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Your Next Job: What Is A "Reputable Company"? (Part 2 Of A 5-Part Series)

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Have you ever been offered a job, accepted it, and began working only to say to yourself a few weeks later, "Hey, wait a minute. This is not what I want!"? But, you stick around.

Content:

Have you ever been offered a job, accepted it, and began working only to say to yourself a few weeks later, "Hey, wait a minute. This is not what I want!"? But, you stick around. A month or two later, not only have your feelings not changed, they've intensified.

Quitting so soon may be a rash move. How would you explain it on your resume? Besides, you've consulted your friends or your spouse and continue to hear, "Stick it out. It can't be that bad," or "You can't quit now. You just started!"

You hate your job, but you passively stuff the feelings inside saying, "At least it's a paycheck."

What went wrong? Clearly, it's not your perfect job.

Just as we discussed the importance of defining the right opportunity, part of that right opportunity means not only knowing if you want a reputable firm or not, but your definition of it.

Reputable firm is a phrase that, as a recruiter, I heard constantly, whether those exact words were used or not. When I asked what it meant, I heard, "A GOOD company. One I'd enjoy working for." Hmmmm. Not exactly a clear definition.

What constitutes a reputable company?

We can all agree that Arthur Anderson and Enron were DISreputable companies! But what about Disney? It strives to be reputable and many consider it so. But many of its films don't do so well, there has been much divisiveness in its upper ranks, and it supports some causes many think it shouldn't … yet it's … well … DISNEY.

Reputable … or not?

Fannie Mae was just fined $400 million, not only for allegedly manipulating its accounting, but also for lying to investors. Yet, as recently as 2001, for the second time, it was ranked in the top ten companies for working mothers because of its child care programs, flexibility in working arrangements, and advancement for women—and this still holds true.

Reputable … or not?

Now consider the companies that aren't newsmakers and have policies or principles that people would never know about unless (or until) they work there.

See why it's important to be specific?

Unless you state that you want a company that sells its products with integrity and maintains a philosophy of building relationships with customers—reputable could mean anything—until you're working there. Then it's too late!

What do you gain by being specific? Well, if the company is doing anything shady, the interviewer may hear what you are saying and won't ask you back. The ethical company will ask you back and appreciate your candor.

But isn't working for a reputable company an obvious desire? Would anyone want a DISreputable company? Well … yes!

Some people like troubled companies and turnarounds—and those that do, know it and say so. Those who haven't given much thought to the issue tend to utter the reputable company phrase. They often find themselves working for a company that leaves them queasy.

If the company or department is struggling, or the piece for which you're interviewing is a startup operation and this doesn't turn you on, by all means speak up. Both parties will be happier parting ways earlier rather than later.

The overall theme is finding your perfect job and staying in control so that you are asked back and can decide if you want to return or not. However, that outcome and the resulting choice presumes you've stated clearly the opportunity you're seeking and that's what the company is.

When the company is not that, you might not be asked back, and you may never know why. But stating your definition instead of using a generic phrase is—stay with me here—what gave you control of the outcome, even when it appears that you lost control.

Whether you know this at the time or not is irrelevant. You're focusing on what YOU want based on what YOU'VE defined as important.

copyright: Judi Perkins 2006

Author: Judi Perkins

About Author:

Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator with http://www.CareerCube.net. To sign up for her newsletter and learn thousands of powerful concepts to find your perfect job go to http://www.findtheperfectjob.com.

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