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Organization |
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Financials Staff Locations and structure Culture Strengths and weaknesses Growth prospects Upcoming challenges |
Even if you have confirmed you want a specific job, you have choices on where to do that job. You want to know the organization you select is right for you now and has staying power in case you want to establish your future career there.
- Is the organization healthy financially? Financials of an organization include revenues, operating costs, profitability, and reserves.
- How many people work there? Is this a small or big organization compared to its peers?
- How many offices does it have? Does it have a well-defined headquarters? Is it a small part of a much larger organization? Does it have international offices?
- What are the people like? Is it a team-oriented culture, or do people work very independently? Is it a competitive or nurturing culture? Are people very ambitious and driven or laid back?
- What is management like? Do bosses micromanage or allow a lot of autonomy? Is it a flexible or structured workplace?
- What are the values of the organization?
- Is the organization highly regarded? Is it known for innovation, progressive work policies, cutting-edge research, best in class?
- What are the organization’s strengths compared to its peers? Weaknesses?
- Is the organization growing or shrinking? How does this compare with its peers?
- What challenges is the organization facing either internally or within its industry?
Once you can answer the preceding questions, you can compare your findings to your decision criteria in step 1 to confirm that this is a target organization:
- Is this organization of the size that you want?
- Does it have offices in the geography you want? Is there an opportunity to work internationally if that is a priority for you?
- Do the culture, management, and mission fit your values?
- Is the brand name and history of the organization what you want?
- Are the challenges and opportunities facing the organization aligned with what you want to work on?
You can refine your marketing in step 2 to match what this organization requires:
- Highlight experience in similarly sized or structured organizations, or identify other experiences or skills that translate.
- Give examples of working with similar people, management, and environments.
- Show the specific skills and achievements that will enable you to contribute to the challenges and opportunities facing the organization.
The more you know about the organization, the more specifically you can show you belong there.
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