I was recently asked how to determine if a company will be the right fit for you. It’s a great question, and one that isn’t always easy to answer perfectly. Here are my thoughts:
Let the internet work for you (with a grain of salt): Sites/apps like Glassdoor, Comparably, and Indeed are full of employer reviews. These can be enlightening but it’s worth noting you should use your judgment; we all know disgruntled folks who take to the internet at the smallest slight. My advice is to look at the themes - are all the negative reviews saying the same kind of thing? Are the negative reviews clustered around one part of the business (for example, field sales when you’d be working in engineering)? Do the positive reviews go into detail?
Let the internet work for you, part two: Google the company. Search Google News for recent articles. If the company is a startup, investigate sites like Crunchbase to check in on their funding status. Do they have a lot of runway or are they running out of money? Are they on the verge of an IPO? Who are their investors? These things may or may not matter to you, but they’re worth noting.
Ask around: Use your network! Search LinkedIn to see if you have connections at the company. Maybe you don’t, but you have second-degree connections you can speak with. Don’t be afraid to ask a first-degree connection to match you with someone in their network. Perhaps you can find a former employee who did a role similar to the one you’re going for; they may be happy to answer questions about their experience. If you’re serious about a job, ask your recruiter or hiring manager to set up conversations with employees to help you learn more. A lot of people are happy to talk with prospective new coworkers!
Listen: Remember that an interview isn’t just for the company to assess you; it’s also a chance for YOU to assess THEM. Again, pay attention to themes. Something that’s important to me is a job where everyone enjoys working with each other, so I listen for statements like, “I love working with this team,” or “The people are what keep me excited to come to work every day” — or the absence of those statements. A friend once interviewed somewhere that referred to the culture as a “pressure cooker” and instantly knew it was not a match. There’s a quote that says, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them,” and I think that applies to companies as well. Ask your honest questions, and really listen to what they are - and are not - saying when they answer.
Use a checklist: I’m a list-maker, so I like to make a list of my deal-breakers and nice-to-haves. Really think about what you’ve liked in past jobs (and what you’ve hated). Think about what would really, really thrill you to find in your next role or company. Throw it all on paper then go through and pick out which are absolute requirements. Note which you could go without in the right circumstances. Your list won’t give you the answers, but gives you a starting point on what you need to find out. Use this to measure companies against as you interview.
Trust your gut: At a certain point, you have to trust yourself. Sometimes, a job might seem great on paper but you’re just not excited. You don’t gel with the people, you don’t like the tech stack, or you don’t care for the product. That’s okay! Sometimes circumstances mandate that we take whatever job we can get, but if you have the luxury of time, it’s perfectly fine to hold out for the right fit.
Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash