100 Career Tips
  • Home
  • Your First Job
  • Advance Your Career
  • Get Your Dream Job
  • Books For You
  • Ask Questions
    • Answers
  • About Us

Tip #2. What is the perfect job for me?

2/11/2016

3 Comments

 
Picture
You've read the Tip #1 and you still made a decision to move on. Now that the decision is made, the major challenge is to find the right one. It may seem that you know exactly what you need but you may be wrong for several reasons: the job you decide to seek is not right for you or you do not have the skills and experience needed to the job that you want. In either case, there are ways to course-correct. Let's review the scenarios, and in doing so, we will start from the reason why you decided to change a job.

1. The company is not financially sound, so either you decided to leave it yourself or you have been laid off. If there is a danger to be laid off, it's always best to start your search as soon as you become aware of the issue and not wait for further confirmation or until this actually happens. To act quickly, you have to be well prepared. In order to be prepared, you have to always follow the 4 simple rules:

- always keep your resume up to date and update it once a year or once a job-related trigger happens (promotion, certification, membership in a professional association);
- update your LinkedIn profile and maintain your connections, do not be shy to ask for references (my norm is two references from each place of work or position); thank people who recommend you, post links to your presentations, certifications, and awards; participate in LinkedIn forums;
- maintain professional relationships - via LinkedIn, meetups, luncheons, conferences, and other professional events;
- maintain certifications and membership in professional associations. Many employers will cover costs, but even if they do not, it is a norm today to invest in your own education and professional growth, even if you are a full-time employee and your employer does not have a budget for professional development. This happens a lot. I worked for a Fortune 13 company, which had a training budget of $5,000 total for a group of 30+ people, but even in this case, we were able to find an internal employee who was certified to teach an important and relevant certifications class, paid a licensing fee of $100 per person (below our budget) to a certification body, and we were able to train and certify everyone within the group. So there is an opportunity to come up with creative solutions, even if your budget is restricted. Do not save on education and stay up to date!

If you follow these four rules, the job search is an easy challenge for you. You reach out to your contacts informing them that you are ready for the next step in your career, share your updated resume and a link to your LinkedIn profile, apply to a few LinkedIn postings to test the market, make calls to a couple of recruiters who have been recommended to you or with whom you worked in the past, and start interviewing.

The most complex question though is how do you decide what you want.

2. You leave your job because it is not challenging enough and you do not feel that your skills and knowledge are growing. This situation is more complex. If your primary concern is learning and your ability to grow professionally, you need to understand the culture of any organization you will be applying to. If you are in IT, check if they run internal hackathons. Once you get to an interview, ask whether they have time and budget allocated to training and professional development. Check Glassdoor reviews. Talk to people you know over there. Do not assume that if a company is doing very well financially, they have training funds. We've observed multiple companies when the situation was completely opposite. In other words, research directly and indirectly things that are specific to you.

3. Check and confirm any information you receive. 100 (500, 1000) most creative (flexible, fast growing, best place to work) company lists and many other awards may apply to a company but not apply to you. I worked for a company which was continuously on the list of best 100 US companies with flexible work policy and you would assume that if you are looking for flexible work arrangements, this company is the best employer for you. This was an educational company and its instructors did in fact have significant flexibility. However, its full-time employees in Headquarters had 9-5 work day with the expectation of their presence in the office.

They had an ability to submit a three-page document to ask for a Flexible Work Arrangement such as working from home one day per week on a specific day, but it was painful. The application had to be reviewed and approved by your manager and then took a month to go through a committee at executive level. Some of those requests were approved, some were denied and I am not sure if there were an appeal process. I wouldn't necessarily call it the most flexible work policy, but the company was consistently on the most flexible companies list for many years in a row. So the advice is: if this is important to you, verify.

4. Reconcile title with the job description. This is another important advice. In many instances, you will get the title that you like, but your actual responsibilities will turn out to be very far from what you expect. You may say that all you need is a Director title and you may get it, especially in a smaller company which has no specific rules or restrictions, and then you will join to find out that you have a zero decision-making power and are expected to follow instructions coming from a manager who is the actual decision-maker in the area of your responsibility. Check the job description and make sure that you understand every line item, and if you do not, have a conversation about it before you make a choice to accept their offer. If a title is of a concern, find out how fast people are promoted in the organization and what their actual rules are (run away if the organization values seniority, stick with those that rely on employee skills, dedication, and hard work).

Compensation is another important aspect. While compensation alone is rarely a valid reason for a move, you need your basic "financial health" before you can appreciate the motivation that you new job brings you. If compensation is not in sync with your expectations, negotiate it and do not forget your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) - a course of action you are prepared to take if the negotiation is not successful.

5. Ensure that company values resonate with you. This criterion is frequently overlooked but it is in fact, one of the most important parameters in your job search. We are not talking about the list of nouns on company web site (Integrity, Compassion, Reliability. etc.) - every employer has an impressive list. The list from Enron is an example widely cited.

In its annual report to shareholders, Enron listed its core values as follows:
  1. Communication – We have an obligation to communicate.
  2. Respect – We treat others as we would like to be treated.
  3. Integrity – We work with customers and prospects openly, honestly, and sincerely.
  4. Excellence– We are satisfied with nothing less than the very best in everything we do. (Enron, Annual Report, 2000, p. 29).

However, multiple examples reveal that the culture stood opposed to these core values. Instead of reinforcing the code of ethics and the list of virtuous core values, the actions of leadership established a culture with values of greed and pride. And this is not the only example.
When you join a company, check the actual values that govern decision making. If you want to help other people, review their charity record. Check how they contribute to making the world a better place. Many companies even allocate workdays or funds to their employees to support charities of their choice.

