more options. So let’s not be afraid to do research, research and talk in several places at once.
While waiting for a job interview, while sitting in the hall or waiting room of the office, we have the opportunity to see how it actually functions. We feel the mood and energy of the decor, whether it is dark and gloomy or bright and smart. We have the opportunity to notice whether the employees are friendly towards each other or whether they sit far apart and do not talk to each other. Everything that can affect us in the room matters.
Having as much information as possible will help us make a choice that may satisfy us for years to come. 71% of the surveyed jobseekers state that in the same period of time they apply to more than two companies at the same time.
Carrying out the research on the basis of comparing the advantages and disadvantages of several offers is certainly helpful and gives us a broader view of the market situation. It shows us the realities of industries, the assumptions of companies, the prevailing trends and emerging standards.
When looking at the advantages and disadvantages, and comparing our options, it is worth looking at the following points and considering how the image of companies is shaped on these levels:
- The company’s reputation and its overall assessment
- Options and opportunities it can offer us
- Culture and values
- Managers
- Benefits and possible compensation
- Work-life balance
Of course, no brand, company or activity is perfect. It is made up of people who are not perfect. Let us therefore try to find a golden meaning in what is possible and compatible with us. However, one should not be too lenient. There are certain signals, red flags, situations or words that may be a reason why we should carefully consider whether we are sure that this is the company that has something to offer us. Here are some examples of situations that can be alarming and increase our vigilance:
1. The manager or potential supervisor is in a mess or his appearance is sloppy.
The way in which you manage the space around you, in which you represent the company and control the chaos or order, can be a valuable insight into the functioning of the company from the inside, the standards adopted in it and what is acceptable.
2. Receive a more specific job offer too quickly.
If, at the stage of preliminary talks, interviews and getting to know each other, the manager, potential boss or supervisor submits an official job offer, we should consider where the rush comes from, instead of mindlessly agreeing. Maybe the position is not very lucrative and the company is desperate to fill the gap?
3. The job description does not precisely define the function it offers.
Leaving room for guesswork, critical and unclear statements is the basis for requiring additional favors, responsibilities and “help” over time, which will turn out to be free and more frequent with time.
4. Workaholic manager.
We should listen carefully to the way the supervisor also talks about his role. If he describes himself as an overworked person deprived of private life, it may be a signal that he will require the same from us.
The above points are signals that you should be alert to. Being guided by personal feelings, heart and intuition will allow us to feel at ease and comfortable in a company that is perfect for us. Take a look at the list of companies with values to find your new, perfect career.
