Ten Things to Consider Before You Apply

Ten Things to Consider Before You Apply

1. Salary – Everyone considers it, right? The bigger the better is how most approach salary. However one needs to consider what factors are going to play into their salary; namely will they be making enough to survive? In order to facilitate such an answer a formula must be used. The formula, known as the minimum acceptable salary goes as follows:

Debt + Living Expenses + Entertainment < 70% of monthly net income (after tax income)

Basically, sit down and determine your debt, everything from student loans and credit cards, to car loans and medical bills. Then add your living expenses that are derived from the local cost of living (see LOCATION), including housing, utilities, food, and transportation costs. Entertainment can be as big or small as suited to the individual or family. The remaining thirty percent is your wiggle room and ideally ends up going into savings. Now that you have the formula to determine the minimum acceptable salary you can move forward. Check out Payscale.com and Salary.com for industry standard salaries. For company specific salary information you might find the Job Profiles at CareerLeak.com useful.

2. Location – To many, the location of their next job is already defined and not even a consideration. However, many job seekers have open boundaries and will look in many different markets. Each market holds its own benefits and merits. But how do you make sure you are getting into a location that is a perfect fit? An appropriate resource to use is Sperling’s Best Places, where you can discover schools, crime, housing, climate and much more. As you begin your job search make sure the location is exactly where you want to be. Making concessions on location can create problems down the road.

3. Benefits – An employee’s benefits are become a larger and larger part of an employees pay package. In some instances benefits can amount to fifty percent of their salary. Moreover, a difference in benefit packaging can make or break a job candidate for an employer. As a job seeker it is important that you know what benefits are a must have for you. Do you need full health coverage, or can you settle with partial insurance with an employee contribution? What kind of retirement/401k package does the company have? One knows social security won’t be around forever and this generation of workers better make plans for retirement early or they may be working much later in their lives than anticipated. Benefits like salary should have an acceptable minimum while you strive to get the most.

4. Industry – An ever dominating headline has become the effect of economic downturn. As the economy slows, specific industries are feeling an impact. For instance, ten years ago, an autoworker in Detroit had excellent job security. Today, that security has been eroded with a deflating economy. Other industries are hurting or are on the verge. Many careers cannot choose a different industry. For instance a teacher is pretty much stuck with teaching, however an engineer can decide between many different industries, choosing the one with a better economic outlook. What should you do? If possible, scour the headlines, blogs and industry resources to see if there is any indicator of future performance. Such research still carries no guarantee; however it can help filter the industries that may encounter hard times.

5. Opportunity for Advancement – Do you know someone that has been in the same job for ten years? What about twenty? Chances are you probably do. Time spent in one position is not always an indicator for a lack of opportunity to advanced, but sometimes it is. The fact is, many people love their jobs and have no intention of looking elsewhere, even if it is within the company. However there are individuals that are in the same job for large amounts of time only because there is not an opportunity for advancement. Look into employers who promote individuals throughout the company. Doing so will prevent complacency, provide personal goals, and keep your resume advancing.

6. Insider Information – With the birth of the Web 2.0 social movement the internet has become an excellence source for company information. What’s more sites like LinkedIn and Jobster can help you meet people that work for employers you are interested in, possibly giving you an insider advantage to company culture, management abilities, and more. This information can be crucial in narrowing down and eliminating companies. Other sites to consider are CareerLeak and Vault.

7. Company Background – Scour all of your available resources to discover the company background. Do they make a product? Do they provide a service? Are they a large corporation? How long have they been established? This information is valuable in rating a potential employer and will become an asset if and when you are sitting at the interview table.

8. Working Conditions – Working conditions are an important facet to any job seeker. While many are straightforward, such as a nurse in a hospital, or a teacher in a classroom, diligence must be done to ensure a perfect match. Working conditions can include angry coworkers, stressful atmosphere, unsafe conditions, unreliable hours and more.

9. Resume Appearance – Of all the considerations listed above, resume appearance is probably the most overlooked. When applying for a new job consider how that job will eventually look on your resume should you get it. Some jobs not only do not help a resume, but can hurt it. For instance, you just graduated with a degree in business, but for two years you worked as a ground maintenance worker will raise red flags for an employer. And simply omitting some jobs from the resume can leave gaps that can hurt your resume’s appearance as well. Only in a desperate situation should you take a job that you are over qualified for.

10. Long Term Goals – If you have not already done it, sit down and write out your long term goals. Where do you want to be in twenty years? What career? Retired? Make sure you have indentified everything (at the moment) that is important to you, and place it at the bottom of the page. Then in the above space complete what is necessary for you to achieve your goals. Does the prospective job fit into your long term goals? If not, scrap it and keep looking.