Jobseekers: What to look for in a company

In the current tough job market, it's understandable that you might be tempted to take just any position. However, there are numerous factors to take into consideration when deciding to work at a company. If you look beyond the usual set of parameters, you may find yourself far happier and more secure in your new position once you arrive.

The first factor to take into account would be can you fulfill the skill set required? Do you have the education and experience necessary to perform the job?

Next, most would look at compensation. Is the salary fair and in line for the position? Are there bonuses paid in addition to salary (which should be taken into account in computing the overall potential salary)? What type of benefits package is offered? Does it include decent medical and dental insurance?

That is where most jobseekers would stop. But if you take the time to examine a few more characteristics of the company beyond just the factors of the requisite skills, the compensation and benefits, you improve your chances of being satisfied in your new position. It is these types of characteristics that placed David Lerner Associates on a list of best places to work in the state of New York - and it is well worth using them to evaluate any company at which you are seeking employment.

The first additional point to observe is company morale. Many companies will offer a prospective employee a tour of the offices - or at the very least, walk you through on your way to the interview. Take the time to actually look at the employees - do they look happy? Are they lively and communicating? Or, are they serious, formal and quiet? Their demeanor will give you an idea of the atmosphere that is encouraged around the office. One which is warm and encourages communication will probably be a happier place to work.

If it is possible, talk to one or more of the employees at the company. Find out how they feel about how management treats them. The most important question here is: Are the employees valued by management? While management may say they value the employees, the real tale is told in how the employees actually feel. Are they actually appreciated, and do they know it?

Another way to find out how the company values its employees is to ask what would happen if an employee - who, it would be assumed, is doing a good job - had a personal crisis, such as an ill relative or a sudden illness. Does the company treat their employees like humans with real lives or as a commodity to be cast off in times of crisis? If an employee is doing a great job for the employer, that employee should be valued beyond just the number of sick days or days off the person has earned. It is well worth the employer's while to value the employee enough to see him or her through the crisis with their job intact.

Using guidelines such as these, you can seek a job in which you will not only be financially secure, but secure and happy as a person as well. It can make all the difference in the world when it comes to a career.