Many times, job seekers will make very quick decisions as to which firm they accept a job offer at only to find themselves unhappy shortly after starting with the company. The majority of the time, it is not their fault.
For many applicants it can be difficult to differentiate the great firms from the subpar companies because they must form their thesis based upon a limited amount of interviews and even less interaction with most of their future co-workers and / or managers.
Despite the difficulty to recognize these nuances, there are some concrete signs which will inform you whether you may be about to accept a job at a firm that you will not enjoy or if you are about to make the right employment decision.
Keep an Eye Out for These Qualities in a Company
Knowing that you will have limited time and interaction with the interviewers, you must take it upon yourself to make the most of your time to determine if you are about to accept a job offer at a bad company. To ensure that this is not the outcome, look for the following:
1. The people whom you have met are intelligent.
While you don’t need to be working with individuals who possess genius IQ’s, you are more likely to be happy in an environment that is comprised of smart employees, thus making the environment intellectually stimulating and one that fosters learning.
Additionally, intelligent people tend to make more money than a group who is less smart. This is not always the case, but the odds are with the group who possesses a higher IQ.
2. Do you like the management of the company?
Whether you like the firm’s senior leaders can be measured in two ways:
a. Do you like them as people? a.k.a. from what you know about them, the individuals seem to have integrity, care about the well-being of their employees and, more or less are likeable people.
b. Do they possess strong leadership skills? The best companies have great leaders and you can decipher them from the average manager very quickly by assessing such things as self-confidence, industry knowledge and an optimistic attitude.
3. Would you buy their product or service?
If you don’t believe in your potential employer’s product or service and, from your perspective see no rational need for it in the marketplace, you are going to lack passion at your job and this will result in long, not stimulating and morose days at the office.
Prior to accepting a job, make sure that you can buy into what they are providing. Either you’re going to have to be a believer, or you’re about to accept a job offer at a bad company.
4. Will you be happy with their compensation structure and does that number show that the firm appreciates you.
The only thing worse than being underpaid is being under appreciated. While you don’t have to be the richest person in the office, your new employer should provide you with what you feel comfortable living on. If they don’t, try not to take it personally and politely decline the job offer.
It doesn’t look good when you have to quit a job and your resume shows that you have bounced from position to position on a frequent basis. Therefore, be meticulous and patient before accepting the right job offer. It can mean the difference between a happy career and a regretful one.