If you want to change the world for the better, you may enjoy, for example, working more for an healthcare provider or an educational company with forward thinking rather than for a financial services company. If this does not matter to you, look for the values that resonate with you personally.

6. Find out whether the company has what you are looking for, based on your professional aspirations and career interest. Confirm that you have what it takes to be successful in the role that you chose for yourself. Consider job type: if you want to experience many companies and gain knowledge, check consulting jobs. If you care more about job security and are ready to stay with your new employer for a long time, choose a full-time permanent job.

Give a lot of thought to a company you want to work for. Maybe you value a short commute and you only have a few companies that are in close geographic proximity to you that you offer jobs in your area of expertise. Then think: what makes you happy at work. Is it the environment? ability to achieve career growth? ability to be noticed? For example, Google is an outstanding employer but if you are looking for a fast career growth and an ability to stand out, this won't be easy there or even fast. If you are overly competitive or looking for a promotion, Google has a complex system for self-nomination and subsequent reviews which will take time and effort. If you want to make an immediate impact, you may choose a smaller and less competitive organization where each individual is easier to be noticed or to provide a lasting impact. Don't let free lunch and weekly massage offered by many startups backed up by venture capital fool you into the environment that is not right for you.

On the other side, assess your skills. Calibrate you competencies by learning new skills, by interviewing with several companies that are not your first or second choice before interviewing with the ones where you can't wait to work, ask your interviewers questions about the skills you lack or need to build. Act upon that promptly by building the skills or calibrating your expectations. 

7. Ask! And most importantly, ask questions. Ask about a prospective employer, review Glassdoor reviews, LinkedIn postings, reach out to the individuals who are connected with you on LinkedIn, directly or indirectly. Verify any information that is important to you and never stay away from any opportunity to learn more. And in addition to that, remember that the best job is the one where you have been referred to. Invest in your research and you won't be disappointed in your next professional step.
3 Comments
Sandy Ratford
2/21/2016 05:47:51 am

Hi, this is great advice, I'll make sure I'll follow it step by step next time. Right now though I am about to change my job for the forth time in less than two years. And all of those have been full-time permanent jobs. In all cases, this has been my decision. I am a strong performer, and when I leave each job, both my managers and peers are sad I'm moving on. While I miss people, I am not sad at all. When I left the first job on this list, I made a "victory dance" which made my colleague who drove me to the airport laugh. When I left the previous one, I had to spend two weeks at home recovering from the enormous stress that came with it.

The reasons were all different (my full-time consulting job required 80% travel and it did work out with my family, the startup required 24/7 commitment which I was not ready for, my corporate job had a major restructuring which brought me an incompetent boss instead of a great one who hired me, etc.) but the result is the same. What can I do to make better departure decisions?

Reply
Mariya Breyter
2/21/2016 06:07:54 am

Hi Sandy,

The way it sounds to me, you have to learn how to make better "arrival" decisions than "departure" decisions. What do you want to achieve in your professional career? What is the trajectory you've designed for yourself? What are your aspirations and drivers?

This would be the first step for you. Spend some uninterrupted time self-analyzing. What does make you happy? Do you enjoy meeting new people and facing new challenges? Then a consulting job may be the answer, just make sure to negotiate ability to choose local clients before you accept an offer if this is what matters to you and your family. Many large consulting companies (and some smaller ones) will be very comfortable with such a compromise. Do you like getting into fine details and becoming an expert in your subject matter area? Then a corporate job with a reputable company would be an answer - just don't panic and leave after each reorg, because this is a feature of today's corporate world. Do you have entrepreneurial spirit and unlimited energy? Then a startup may be an answer.

Most importantly, if you did not have an answer before your started this journey, now you should. You have learned a lot in the last few years about yourself and things you will or won’t compromise. Hence, step 1: spend some time analyzing and finding out what you value in your professional life. Create your "career trajectory" with immediate and longer-term goals. Concentrate on what matters to you. If it is a title or compensation, ask yourself five "why's" discussed above. Why does the title matter to you? Would you be professionally happy if you have the title with no decision making abilities? Would money make you happy if you come every day to the job that you hate? If it is flexibility, look for a company that offers that. If it is being able to make a difference, look for an open-minded employer. Be honest with yourself - this is the exercise you do not need to share with anyone.

Now move on to step 2. As I mentioned, your focus should be "arrivals" not "departures". Select a list of companies you want to work for - specific ones or the type. Do not look elsewhere and make a commitment not to make any impulsive decisions. If you were able to find multiple jobs in a short time span, you are probably a good interviewee and a good specialist. Do not fear unemployment, fear poor employment choices. Make a commitment to make your next move a meaningful one. Ignore the distractions and move towards your goal. And good luck!

Reply
Hailey link
6/1/2022 01:14:07 am

Thanks for writting this

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About the Blog

    The difference between our career advice site and many others on this topic comes from the fact that it is not written by a career consultant who has limited experience with achieving career growth in a professional environment. This site comes from an industry expert who achieved career progression step by step and learned the lessons that are now generously shared with you.

    FREE CAREER ADVICE

    To see our answers to user-submitted questions: 

    Answers

    Archives

    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    Searching For A Job

    RSS Feed

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    * indicates required

Advice

Your First Corporate Job
Advance Your Career
​Get Your Dream Job
Career Coaching Library

About US

About Us

contact

Ask Us a Question
- Answers

Please Share

© COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
​Website designed by Max Shustef

Photos used under Creative Commons from Complete Interior Design, FunnyBiz, Tapas Ganesh, Complete Interior Design
  • Home
  • Your First Job
  • Advance Your Career
  • Get Your Dream Job
  • Books For You
  • Ask Questions
    • Answers
  • About Us