In the ideal situation, the interviewer and the interviewee
are equally interested in finding a perfect fit. Look out for
yourself. Ask hard questions about work conditions, drawbacks,
and low points. If asked tactfully and backed up with research,
well-directed questions of this sort won't offend a responsible
interviewer. After all, a happy employee is going to be more
productive than someone who hates his job.
But if you choose unwisely the
first time, don't worry -- jobs are no longer forever. People
change careers nowadays about as often as their hairstyles.
Chances are, even the person who interviews you, if he or she
hasn't been living in a cave with blind fish, will understand
that you probably won't be with the company for life. Gone are
the days of the 1950s "company man" who signed up after college
and stayed on until he retired. Nevertheless, choosing a job
and career right the first time saves a lot of time and angst.
Vault.com offers
insider
company research on thousands of top employers. You can
also fill out an employer survey on Vault and quality to win
$500.
The following are some questions you'll want to answer, either
by yourself prior to the interview or during the interview,
to avoid ending up in the wrong position:
What are the hours?
If your research hasn't revealed
this already, you should ask if a job advertised as 40 hours
a week really takes 50 or 60 hours a week, or more. You have
a right to know how much you'll be working and should protect
yourself by asking in the interview whether or not this is truly
a 40-hour-a-week job. Interviewers should be honest with you
about this; it's information you need to know in order to make
a good decision. If you're going to be slammed with work from
nine to nine every day, it might not be worth it for you.
Pay?
Be aware that overeagerness to
ask about salary can make you look unprofessional. Asking about
salary while calling up to schedule an interview is a bad idea.
The best time to ask about salary is after you've gotten the
job, but before you've accepted. Even if money is your prime
motivation, wait till late in the interview to ask money questions.
Still, salary and other benefits
are important. Before you go in for an interview, think about
how much you need to make to live comfortably, and how much
you think you deserve to make, given the responsibilities and
your qualifications. You can find pay information at specific
companies with
Vault
company research.
What type of work will I be doing?
Before you go in for an interview,
think about which type of work environment suits you best. As
we saw earlier, different corporations develop different attitudes.
The atmosphere on the floor of the New York Stock exchange is
very different from a public library in a small town. Some jobs
require you to work with a team in order to produce a final
product, while you'll work in solitude in others. It's your
responsibility to find the environment that best suits you.
How long will I be here?
Before the interview, you'll also wish to think about your commitment
to the job. The interviewer will be concerned about how long
you will be able to stay with them. Are you looking for summer
employment between school terms, for a six-month experience,
a three-month internship, or a lifelong career path? In establishing
a career, consider that anything under a year does not constitute
a valid work experience to some employers. In many jobs it takes
six months just to get up to speed.
Are there walls?
When you go in for the interview, be alert to the work environment,
both physical and human. Pay attention to the way the company
gets its work done. Imagine yourself coming into that building
every day. Do people in the office wear Armani or Levis, DKNY
or Dickies? Do they crowd into cubicles or kick back in plush,
well-ferned offices? Is there a backslapping, good-ol'-boy,
"see the game last night, Joe?" feel to the place? Do the workers
seem happy or do they wander round the office like zombies?
Are there stains on the carpet, interesting art on the walls?
If you look at the interview experience as an opportunity to
gather as much information as you can about the company, you'll
have plenty of factors to sift through when it's time to make
a decision.
Big fish in small pond
or cog in machine?
How big a company do you want to work for? Will you be more
comfortable as a prominent player in an office where everyone
knows one another, or as a single, relatively unnoticed cog
in a massive corporate machine? Smaller companies are more likely
to offer flexible hours and vacation policies, and they may
offer more opportunities for immediate, diverse, and substantive
involvement. In addition, a smaller company may be a growing
company. It can be exciting to ride a company as it grows, to
watch and participate in the formation of its culture and lingo.
Smaller companies also tend to suffer less from bothersome bureaucracies,
so your ideas have a better chance of immediate implementation.
By the same token, it's difficult to hide in a small company.
Everyone will soon realize if you're not producing. It may be
more difficult for you to take vacation, or even a long lunch.
Small companies also tend to pay less and can't offer the benefits
of a larger firm. And especially in these consolidation-crazy
times, they're somewhat more susceptible to buy-outs and bankruptcy
than a big, established operation. Fortune 500 companies, on
the other hand, can usually afford higher salaries than smaller
places can. They also offer more comprehensive benefits, and
may offer a wider variety of potential places to live.
In the interview process, employees at small companies understand
that they don't have the name recognition of bigger places and
won't expect you to know as much about them. This is why it's
an especially good idea when interviewing with a smaller place,
to find out who they are and what they do. Make sure you thoroughly
check their web site, if they have one. At least research the
industry in which the company's involved if you can't find anything
more specific. Also, Vault.com's company
research provides insights into workplace culture at major
employers.
