The process of looking for a new job is quite seductive, especially when it comes to the application stage. When we see something we want to apply to we sometimes fall in love with the idea of the job title, salary package or amount of international travel. The seductiveness of a role can sometimes blind us to the fact that it’s not the right job for us. If you walk into the wrong job, you’re going to be unhappy. It’s just a question of how long it’ll take for you to realise how unhappy you are. The sooner you see the signs that a job you’re applying to is wrong for you, the better.
Here are a few examples of such signs:
1. Recruiter Doesn’t Say Much About The Organisation’s Individuals
If you’re job hunting with the help of recruitment agencies, don’t just assume that every vacancy they pitch to you is right for you. Always remember that a recruiter isn’t necessarily there to boost your career by putting your needs first; they put employers first in order to earn commission. You should pay particular attention to what an agency says about an employer’s existing employees – if anything at all. A recruiter might brief you on everything else to do with the organisation but if they haven’t had any particularly positive experiences with the people who work there, they won’t want to say too much about them. If this is the case, that speaks volumes about what it would be like to actually work in such a place.
2. Employer’s Response to Your Application
If you get a response from an employer you’ve applied to that’s always good but there may be something about the tone of the reply that doesn’t resonate with you. If there’s something you just don’t like about the response, trust your gut instinct and think hard about whether you really want to accept the invitation to the interview or assessment.
3. The Feeling You Get When You Visit
When you get to the point of going to meet an employer, how do you feel when you arrive? How good is the person meeting and greeting you at putting you at ease? You can tell a lot from just walking into a company’s reception. Think about the level of respect the receptionist shows you when you arrive, because they really should be respecting everyone who walks in, regardless of who they are and what they’ve come for. They should be making you feel that you’re important to them, whoever you are.
4. The Way You’re Treated During the Interview
If you’re not treated well during the job interview, that doesn’t bode well for the actual job. After all, the employer should be trying to sell itself to you just as you’re selling yourself to it. Its employees should be persuading you that this is the right place to work just as much as you’re persuading them that you’re the right person for the job. You know you’re being treated right in an interview if it takes place in a comfortable and presentable room, you’re offered something to drink and the interviewer is prepared.
5. How the Conversation Goes
In the interview, did you feel that learnt what you needed to? Was the interview rushed? How did the interviewer behave towards you? Did they bother following up afterwards?
Once you put these different elements together you’ll know whether a specific job is likely to be the right one for you.
Source: http://bit.ly/2qCfexM
