Researching employers

Are you looking for a job, or a career? A wage, or a way to improve your life? Don’t worry, I’m not about to get all philosophical on you right now, but I do want to talk about the importance of researching employers, and how a little research can go a long way to helping you end up in a happy place.

Its great to get focused on writing your CV, and making applications. If you do this you join that club of people who are actually doing something to get their lives moving, so congratulations. However in doing so, make sure that you are pointing yourself in the right direction. The future will go on for a long time.

There is no point climbing a ladder if its up against the wrong wall

Look around you at work. It seems to me like there are lot of square pegs in round holes. A lot of people whose skills, abilities, and personality don’t match with their line of work, or the people they work for. If this is the wrong career than maybe these people need a career change, but the wrong employer should be more easily remedied. Of course the best way is to get the right employer in the first place. That is why researching employers as part of your job search is important. In fact you should consider what type of employer you want to work for when creating your job search blueprint.

Your job search objectives

Your job search objectives are your destination, and the work you do, in researching, writing your CV and interview preparation is the road that will take you there. Researching employers will help you make sure you are inspired by where your heading. The more inspired you are, the more you will be willing to do what is required, to pay the price for the success you want.

Generally if people lack motivation its because they don’t really believe in the outcome they are heading for. (offer them a million, and you’ll see enthusiasm for sure) so make sure where you are heading is compelling. Decide the type of company you want to work for, and judge the job opportunities you see against this gold standard.

What do you really want to do, and who with?

Who you work for matters. Did you ever hear that one about how you become the average of the five people you spend the most time with? The chances are, most of those people are in your workplace. Is that scary to you? The better your fit with the employer, the happier you will most likely be. Look before you leap!

You can usually build up a broad picture of an organisation over the internet, in terms of its size, business practice and mission statement (but don’t take this too seriously though, unfortunately many of these statements, grand as they are, have little to do with life “in the trenches”). However if you get the opportunity take the chance to talk to people in the industry who work there, or with them, grab it. It can be really insightful.

One of the best ways to research an employer is carrying out an informational interview. You can find out all more about the informational interview right here.

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