Follow these tips when looking for a new job
So you’re looking for a new position and you found opportunities on the ADVANCE job board. But before you apply, you’re uncertain if these companies fit your lifestyle and career goals. How do you know if they’re the right fit?
The best way to figure that out is to follow these four simple steps. They’ll give you the insight you need and help you decide which employer is right for you.
Research Your Potential Employers
There are plenty of resources online where you can learn about top companies, including “best lists,” review websites, third-party websites and company websites. First, the “best lists,” such as Fortune and Forbes, will indicate the most desirable companies to work for in the United States. These are great for discovering unique, exciting employers you may not have heard of before.
General “best lists” are excellent sources of information, but they aren’t comprehensive. Not every company you’re interested in will be included on these lists. That’s when review sites like Glassdoor.com come in handy. They contain opinions written by previous and current employees about a wider range of companies. There you can find inside details on work/life balance, salaries, leadership and more.
Another method for researching companies is through third-party and company websites. A third-party website like ADVANCE Healthcare Jobs will list featured employers, along with detailed overviews, news and photo galleries. If you want even more information, you can visit the websites that belong to the companies that interest you. Those are the best places to explore company culture, work environment and benefits.
Establish Connections via Social Media
After developing a list of companies, you can find contacts at each one using social media sites such as LinkedIn or Facebook. First, LinkedIn has acompany tool that accesses a database of managers and employees. You can use this tool to find people who work at the companies where you’ve applied.
In addition to the LinkedIn network, Facebook has professional pages and groups that you can join. The ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory Facebook page, for example, is an excellent way to network with other nurses. You can meet other nursing professionals and discuss engaging topics.
Once you’ve interacted with employees and managers at your favorite companies, what happens next? Let your contacts know that you’ve applied for a position and send them your resume.
Ask Questions That Uncover Company Perks and Employee Satisfaction
Even after you get called in for an interview, you never stop learning about your potential employer. In fact, you stand to gain even better insight because you get to peek into the company and interact with employees in person.
You should always ask questions during an interview because this helps you gauge how happy employees are in their current positions. Some examples are:
- Why do you like working here?
- What’s been your best experience working at this company?
- Which manager do you admire the most, and why?
These questions will get your interviewers to speak openly about their company. If the answers are positive, that could be a great company to work for. On the contrary, you may want to reject any offers to work there if the responses you get are negative.
Tour the Facilities
During some interviews, you’ll be invited to tour the facility. This will show you firsthand how employees feel about working there. Do you notice people smiling, or are their heads down? Do people say hello when you walk by? Is the building decorated with colorful walls and bright lights? Or, is the place dim and bleak? You’ll be spending a large amount of your time in that work environment, so make sure you’ll enjoy it.
If you follow these four steps, you’ll have no problem determining which company is right for you.
