Did You Pick the Right One?

DID YOU PICK THERIGHT ONE?

Recruiting is often seen as a one-sided venture. Students are expected to go to the career fair and compete against their classmates and peers for the most money or the coolest experience. We all want to have the best job. What tends to fly under the radar, however, is the importance of finding a company that you want to work for. It’s not an easy task, but the right experience, the right environment, and the right values can have a huge impact on how well you are able to do, and how happy you are in that team. Understanding why it matters and how to find a great team is essential in the recruiting process.

Fit at a company is something that has been pushed into the realm of recruiting cliche. We can even see it in the movies, for example: The Internship, where the pursuit of “googliness” drives potential interns through a series of challenges in hopes of the dream job. In reality, the question of fit has less to do with hiring people that all have the same hobbies or prefer the color blue, rather a team built around the same values and expectations will go much farther in the long run. In September, Jon Bischke and Forbes talked about culture fit too often turning into a case of who the recruiter gets along with better. This is the wrong approach. It is good to be friendly at work, but these teams lack the diversity of opinions and thought that lead to successful outcomes. It is more important for a team to have core beliefs regarding things like an openness to new ideas or a commitment to failing fast.

As a student, how can you find a team and a company that aligns with what you value? That’s where the recruiting timeline can work to your advantage. Whether at the career fair or in the interview room, it is important to ask questions about where you will be working and what kind of projects you will be on, but don’t be afraid to embrace the interview and ask questions about their experience with a manager, or how much they have been able to learn during their time with the company.

Recently, Potential Magazine was fortunate enough to talk to two incredible people, Alexis Glick and Dev Seth. They had some great insight into what you want to be looking for in a team and in a company. Alexis shared with us she wants to see the team really be, just that, a team. She said, “Success is about building the team that can build the dream”. You should ask a question about exposure to management, “will I be able to interact with just my manager or people at ARTICLE all levels of the organization?” TITLE- for example.

Dev, who has experienced companies the size of Google and Instagram, as well as startups, commented on how the size of an organization plays a special role. Even companies that pride themselves on innovation and speed, at a certain point have to be very intentional as when they grow. A company with less than a hundred employees can move fast and fail quickly whereas at a place like Facebook a shift in platform or strategy has to be implemented on several levels and take into account the needs of a diverse set of constituents.

Try to understand if the company works as you do. It’s important to know that, in addition to free lunch on Fridays, you will be able to be productive in the environment that is set up. It is the later that will have a bigger impact on your career and the path that it takes. It’s hard to find your first job, but the with the right questions and a little work you can find a place that empowers you to kick a career off to a great start!