What’s your ideal job? That’s a question our Recruiters pose to candidates 15-20 times a day.
The answers usually revolve around the role itself: software/technology, level of responsibility, size and scope of projects, and leadership or advancement opportunities. Other answers usually have something to do with the kind of company (industry, size, market presence), and salary and location usually come up as well.
One factor that doesn’t come up as much that in my mind is equally as important as any of the previously mentioned factors is the people you are working for and with. Do your (potential) supervisors, company leaders, and co-workers share your values? Are they genuinely committed to your success, their success, and the success of the company? Will you be joining a group of people with a strong work ethic and positive attitudes (like you)? These things are every bit as important to your overall job satisfaction, and ultimately your success, as the technology you use or the size of the projects you manage.
That’s why a critical part of our process when we start working with a new client or new team is to come out to their office, meet with the hiring manager in person, and get a feel for the office culture and personality types of the team members. That, combined with meeting our candidates in person and getting a feel for their personality, gives us the ability to place candidates in environments where they will enjoy who they work with as much as what they do. Simply matching a resume to a job description rarely results in a successful long-term hire, but rather it is the ability to find the person with the skills as well as the personality and career goals that match with a team’s dynamic that makes a placement successful.
What about you? Do you enjoy what you do AND who you do it with? It’s amazing how much the second can influence the first, i.e. if you really enjoy the people you work with, it can make even the least favorable of tasks a lot of fun. I would shovel manure in July in South Georgia with the people at Prestige, and it would still be fun. The reverse can also be true – have you ever played golf with a bunch of jerks?
A message to all the 2013 grads (or anyone looking for a career change) – if you’re like I was, you’re probably just now starting to think about what you want to do in a career. As you’re interviewing and discussing career paths with potential employers, you’re undoubtedly going to be thinking about what you’ll be doing in your new job, but don’t forget to pay close attention to who you’ll be doing it with. It can make all the difference.
