Mel Schnapper Associates, Inc. 2411 West Fitch Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60645 Tel: 773-973-0791
How to avoid bad job choice?
Check, check., check
By Carole A. Carmichael
Careers editor, Working, Chicago Tribune, Monday, May 10, 1982
JOBSEEKERS, WHETHER they're executives or clerks, very often make the mistake of accepting a job offer and then finding out that they've hitched up with the wrong employer.
With white collar and professional un-employment steadily on the rise, many jobhunters are reversing traditional priorities and grabbing the first offer that comes along with little assurance that it's the right one.
How does jobseeker ensure the right fit? It all boils down to one thing: research. It may be as simple as talking to people or using library reference sources, but job counseling experts stress the importance of getting an accurate picture of the field you're seeking to enter or the company you're considering joining by directly asking questions in an interview or using indirect channels.
"FIT IS IMPORTANT," said Mary Cole Meyer, President of Chesire Ltd., a management consulting firm based in Wheeling.
"Most of us like security, but no one has taught the individual how to fit him or herself into the company," she said, "We sit on the edge of our chair and g1ve our power away as though we have no choice. If I as an individual know how to interview, and the recruiter has been trained, we can make a long-term agreement which is more reliable and satisfactory to both of us."
Elisa Freiden, an information specialist, suggests using a library to track down needed information on a specific field and particular employers.
"Researching the company before you interview or send out a resume is important so that you can target which portion or division of the company you'd be most interested in, especially when you're seeking to work for a Fortune 500 company that has so many divisions," Freiden said.
In addition to reading newspaper and magazine articles, consulting directories and examining annual and 10K reports, Fieden said, research also involves con-tracting present employees, former employees and people who do business with the company.
"DON'T BE AFRAUD to talk to people," she said. "It will be through people that you obtain job information. One way is networking through established civic or professional organizations, or attending seminars and workshops in that field.
"Another way is talking to people who frequent restaurants and cocktail lounges near the organization, either during lunch, or after work. By being an 'innocent' bystander you can glean a lot of information.
"One woman told me she rides elevators in major Chicago buildings in the mornings to listen to conversations which may end up in job opportunities."
Even executive recruiters research their client companies and make sure they're well aware of all the dark sides of the organizations before they go out in search of candidates.
EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES are another source. "Ask then if they know any-thing about the company and that you're considering it," she said. "They'll be happy to give you some information.
"News travels fast on good as well as bad companies. If you tell people that you're thinking of working for a particular firm, they very often know some of the intimate details or they know someone who knows someone.
"From an internal point of view, even if you’re going in for an interview or to fill out an application, you may have a chance to sit in the cafeteria. Or as you walk down hallways, listen to the kinds of conversations that are taking place. You have to do it more than once. One experience doesn't tell you whether this is good or bad."
Meyer also suggested using open ended questions during the interview. These are questions that will never give you a yes or no answer but will supply you with information.
A SAMPLE OF SUCH questions include: In what ways do you use the people who have been trained by this company? In what ways do you see that there's opportunity for growth? How have you applied the unique skills of individuals in this organization?
What happens if you 'make a bad choice?
"Right now, you'd be smart to stick with it, because the economy is so poor, and you don’t have many available options." Meyer said.
Mel Schnapper, president of a Chicago-based management consulting firm that bears his name and specializes in workshops for career changers, said it’s best to admit to yourself immediately that you, have made a bad choice.
"Whatever the reasons were, you got inadequate data," Schnapper said. "Share this decision with your current boss and say, 'I may have misunder-stood, but this doesn't seem to be the, place to offer the career opportunity I expected.'
"Your boss may realize you were deceived and may try to make up for it by transferring you into another department. If it's not the right place for you to stay, and it's early enough, he'll probably support your exiting to spare everyone any trouble."
