Joanna Jet, Negosentro | You don’t need to take a job because it’s offered to you — provided you have the luxury of choosing, that is. You spend the majority of your time at your job, and you deserve to work in a place that matches your core values. Find out how to know whether you’re working for the right company.
Test the Office Vibe
Office culture seems like a buzz phrase, but anyone who spends their days in an office setting will assure you that office culture is real. Every business has its own cultural vibe, and not all will fall on your wavelength.
To you, maybe the ideal office culture is laid-back, relaxed, and self-motivated. Someone else may consider that environment a nightmare. Fitting in at the office is critical to your success and your happiness. Miserable employees never last long. They either quit or get let go because they’re so unhappy that they can’t motivate themselves to complete their responsibilities. Before accepting an offer, spend a few hours at the office. Figure out whether the atmosphere feels right for you.
Compare Your Philosophies
Every company has a purpose, and so do you. It’s impossible to find happiness or success in a job that puts you at odds with your belief system. Working in a place that doesn’t inspire you is nearly as bad. This situation will breed indifference over time, an indifference which affects your work performance and your well-being.
The work you do has to have meaning for you, and it should have a purpose in general. This purpose doesn’t have to mean anything to anyone else — just you. The one question to ask yourself as you consider a position is whether you care about the work you’re doing and what the business does for the world.
Get to Know the Real Company
Visiting the place where you’ll spend most of your time has another benefit in addition to revealing the company’s culture. You can also separate fact from fiction. Regardless of whether you’ve applied to a nationally — or internationally — known company or a local business, it likely has a reputation. While reviews from current and former employees are helpful in making a decision, you have to do independent research to put together an unbiased view that includes perspectives from all sides.
Think about all the places of business about which you already have an opinion. You may have preconceived notions about a consumer services company such as Amway, for example, in spite of the fact that you’ve never actually worked there or talked to an employee. Amway is a beauty and health company that allows people to effectively become entrepreneurs. Jobs with this much flexibility are the future.
We have ideas about places that rarely represent reality. Seek an assortment of opinions about a specific business before you accept or turn down an offer. Each one is a color that allows you to paint a clearer picture of your possible future.
Estimate the Work-Life Balance
You can’t consider your job something separate from your private life because, for many people, the two are inextricably connected. Try as you may to leave work at the office, it sometimes sneaks into your home and your personal life. You need to make sure that it’s not the norm at a new job.
Naturally, you don’t want to find out that your boss expects you to work 10 to 12 hours a day even though you agreed to work eight hours a day. However, you also don’t want to take a position that negatively affects your personal relationships, your mental health, or your overall well-being. To that end, consider more than the job itself. What’s the commute like? Is working from home a possibility? Does your employer respect mental health days?
People accept jobs for hundreds of reasons — all of them individual and personal. Sometimes, you have to take a job because it’s the only offer you get, you need the money, or it’s convenient for your needs. You won’t always have the privilege to pick and choose, but when you do, then it’s in your best interest to accept a position that will ultimately make you happy.
