What do candidates look for in a company?
Job seeking is actually the worst. It’s a pain in the wrong end and there are so many variables to consider when looking for one. You want one with the right culture, good people, and will cover the bills with some room left over as well. But what are the most important things to consider? What should you weight the most when looking for and accepting a new position? Studies show that the top four responses are money, locations, benefits, and reputation. Pretty reasonable, right?
1. Money:
With money, you want to make sure that it correlates not only with what you’ve been paid in the past but is in the direction you’d like to go. Obviously, with each new job, we would like to have a noticeable pay raise. But if that’s not an option with a new position, make sure you’re not settling for less than you deserve or are worth. Make sure the salary is something you can live with and alright with going into your bank account every month. And how much room does it leave beyond your expenses?
2. Locations:
As far as location goes, how’s the commute? Is it in a good part of town? Will you have to relocate? Location is often an overlooked portion of the job search as we just assume we’ll have a position nearby or in our preferred neck of the woods. But it can be a crucial part of your search and can often be a large hidden expense if not taken into account accordingly. Plus, who wants to spend their whole day commuting? I know I don’t.
3. Benefits:
With benefits, we often think about these when it’s too late. Do they offer health insurance? Does it cover what you need to cover? How about retirement? These can be scary things if not prepared for and you want to make sure that your company is providing you with an ample safety net as far as health, retirement, and more go. And it’s another assumption we often make that each company will have as decent benefits as the one before. But make sure you read the fine print and that you know what you’re getting into before you jump in.
4. Reputation:
And lastly, reputation-the bane of almost everyone’s existence. You want to be proud of the company you work for, or at least not want to hide in shame and cower in the corner. How do people react when you say you’re interviewing with x company or for y position? Gage those responses and see if it’s an acceptable one for you and what you want to achieve. Because as we all know, unfortunately, reputation can not only build you up and open doors but it can also burn bridges and be a cause for hardship as well if not taken into account.
All these factors and so many more go in to the job search. There’s no right answer to which you should place more weight on than the other but they’re all pretty important when considering a new position. Good luck!
