In search of an ideal job

10 tips on how to find and get into a company that perfectly fits you

The main cause why I’m writing this story is rather simple — during last 5 years, I had plenty of interviews for different variations of a designer position. I had such interviews from the middle to the senior and lead levels. In the IT scope and advertising agencies. I had them in 3 different European countries. I also was on the other side, having interviews with UI/UX designers and illustrators, trying to find out, if they can suit my current company and me personally as a team-lead as well. So yes, I’m the man, who can talk with you about the interviews, perfect company and employment process.

The main reason why there were so many interviews on my path is that I had never afraid to say “no”. Especially to myself. And the second one is that I always wanted to find a place under the sun. Thus, I was realising that this company does not fit me — I just quit and continued to find another place, where I can feel myself useful and where I can understand, that my job is not only about making money. I have succeed in this and this is how it was.

Money or happiness?

So, here is the first thing you should answer to yourself — what can move you forward in this search? Do you even need this kind of search? I mean, if your main target is making money and your salary is the only criteria of your success, then you can just stop reading this because you are going to waste your time. Or maybe you feel, that your job is not quite right for you in general. Then you will need another search — the search for your interest and profession. This could be a real problem during the entire life. I know several persons, who have found themselves and their interests only at the age of 40. Only then they started to feel happy with their jobs. This is also kind of normal I think. But this story dedicated to those, who know exactly that his or her profession was chosen right, and who is passionate about what they do. The question for them is mainly “how to do?”.

One day I understood that I’m not going to be happy having a high salary only. My job is the only way to make something that can matter, to leave something after death. Except children maybe — this is a guarantee to leave something great after your death. So I set up a mission for myself as “to make the world better”. And only after 8 years of my career and 5 years of active search, I’m able to build a plan of how can I do that. However, I don’t have any assurance, that this plan is going to work well. But I have something to work with now.

So don’t be afraid to change your life. Every change is a change for a better future. Every.

In case you have decided to change your job and to find that place that will fit you as a professional and will make you feel more useful, or you just got a proposal for an interview from one company and you want to prepare — here are some rules you can follow to be sure, that you are going to make a right choice.

1

Tell the truth and only the truth

You should give only the truthful answers to every question. Even you are very interested in this position and you want to do everything just to get it — don’t lie about yourself, your opportunities etc. to your future employer. An atmosphere of a full confidence between you and your employer will be a foundation of your long-term cooperation. Even one small lie and that’s it! You will get a crack, which will be very hard to fix.

2

Be afraid

Are you nervous before the interview? I’m always nervous. It’s because I’m a strong introvert, and every test makes me nervous. Remember, that this is not bad. This is a stress, which has a different level for the various kind of persons, but anyway, it’s a tool, which helps your organism, body and mind to operate with a full power. It is good to be afraid. Besides, from my own practice, I can say for sure, that a too confident person can irritate much stronger than a person who is heavily influenced by stress.

3

Make a test on a humanity trait

Even you are a young junior and especially if you are a young junior specialist — you may ask for a cup of tea or a glass of water at the beginning of your talk. The reaction will show, what kind of person your future boss is. Will he bring you that personally, ask somebody to bring you, or will tell you, where you can find it after the interview. Try to ask him/her questions, which can make you sure, that you will not hate your boss till the first weekend.

4

Make a clear image of what kind of specialist your new company/employer want to get

Nowadays there is a lack of good specialists in the IT scope and a real race for hunting them between the IT companies-players. And there are lots of cases when such companies hire someone just to put on the bench. There is no work for you at this company, but they can afford to hire you for some “great future projects”. Thus, there is a huge chance, that after some several years of sitting on the bench, you will quit with the same junior experience and you will need to start from the beginning.

Another situation is when there are lots of different projects (or maybe product/s), and you have an interest in that. But from the point of your employer, your role can be very different from that you imagine it. Of course, everything about your future job can sound very exciting, but to feel yourself useful, you need to clarify what is going to be your personal zone of responsibility. Even you are a junior specialist, you should know from the very first interview, what you can do, what you can’t do and what impact you will be able to make. If you are satisfied with this, go ahead, but if not — it is better for you to proceed with the search.

