In most cases, a candidate will do very little evaluation on a prospective employer beyond some moderate research to prepare for an interview. However, in limiting their research, a candidate may be preventing themselves from making fully informed career decisions. Instead, a candidate should view a prospective employer as they do any unknown entity, and conduct a well thought out evaluation before making any decisions.

Evaluation Steps for Candidates

Contact Your Network

Contacting first and second-degree connections can be an excellent way to find either current or former employees of a prospective employer. Utilizing this approach, a candidate can get first-hand information directly from people familiar with a potential employer.

Review the Company’s Website Carefully

The second place to go for information on a prospective employer is their website. However, when doing this research, go beyond the superficial. Don’t gloss over their site but take an in-depth look. Study the biographies of company officers, current, and past work projects, and company blogs. Gather information and take notes in preparation for your next step, more in-depth research.

Research their Clients and Subcontractors, along with their Top Competitors

With your research gathered from a prospective employer’s website, it’s time to add more sources. Head to sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor to research company officers, clients, and subcontractors.

While looking at a prospective employer’s overall business, it’s essential to include top competitors. Evaluating competitors allows a candidate to better gauge the actual market of their potential employer. This information can help a candidate feel assured that they are making a sound decision.

Use Social Media

When researching a prospective employer, social media is an invaluable resource. In a social media search, look not only at an employer’s official accounts but also to platforms run by current and former employees (found via LinkedIn). When browsing the official accounts of a prospective employer, how do they interact with followers and what is the tone of their comments? Are they respectful, cold, or superficial? Concerning accounts run by current or former employees, zero in on reviews, complaints, and workplace concerns. However, keep in mind to not read too much into negative reviews by former employees since these can be biased and come from a place of resentment.

Contact a Professional Recruiter

The best way to get honest, in-depth information on a prospective employer is to contact a recruiter. A professional recruiter knows industry employers in their market. A recruiter can best gauge if a potential employer is a good match for a candidate and may even be able to connect a candidate with a current employee of a prospective employer.

Moving Forward

For candidates to make informed career decisions, it is essential that candidates research, review, and evaluate all prospective employers. By doing in-depth research, a candidate can begin a relationship with a potential employer with their eyes open. If a candidate still has questions regarding a prospective employer, it’s best to reach out to a professional recruiter. At Open Systems, we have the market knowledge and industry connections to help our candidates succeed in their job searches. Contact us today to learn more.

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Before starting to circulate the resume and hit the job boards, it’s best to do a self-inventory on strengths and weakness not only with your resume but your overall career and profile.

Networking

Like it or not, networking is critical in professional development. Activities can include attending seminars and conferences. Also, social functions, such as happy hours and mixers, can also be valuable. If a job seeker isn’t a natural at networking, there are several books available to help an introvert job seeker tap their full networking potential.

Adding Certifications to Your Resume

While adding certifications to your resume isn’t easy or inexpensive it can add significantly to a resume. Look at job openings in your field to get a better idea of required versus preferred certifications for your next role. This research will go a long way when looking at the time and financial investment that certifications require.

Establishing Your Online Brand and Cleaning-up Your Online Profile

LinkedIn, whether you love it or loathe it, is a tool widely used in business today. Ensuring your profile puts your best foot forward is crucial when navigating the waters of social media. First, invest in a professional headshot. Your profile photo is one of the first things recruiters see and leaves a lasting impression. Also, spend some time cleaning up your profile and ensure that it is free of typos or grammatical errors. Finally, doing a quick google search of yourself isn’t a bad idea either. Make sure that your social media identity doesn’t contain anything that can be offensive or polarizing. Remember, if you can find it, so can employers and recruiters!

Using LinkedIn to Make a Competition Comparison

Another great way to use LinkedIn is to compare your resume with peers and with people in the jobs that you aspire to. Spend some time researching profiles and getting a good idea how people in your industry mapped their own careers. Use their experience as inspiration for your own career path.

Volunteering Your Time to the Greater Good (and improving skills too!)

In today’s business world, there is an emphasis on giving back to the greater good. If a candidate has existing volunteer experience, this is a huge plus. This is especially true since many corporations encourage their employees to volunteer their time and have well-established programs to ensure this. Also, if this volunteer work expands a candidate’s skill set all the better!

Brush Up on Skills and Read Industry Journals to Stay Current

Self-study is inexpensive and can be done around your daily life. If you are a programmer, take some time to improve your existing language skills or learn others. Stay on top of current developments in your field by using your daily commute to listen to podcasts or read blogs or other trusted online publications if your commute allows it. Not only will this serve as a valuable resource in your current role, but it is excellent preparation for future job interviews.

Establish a Relationship with a Professional Recruiter

For every professional in today’s business world, it’s best to establish a relationship with a professional recruiter. Even if a job search isn’t in the plan in the near term, a recruiter can help prepare a future candidate for when the time comes to consider new opportunities. It’s best to reach out to a recruiter who has experience in your industry and/or job role.

Moving Forward

Staying ahead of other candidates can feel like a full-time job. Spending a little time each day to brush up on skills or stay current with industry news can be a huge help. Also,  teaming up with a professional recruiter can be one of the best strategies for staying ahead of the pack.

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