I’ve been away for a couple of weeks, as some major changes happened in my life. For one, I decided to leave my job of 6 years. And to top it off, I also moved away from Gibraltar and travelled by car for over 3000 km. To say it was adventurous, would be an understatement.
As with any newly unemployed person, I began my search for a new job. I was lucky enough to be able to turn down several offers, including two in my beloved London. There is a saying ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ but I believe in a slightly different motto. Just as employers needs to pick the best candidates, you need to pick the best company to work at. Mark Twain said,
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.
I believe in that wholeheartedly. And so my search for the perfect company began. Below are just some things I made sure to do before saying YES.
Pros and Cons list. In my experience, most decisions are made easier with such list. And every job offers comes with both pros and cons. I usually take it a step further by assigning numerical values to each bullet on the respective column. Some things are more important than others and that should sway the scales in one way or another.
Ask the potential employer questions. There are tons of samples questions you can find online. Whichever are most suitable and important to you should be addressed at some stage of the interview process.
Imagine your ideal employer. It is much easier to know what to look for when you have a clear idea of what the perfect company looks and feels like. One of the most important things for me is the culture and values of said company and how those are brought to life.
Be prepared. This is a cliché but it is so for a reason. From knowing exactly what is on your CV to setting up the room for a video interview – every last detail counts.
Be yourself. 56% of candidates are dishonest about themselves during an interview. Trust me – there is no point in doing that. If you are hired based on lies, those will come to light very soon. And if you are not hired, look for ways to brush up the skills you are being dishonest about so that next time you can say with confidence you possess the knowledge the employer requires.
There are tons of websites out there with advice on how to find the perfect job, including great YouTube channels. I would not consider myself an expert but the above seems to have done the job for me.
I will be going on a summer vacation for the time being and will be back in September.
Do you have any tricks on how to find the perfect job?