Change the Way You Job Hunt to Find the Perfect Fit

By Samar Birwadker

To be honest… job searching sucks, and we get it. It’s stressful, overwhelming, time-consuming, and downright difficult to find THE perfect job. Hunting down the “ideal job” FIT for YOU is like finding a needle in a haystack. However, what if we brought the pot of gold to you? We're here with the rainbow and the gold! We’ve released the next generation of job searching in an easy-to-use application.

How can you ensure you’re finding the best jobs for you? We put together a list to help you out:

Step 1: Ideal Work Environment

Have you asked yourself what your ideal work environment would be? You’ll want to think back to past jobs and the environments you experienced while you were there. What did you love about them, and what did you hate? Did you thrive or fail in those? Culture plays a huge part in your everyday work life; if it doesn’t match your personality or align with your strengths to help you be successful, it’s going to make your job much more difficult and push your motivation straight to rock bottom.

To avoid this, research and find information about the company culture, teams, and their overall mission. One way to do this is through employee reviews via Glassdoor to help get an insider perspective. Keeping in mind not all of them will be good, and everybody has a different experience but it can give you a good starting point. Don’t just rely on reviews, but head on over to the company’s social media pages and get a feel for their overall company personality. If you go to the company website first, you are likely to find all their social media channels to explore. Don’t just stop there though, watch their company videos and check out if they have any people posts to showcase their employees and their culture.

After you’ve applied and are starting the interview process, discover what you would need to do to be successful at the company. During your interview, ask questions their company culture and leadership style. Understanding how they lead their teams and manage the company can be a make or break decision for you depending on how you like to be managed.

Step 2: Compare & Contrast

Who doesn’t love a good goal list? There’s no better way to help you match up with the right company than comparing your personal goals with their company goals and mission statement. Start by making a list of all the personal and career goals you have, big or small.

Next make a list of priorities you want from an organization, such as volunteer opportunities, remote working, or unique benefits (i.e. beer cart Fridays, WFH, unlimited vacation). Having this written out and in front of you when you’re searching for and selecting the company you want is crucial. It helps you identify and quickly eliminate any companies not fit for YOUR needs. Remember, you want to ensure the company you’re going to work for aligns with your goals and requirements, otherwise, their environment can negatively impact you and your quality of work.

So what are some things you might want to look for in a company? Take a look:

Career Growth:

• Promotions
• Support to explore new departments
• Leadership opportunities

Continuous Development:

• Skills training courses
• Leadership classes
• Tech training
• Conferences
• Soft Skill learning

Unique Benefits:

• Flexible schedules
• Working remotely
• Happy Hours
• Gym Memberships
• Paid volunteer opportunities
• Unlimited PTO

Step 3: Company Persona’s

By now, you’ve identified a good amount of information from your research and lists, but it doesn’t stop there. You want to dig deep if you’re going to make the leap towards your dream job. Understanding the company’s beliefs and values is crucial. Some companies are quantity driven and money hungry while others are people driven and will focus on taking care of their employees who in turn will take care of their customers. Ask yourself, what type of company do you want to work for and which one will you succeed in? Take a look at some of these company personas you can identify with to help you decide:

Timeless Empire

Work Style: Disciplined

Motivation Style: Reputable

Structure: Stable

Like any functional diplomatic entity, it’s characterized by a strict structure with a clear line of command and a firmly defined division of roles and responsibilities. This company combines high-quality work, attention to detail, and clear organization to achieve success. A systematic approach to work is encouraged, to help produce consistent results and maintain its reputation.

Intergalactic Explorers

Work Style: Enterprising

Motivation Style: Determined

Structure: Responsive

Creative, social, and innovative, Intergalactic Explorers never travel at less than warp speed. A competitive and dynamic environment with a strong focus on personal achievement, it is an ideal culture for those who are proactive and agile in their thinking. High levels of creativity and drive are expected in these companies.

Shiny Happy People

Work Style: Progressive

Motivation Style: Nurturing

Structure: Egalitarian

A truly progressive company, the Shiny Happy People live up to their name by balancing support for employees with cutting-edge innovation. Treated with fairness and respect, employees are given a voice and strongly encouraged to cooperate and experiment with new approaches. Collaboration and a person-oriented perspective make this organization the shiniest, happiest bunch around.

The Alchemists

Work Style: Inventive

Motivation Style: Proficient

Structure: Calculating

Balancing an efficient organizational process with an openness to new ideas, Alchemists emphasize on high product quality. Within the framework of a structured environment, Alchemists value employees who are not afraid to take risks and seize opportunities. Those with the creativity to turn the raw materials they’re given into gold will thrive.

Don’t see your ideal company above? No worries, you can explore the rest of these company personas and find out where you belong!

Job hunting shouldn’t be a daunting task. Taking the steps above, creating lists of what you want from a company, and learning how to research them before you accept a role is crucial. Determining where you fit in will help you become more successful in your future role and ultimately land you in your dream company.

This article was originally published on the Good&Co Blog.

About Samar:

Driven by the goal to help the American workplace become happier, healthier and more efficient for both employees and employers, Samar Birwadker cooked up the concept for Good&Co in 2012. As CEO, he has led diverse teams of technologists, designers, and researchers to drive breakthrough product innovation – a role that aligns perfectly with his Good&Co Persona: an innovative blend of the Maverick, Visionary, and Go-Getter. He is responsible for scaling the company after it was acquired by Axel Springer GmBH in 2016.

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