Friends! I’m kinda’ laughing at myself, right now. This journey of career change has reignited my quirky love for vision boards, spreadsheets w/ formulas and metrics. Now… there are many people who are over-the-top crazy about these wonderful little tools. I don’t think I hold a candle to them. But I do love a good at-a-glance spreadsheet that tells me I’m making progress… on pace… moving in the right direction.
As I submit resumes, write cover letters, send thank you emails and schedule interviews I track my progress on a trusty little Google sheet. (I heart google). I was using a pretty basic layout until a friend (WAY smarter than me) shared a great tool from themuse.com. I’ve made my own modifications, but generally use the “my progress” tab just as it was created.
My key modification is a second tab to track my research. You see, as I search for this next chapter of my career I want to know more about the organization in consideration.
Is it a good fit for me?
Will they offer the kind of work environment in which I can thrive?
What do others have to say about their experience in that organization?
When it comes to finding the best company to work for, these are critical questions to ask. Maybe the right job is offered… but is it with the right organization? That’s what makes the powerful step of research so helpful. As I’ve crafted and honed my tracking sheet, I’ve leaned on five key websites to help me ‘grade’ an organization. Maybe you’d find them helpful too. 🙂
- Glassdoor: A great resource for finding out what current and former employees have to say. You can get a sense of what the organizational culture is like, as well as the work environment.
- Indeed: This job search engine also offers employee reviews. You can search for a specific organization and see what others have to say about it.
- LinkedIn: It’s not just for networking. The key statistic I track here is the average number of years employees stay in the organization. When people choose to stay, there’s a good chance the culture is worth sticking around.
- Great Place to Work: I only just discovered this one. It’s all about identifying the best companies to work for. They conduct research and surveys to determine which companies are the best in terms of culture, benefits, and overall employee satisfaction. It’s trickier to search but when I find an organization of interest, the information is a gold mine.
- Comparably: This website allows you to compare different organizations in terms of salary, benefits, and company culture. You can see how one company stacks up against others in the same industry.
As I’ve tracked this information, I feel more empowered to know what organization could be a better fit for me. I already know when I’m responding to an email or talking with a recruiter which organization I might be willing to sacrifice on a benefit or two knowing the organization is worth my investment. i confess, I’ve never taken this approach before. And I wish I’d received that advice years ago.
So… my friends… (particularly those of you that are crazy smarter than me)… that leaves me with one parting question.
What website would you add to my list?
