Apartment Jobs: What Kind of Job are YOU Looking For? Anything Less Than the Best is a Felony!

Apartment Jobs: Phone screens & job interviews have 1 purpose: to screen candidates OUT. Yes, you read it right. It's to screen YOU out. Of course your interviewer is trying to find the perfect candidate for their job opening, but with hundreds of resumes per job listing, the #1 priority of a recruiter/interviewer is to screen candidates OUT so that what's left is 2-3 great candidates. 

If their goal is to screen candidates out, what is your goal when interviewing? How do you GET IN? 

I have spent the last several weeks helping a couple of clients find the PERFECT candidate for their apartment job listings. In the past 10 years, I have conducted hundreds of interviews - hired LOTS of great folks (and a handful of not so great...but that's another article) I have refined my interviewing techniques, and know EXACTLY what to look for in a candidate, what are the red flags (the CRAZY-loo's), what to ask, how to drill down to the truth (and how to use those questions/answers as a future training tool), etc. Believe me when I say this: YOUR interviewer has perfected these skills too. So again, the question is, how do YOU land the perfect job for YOU? 

In this job market, you might be unemployed, you might be in between jobs, you might be looking for a change. Whatever the case, the MOST IMPORTANT part of this equation is YOU: 

What are YOU looking for in a job? 

 STOP, COLLABORATE, and LISTEN! Do you GET IT yet? The most important part of this equation IS you. What are you looking for in a job? (Oh, and yes, this is a Vanilla Ice reference.)  

Instead of trying to fit into someone else's job description, why not KNOW what YOU want, what you NEED, and find THAT job? Turn the job hunt upside down and start with the person who matters the most - YOU. My most meaningful and lasting placements are those where both parties are getting exactly what they want. 

To help YOU better determine what kind of company & job YOU are looking for, ask yourself: 

1. Is career advancement important to me? If it is, you will want to look for a company that offers & believes in career advancement. These will typically be your medium to large companies - as they have those positions available. A smaller company may not have as many opportunities. - But don't rule small companies out for advancement. Sometimes, in order for the small companies to find get great candidates for their top positions, they invest the most in the current employees. Questions to ask if career advancement is important to you: What is the typical career path for a at your company? What kind of training and support do you offer to someone who would like to advance? Pay close attention to these answers, as you will be able to determine if a company truly DOES want to advance their employees, or just goes through the motions.
2. Does having a life outside of work, a priority for you? (I know some of you are laughing, but this IS a question you should honestly answer.) Many times career advancement (Look at question #1 above) will not work with having a life. Many companies I know that have career advancement opportunities also have the best people working for them. Competition is STIFF for career advancement, and in order to get ahead, you'll have to put in extra time and effort to stand apart from the crowd. Factor this into your decision. Questions to ask if time is important to you: What is the typical work schedule? What are my expected hours? How many after-hours meetings should can I expect?
3. Is meaningful work important to you? For instance, do you need to work for a "greater good?" Are you feeling the need to "give back?" If you do, its time you looked into working for non-profit organizations in the area. I see this happen many times after someone has put int 10-15 years of service in the industry - and they want something more meaningful. There are TONS of great non-profits in the industry that could use your expertise. Just because a company is non-profit doesn't mean that you have to work for free! In addition, some for-profit companies understand this need, and offer ways for their employees to participate in non-profits. If you are interviewing with a for-profit company, but you want opportunities to give back, Questions to ask if "giving back" is important to you:  Do you currently partner with any non-profit organizations? Are their opportunities to volunteer, and if so, what are they? Questions to ask if you are interviewing with a non-profit organization: What is your mission? What communities/groups do you serve? How do you best serve those communities/groups? What makes your non-profit stand out from others? If you are looking for more meaning in your life, make sure that the non-profit you decide to work for has a mission/value system that you can believe in and support. There's no meaning, if it doesn't MEAN anything to YOU.
4. Do you need training/support because the position you are applying for is a little bit of a reach for you? Be honest with yourself, and ask the questions of your potential new employer, to see if they have the right support system for you to succeed. Be honest with your new employer. Let them know what you bring to the table that is valuable, but then ask these questions if proper training/support is important in order for you to succeed: What will the first 90 days look like? What is the training program for new employees? How often will I meet with my trainer/mentor/supervisor? If you are reaching for a job that you feel you CAN potentially do with the right training and support - be honest and let them know this, and FIND OUT if they DO have the training/support you need to be successful!
5. Is "having discretion" to make decisions and work independently important to you? Ask yourself this question, and look deep to find the answers. Most people want a boss that will "leave them alone and let them do their job," but when they do encounter THAT boss, they don't know how to perform their duties without more direction. OR, they are unwilling to take on the responsibilities or consequences of being the decision maker. Sometimes I hear people tell me they want they want training & support (#4 above) but in the next breathe, they "don't want to be micro-managed." To an interviewer like me, this is a schizophrenic employee, and one that will be EXTREMELY hard to manage/train/support. On the one hand they want training/support, but on the other hand, they don't want someone to tell them how to do their job. Questions to ask if being able to work independently is important to you: What kinds of decisions am I expected to make on a daily/weekly basis? What kinds of responsibilities and consequences do those decision-making powers come with?
6. What are you good at? What do you enjoy? What do you dislike? We all want to be able to do a good job. YOU should know what are your strengths & weaknesses. And be honest. Find a position that capitalizes on your strengths, and has support for your weaknesses. For instance, if you are great with people, but not so great with numbers, you need to find out how much of your time will be spent managing relationships, and how much of your time is expected with financial responsibilities. If they splits is 80% people-oriented, with 20% financial analysis with the help of a bookkeeper, than GREAT. BUT, if those numbers were reversed, be honest.

The best place to start in a new job hunt is to start with the ONE thing you KNOW best: YOURSELF. Be honest with yourself on what kind of job you are looking for. Target THOSE jobs, and watch how the offers roll in! 

In the words of Vanilla Ice: "Anything less than the best is a felony." 

Do you agree? Disagree? Are there questions you want to add? Leave a comment! 

Don't get it? RENT SODA. GET IT!

-Daisy Nguyen in Minneapolis, Minnesota MN

Daisy Nguyen is owner and CEO of RENT SODA, a business, operations and marketing consulting company. Become a FAN of RENTSODA, connect on LinkedIn, FOLLOW RENT SODA on Twitter, visit her website, RENT SODA, or read the blog, RENT SODA, Don't Get? GET IT! for more information and regular blog entries.