All I Want for Christmas Is My Dream Job

As we approach the holidays, we all tend to be more hopeful, including those who are hopeful that they’re going to find the perfect job. The New Year brings the hope of a new start! But sometimes with hopefulness, we have a tendency to look at perceived opportunities through rose-colored glasses.

Let’s say you’re promised a great new job – Great title, pay, benefits, plus it’s close to home! What more could you want? But what happens if this new job ends up not meeting those expectations?

In this employee dominated market, many companies will do or say anything to entice you to accept an offer. They may become so desperate for an “A” player that they are willing to omit critical information, stretch the truth, or offer you more than they can give, all just to get you to say YES!

Our candidates are reporting these stories to us more than ever. We want to ensure all candidates in their job search are aware and know how to thoroughly research a company, so they make an informed decision on their next position.

Is the company financially fit?

Determine if the organization is financially healthy, or if there is talk of a merger or selling the company. If this was not disclosed during your interview, you’ll need to determine a strategy and ask yourself if you want to stick around or continue your job search.  Before interviewing, how can you learn more about the business? Try checking out their investor relations tab, reading annual reports, or researching the company on Google to obtain more information about their financial status. View the organization’s LinkedIn account and see if you know anyone that works there. If you’re interviewing with a start-up, check out their profile on “Crunchbase.”

What is the nature of the organization like?

A company’s website can be one of the best tools to use in your research. Their “About Us” section should showcase their values; while taking a look at their open jobs can give you another insight to what recruiting is like. Their social media is also a goldmine! For instance, do they post about new staffers or product launches? What’s the tone they take or the news that they share? These are all small, yet potentially mighty indicators of their true nature.

Are people sticking around or exiting?

If you’re already in a position, this could be a red flag surrounding the organization’s stability. Do you know why that colleague left? What does it mean for your role? What if this person was on your team and you are now left feeling mislead and confused? There’s also the chance that the new replacement and your working styles don’t match up. To avoid this, try utilizing LinkedIn to research the Hiring leader or other employees of the organization and how long they’ve been around. Glassdoor is another great tool to hear the truth about others experience and culture.

We hope to encourage all of our readers to do their part when in job search mode. When we speak with the candidates who have experienced this, they always blame themselves for not doing their due diligence.