5

Ask for your personal growth strategy

Every manager is a good manager only in case he can make a forecast of the company’s development and its employees development as well. When you will give them an answer on a question like — “how do you see yourself in 5 years?”, don’t forget to ask your employer — “how do you see me in your company in 5 years?”. And you have a chance to know, what is this game for. Or at least, how good are your future manager or boss.

6

Believing in the mission

Of course, a lot of time you can spend in thinking what an awesome guy you are and how to prove it on the interview. There is another standard question for that — “why should we hire you?”. Once, I was really tired, a little bit angry and my day was just an awful piece of my life, and I gave my standard answer about what a super-man I am, and then I asked — “and why do you think I should work for you?”. My interviewer started to describe me some benefits, social package etc. but then I said — “everything you have mentioned I can get at any other company. I told you what makes me an outstanding specialist from my point of view, now tell me please what makes you?”. I hoped to hear some nice words about how those guys are going to change the world with their new (old) products and my role in that process. But I didn’t. There was something about a great team, professionals and a great office…

You really need to understand and, moreover, to accept the mission of you new company. I tried to work at companies, where I didn’t understand it and was not able to accept the meaning of their existence. Obviously, this is not a way to be happy with your work.

7

Team

Nevertheless, this is an important thing. It is obligatory to ask with whom you are going to work, and what place you will get in this team? Do they really need you? Do you need them? Can you bring something new to the team? What your future team can give you? You know, maybe your team leader is sure that you are not a right person they are looking for. You are a designer, but he is sure, that there is a work for an illustrator with an academic art education, not for another one self-made designer. But you will get in this team because his boss thinks in another way.

Take as many details about your future colleagues as you can.

8

Be rational

I had a heavy heart when I was signing my first employment contract. That company asked me to make a test-task. I made it on time and, of course, it was terrible. But I got the answer that my employer see the potential in me and he would like to make me an offer. Of course, I was happy then! I asked for a feedback for my test to see, what should I improve and how to proceed with my self-development. After some weeks, I got that feedback. It was more terrible than my test. I saw that 7/8 from 10 points were not applicable. They were written just because he was asked to write something about my work. And 2 or 3 points were on target. I even thought that maybe they have mixed some test-tasks and a feedback but no. That time I was not so confident to say “no” because that contract was a big chance for me to get a new life and to become a pro.

Anyway, you should try not to make an emotional decision. This is the only thing about this. Think twice before you will agree and sign it. Maybe you can find some better options?

9

Does your temper fit?

Due to that company I have become a pro and I got that new life I was dreaming of. But at the end, they asked me to leave. I didn’t understand that the problem was in me then. Of course, I saw it only in that company, in their standards, in the whisperings behind and in the way we were communicating. But it was a period when the company was passing from the start-up model to the big company with some established rules to play. And for such a period you need to be very proactive, you need to be initiative and to show that you can create those rules, not to follow them. I was not ready for this kind of challenge. But after I realized this connection between the temper, personal characteristics and company’s type, and then my career started to go really fast.

You should understand that it’s very hard to change the world in a big international company. The chance, that you will be able to create something, that will go to the production, is really small. But you can get a stable job there. With a nice salary and social package. Here is a type of company where you can be yourself because nobody really cares.

The start-up company is definitely the opposite type. Here you will need to show your strong desire to turn the world upside down.

And there are companies like from my story, which is not turned to some unwieldy organization yet, but not a young start-up anymore. Here you will need to fight to be heard and to be understood.

10

Salary is the last thing you should discuss

This is not a strict rule, but just my personal advice. Salary is the last thing to discuss. It is better to show, that you are interested in a good job at first, and a good salary is something granted to you.

This is it. I hope, this article can be helpful for you to understand better, what kind of company you are looking for, how not to miss a right choice and to be brave enough to say “no” to those useless things, which only pretend to be the “opportunities”.

Thank you for reading!
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