The Flip Side

In one respect the tried and true job search process hasn’t changed. There are still people out there pounding the pavement in search of an employer who will hire them. That will probably never change.

What has changed – and is changing – is that job seekers are doing a lot more investigating of employers to determine if that’s the kind of place where they want to work. Back in the day, most people were willing to accept any job just to get a paycheck. Today, job seeking has become much more sophisticated… and selective.

One hears a lot today about company culture. Does that employer have a culture where you will feel comfortable and where you will be able to do your best work?

But that’s just one aspect of the search. Today’s digital age offers job seekers mountains of information on potential employers that was unimaginable 20 and 30 years ago.

Just accessing the basic, most obvious sources can provide insights into a workplace that previously would take a couple of years to acquire – from within. Google. LinkedIn company searches. Glassdoor. And more, all offer insights into companies that some insiders may not have.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that, with all this information at your fingertips, who are you to believe? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. The best advice that we can give to look at the consensus. What are most of the people saying? One negative comment may not be enough to tarnish a potential employer.

Of course, there is an old marketing adage that says that best advertising is word of mouth. In a sense, the same holds true here. And where can you get the most reliable information on an employer? Most likely, through networking.

And, isn’t it funny that virtually all job seeking advice out there always seems to include networking as one of the core components of a job search. And now you have one more reason to know why.