Have you ever taken a job that was different than you expected? Were you devastated because either your job duties changed, or you ended up working with a different manager whose style did not fit yours?
In a recent survey of 2,500 Millennial and Generation Z applicants, 72% of respondents were surprised or regretted accepting a role because the position or company differed significantly from what they believed it would be. According to the Harvard Review, just as employers evaluate you, you’ll want to evaluate potential employers. You need to know what the role will entail and how the organization will (or won’t) align with your values, potential, and future goals.
What’s important to you at work?
Ideally, you’ll want the company values to reflect yours. Look at mission statements and “about us” pages on company websites or talk to former or current employees. Search for keywords that relate to the values that are important to you, such as “path for advancement” or “professional development.” If you want to work for a company that believes in work-life balance, look for that discussion on their website.
Consider the following:
What level of support and professional growth will help you succeed and thrive in your new role and build a career you will be proud of?
If you prioritize community involvement, ask how the organization gives back to its employees and the community, financially and otherwise.
Are you a loyal, hard worker who looks forward to learning, growing, and advancing in your career with your next employer? Be sure to ask about employee turnover, internal promotions, and lateral moves, and consider whether you’d feel comfortable with your new manager setting goals for you and giving you feedback.
You’ll want to delve into stories and details about the company culture. Asking directly about company culture (“What’s the company culture like?”) isn’t likely to get you a thoughtful answer. The interviewer will most likely try to impress you by telling you what they think you want to hear. We have a resource sheet that lists 26 questions about culture for you to use to discover if a job and company are right for you. One of our clients asked this question to each person she interviewed with, “Whose leadership style here do you admire and why?” She reported back that each person told her it was a great question and gave her a different answer. She decided to accept the position.
Many clients tell us they are looking for the “right” job, not just “any” job. If you are offered a job and hesitate to say yes, listen to your intuition and think twice before accepting the offer. It’s much harder to leave a job that isn’t working out than to turn it down.
What happens if you don’t know where you fit?
Finding the right culture fit can be challenging, whether just out of college or looking forward to the next chapter in your career. You need to know yourself and where you shine. But it’s nearly impossible to be objective about yourself without outside validation.
Understanding your natural strengths is essential. Are you great at managing projects? Do you like working with people? Taking a career assessment test will help you clarify your natural skills and talents and give you words to succinctly describe to interviewers how you will contribute to helping the company reach its goals. Once you evaluate your strengths, leverage them in your job search. Use online tools like Glassdoor, Twitter, and even LinkedIn to view comments or postings about an organization you are considering. Tap into your network to get honest feedback about their experience working in the company.
Assessment Testing: Discover the Real You.
We provide a wide range of customized career assessments and exercises. These tools are your window into your true style, natural abilities, interests, skills, values, and personal motivators. The Life Working® Career Assessment Center can help you:
Understand your personality type, interests, innate talents, abilities, skills, and values.
Increase your confidence as you explore relevant jobs and companies.
Use the insights, language, and data from reports and related resources to help narrow and refine choices as you enter the next phase of your career discovery.
Once you finish our assessments, you will be able to clearly articulate how your superpowers align with your prospective employer’s mission and describe why your strengths and talents make you the best candidate. Communicating your unique value gives you a leg up on the competition. It puts you on the path to finding meaningful and fulfilling work and more profound career satisfaction.
“Understanding your professional values – and how they will fit into an organization’s culture – makes you more marketable from the standpoint of hiring managers,” Life Working® Founder and Certified Career Coach Wilma Nachsin said. "The career assessment process informs how you present yourself during an interview. It will help you clearly define what makes you the best candidate for the position you are seeking."
Understand your transferable skills and discover what makes you uniquely suited for your next dream job. For more information, visit the Life Working® Career Assessment Center, check out our career coaching services, resumes, and writing services, and schedule your free consultation or email explore@lifeworking.com.