Even in the best of times, things can be difficult outside.
Although the unemployment rate remained below 4% throughout 2023, job hunting can still be a frustrating process.
A recent Business Insider article chronicled the experience of a tech worker who had 17 interviews for four jobs.
For Felicia Davis, a former human resources executive and founder of the Black Women’s Collective, her tech worker experience could be beneficial to other job seekers.
“I wish I had worked with this person because there was a lot of opportunity in their experience to really be in the driver’s seat,” Davis said.
Understand trade-offs, but don’t compromise on values
Davis emphasized that it’s important for job seekers to make sure a potential employer aligns with their values.
“If you have a clear agreement, you have to stick to it because if you don’t, you’re going to end up in a disastrous situation in that organization and end up repeating the process all over again,” Davis says. he said. .
Davis may have been illustrating the plight of tech workers when he told BI that he started looking for a new job three months after being hired at his latest job and has been on a job search cycle for two years. there is.
One trend in the market that favors workers is the integration of remote work, but this benefit requires interviewees to demonstrate a certain level of self-leadership.
“CEOs have essentially stopped trying to get employees back into the office fully and accepted the fact that this is a hybrid work environment,” Davis said. “So they want to know that you have the leadership mettle to really manage those personalities because you’re going to be working alone most of the time.”
Ask questions to confirm suitability
For people looking for a job for an extended period of time, such as for technical positions, the interview process can be tedious.
The subject of the article reads, “No one has asked me any questions that I haven’t been asked already.” “So we’ve got all these examples. It’s like, ‘Oh, tell me about a time when blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.’ It’s like that.”
Davis said that while it’s important to be prepared for an interview, it can help job seekers to participate in the conversation “as a leader.” Davis suggested asking, “How would you describe the company’s culture?” It can provide insight into how the company operates.
“This is an open-ended question that allows the interviewer to share their perspective on the company culture, and from there you can peel back the layers of whatever the interviewer says,” Davis said. .
Other questions Davis recommended include:
- What is the level of communication within the organization?
- Can you give me a specific example of how your company’s values are demonstrated in your day-to-day work?
- What is your tolerance for risk?
- Are there opportunities for mentorship in that position?
reputation, relationships, results
Davis said job seekers need to be very aware of their reputation, relationships and accomplishments.
“Those three areas are areas that you have complete control over,” Davis said. “Relationships are our best currency. I’ve never stopped building and nurturing strong relationships.”
Davis said that by being clear about what success looks like, you can set reasonable expectations and have a clear mindset going into the interview.
“It’s easy to look left, look right, compare yourself to others, have aspirations[of what success looks like]. Do that, but be realistic. And I say, ‘Think about what success looks like for me at this point in my journey.” Davis said.