How did you choose what company to work for?
I am interested in a job in technology, but i'm not sure how to go about deciding what company to work for. How did you pick the company you are working at? What factors did you take into consideration? #technology
44 answers
Sven Zimmermann
Sven’s Answer
Hi Ali,
I think the most important thing is to know what you want to do and to check if that company fits your desire. An important factor is also the culture of the company and to check if that fits your aspirations, e.g. a company that is very much focused on remote work might not be the right one for someone who needs personal interaction.
The company should have a vision that inspires you. I found its very important that you buy into this and that it matches your aspirations.
Regards
Sven
I'd second this and highlight how - in my experience - the company culture and the type of people you will work with are equally important to what you are doing. I'd recommend narrowing down a list of companies that are in a field that interests you, and make a selection based on the people you meet and the culture you sense at each. Obviously, not everyone can afford to be super picky, but if you are fortunate enough to be one of the lucky ones with options, that's what I'd recommend!
Jonathan Menashe
Afshan’s Answer
Personally, I will first look at Work Life Balance, work culture and whether management encouraging the employees for innovation
Vipul’s Answer
Everyone wants to work with a company which pays high but higher pay alone doesn't guarantee that it would suit me in long term. So the one thing which I looked for is the kind of technologies I will be working with in the given role of a company.
When companies work with age old technologies, it affects your career badly. You don't remain competitive with market standards. Your knowledge is no longer in demand and thus you will be stuck in same company for lifelong. Since companies also cant find new market with old technologies, you stop getting hikes and promotions.
On the other hand, companies which work with the latest trends in market, always remain in demand and face day to day challenges. Being a part of such teams teaches you a lot and exponentially raises your learning curve. It can be straining at times, so you must have a look at the work life balance that the employees of the company experience before deciding to join them.
Vipul recommends the following next steps:
Aqueelah’s Answer
Hi,
I researched Verizon online and made sure it had the benefits that I was looking for. I am also big on reading other people's opinions of he company so I considered, what others had to say as well. I used such sites a glassdoor.com.
Dawnyale’s Answer
Benefits were huge for me, as companies who provide them seem to also provide the best work-life balance and opportunity for advancement into other positions. I looked for a company that had a good retirement plan, health insurance, and tuition assistance so that I could finish my education. I also think it's important to work for a company in a field that you are passionate about in order to foster your success from day-one.
Wishing you the best of luck in your future!
Dawnyale
Kristen’s Answer
I was actually lucky, my career started with a company where I was 4th generation in my family to work for Telecommunications. As I was deciding on if I should go work for my company while I was in college, I looked at a few things. Where is the company at stability wise, what are the benefits, do they have education assistance program (they paid for most of my MBA), do they have annual payroll increases, do they have promotion opportunities, and do they have retirement. The earlier you start retirement savings the better off you will be come retirement time, even if it is a few years down the road.
Christine’s Answer
Think about how you like to work. I chose a larger company because they are typically very structured and rule driven. They tend to always be in a state of change and improvement. I like the structure and want a challenge, like how can I improve this process. A larger company may offer perks like matching retirement savings, a cafeteria and gym inside your building. On the flip side, if you are a more creative type, the structure of a large company may be limiting for you. you may prefer a smaller, more personal company, that gets to know you and can work with your creativity. They may be more open to new ideas.
Office culture is also very important. Read the company's website to see what is important to them. What do they value? What is their mission? Do you agree with their values and mission? Then look for a career opportunity and apply!
Theresa (Tisa)’s Answer
You have a lot of answers but I thought i would chime in. I have worked for many companies over the years and in 3 different career fields.
I personally think that the first thing you should use to decide is the what point of your life/career are you in. The time of life tends to have a big impact in considering companies. In my late 20's, I had the choice of either working for a small city company that all the locations were only in that city or a company that was doing military contracting and i would have the chance to travel around the world. If that job choice came to me today, at 53 years of age, I would have chosen the local company. But in my 20's it was a great time to choose a more daring and exciting job that would give me travel.
The next thing to take into consideration for technology companies, specifically, is how progressive they are. Research the companies. Are they on the cutting edge or are they primarily a product company and put very little investment into the growth of their technology.
Also consider the environment and culture of the company. It needs to suit you. If it is a very stiff office with little flexibility or personality to it, and you are an active, outgoing and creative person, that may not work well for you. Do they invest in growing their employees or do they just hire and exist only on the existing technology. Do they value diversity. these are all questions for you to consider and how important they are to you.
The last item i would list is company stability. If you are young, it may be ok to look at start ups. As you get older, you may want to look at more stable companies.
I hope these help.
Good Luck
Nathan’s Answer
Rani’s Answer
Hello ..There will be different kind of companies based on the services.for example in Networking ..Vodafone is service based company and CISCO is product based company.So we can choose the company based on service what they are offering to the customers.
Keri’s Answer
Great Question! Research is key to finding the company/organization that works best for you. You need to determine does the culture, size, location, policies are things that meet what is important to you. Also, what about job growth, opportunities, and benefits! Remember, you spend a lot of your waking hours here so you need to make sure you are comfortable with the fit. The other big thing that may initially sway you is the current opportunities.. so getting in if they are hiring in your field! Good luck in your search!
Vandana’s Answer
Ali,
I love the work I do. To be honest, I dreamt about the kind of work I wanted to do, the kind of creative and intelligent people I wanted to be surrounded by, and the kind of work environment that would give me a high.
And, always the right companies picked me.
Wishing you a great career ahead!
Joanne’s Answer
When I started at the telephone company I was hired as a part time employee. Next month I will be with VERIZON for 39 years. If you decide to go to a corporation remember that they may have different departments and services that you can move around and feel like you are working a whole new job without leaving the company. GOOD LUCK in your job search!!
Jay’s Answer
a. Project: Decide if you are really interested the project. Does it align with your career aspirations.
b. People: You manager and your colleagues are key in terms of your career progression. See if you manager can be more of mentor and how can can you learn from your colleagues. Never be the smartest person on the room
c. Pay: Make sure your paid proportional to you skill set.
Carol’s Answer
Neha’s Answer
Nice question ! If one is clear about future goals then researching on which companies will help achieve those goals would be helpful. Larger companies have better structure, policies , compensations and benefits in place . All of us want to work for such organizations and not all may land up in their dream company. Also those who did land up in their dream company may not be happy with the kind of work they are doing.
Acheivement of career goals and job satisfaction drives a person's association with any organization. If not clear regarding a job position do ask interviewer what the role is the hiring for , what will be the responsibilities associated with the role. They will be helpfull in making a decision whether to accept the offer or not. To get started with if job helps gain some experience in your intersted stream go for it. Each year of experience counts as years go by.
All the best !
