Once you’ve made sure that your chosen industry is the right place to conduct your job search, it’s time to figure out which company’s door to knock upon. In order to make the right call, you need to learn as much as possible about each potential employer.
In the category of “things you need to know,” you’ll find the following key questions, to which you should have all the answers before sending out your resume:
- How big is the company?
- What is the firm’s growth potential?
- Has there been any recent news regarding the company?
- What is the culture of the company like?
- What kind of management style has this firm adopted?
- Are there any policies particular to this corporation?
- How is this business perceived by the public at large, as well as by its peers?
- How profitable is this company?
When you take the time to do the research on companies before you apply to them, you can ensure that you won’t be blindsided by anything that might be included in a job offer down the line.
Sometimes, your research may uncover that, in order to work for one of the better companies within an industry, you will need to relocate. If that doesn’t fit into your plans, then be sure to focus your attention solely on companies that are geographically tolerable to your current situation.
That a firm has a lot of name prestige is not enough reason for you to waste your time as well as theirs if you don’t have any real intention of working for them. You may think that it’s a good thing to be able to say that you turned down a job offer from a Fortune 500 company, but while that provides you with a temporary ego boost, it really doesn’t get you any closer to long-term employment.
If you need an experienced resume writer and career coach to help you advance to the next level, I can help you craft a game plan and a resume to get you to your goal.