The job market has changed drastically since the previous generation was in the prime of their careers. Today, many workers stay at a company for only a few years before moving on. Part of that is due to a change in the job market itself. However, there are still certain skills employers look for, like loyalty, regardless of the job itself. You just need to make sure you are a great applicant. That process starts early on for you.
Starting to Prepare Yourself
Before you even start applying to companies, it’s a good idea to think about what you can do to make yourself a more desirable employee. One way of doing that is to think about the educational requirements for your field. You could enter some industries with only a high school diploma, but many will require at least an undergraduate degree. For some positions, you will need to have a master’s degree. If you are thinking about going to college, you can use a free scholarship search and application platform with personalized matching, as well as thousands of scholarships and grants available. You can build your profile to get matched and start applying for a scholarship.
Understanding Companies
It’s a good idea to get to know the company culture to see if you would be a good fit. It’s not just about the benefits and other compensation. You should make sure it’s a company you can see yourself working for over the next several years. You should be able to determine the company’s mission and goals to see if they are in line with what you are looking for. This information can also help you write an ideal cover letter when it comes time to apply. You will know what they stand for and what key words and phrase to include to show that you share their existing vision and mission.
Understand the business’ customers, such as which services or products are being sold to whom. Know about the organization’s key players as well, whether it’s a board member, manager, or company executive. This allows you to impress the interviewer so you can show why you will help them achieve their goals. While it’s important to know what the organization is doing well, you should also learn about the areas it struggles in. Look at reviews of the organization from customers and past or current employees. During your interview, you may even need to share what you think the company can do better with.
Going Beyond the Homepage
Besides the homepage and the company’s social media sites, you should also look more in-depth on the website to get to know the company even better. If the company sells products, you can look at the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website. And you might even try to get to a nearby location to check it out even further. And it’s a good idea to look at any publicly available financial disclosure statements. Besides looking in-depth at a potential employer’s site, you should also do some research on what information is available about yourself. Do an internet search to learn about what can be found about you online. It might be time to delete some old social media posts or accounts, although they may still be available for someone digging in-depth.
