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How did you choose what company to work for?

People say that figuring out what job you should do or even which industry you should work in is the hard part, but what about once you have? How do you choose what companies to apply at? What did you look for in a company? I am now at the stage where I'm looking for internships at tech companies that I will put on my resume and I don't want to make a mistake working for a company I don't enjoy being at or that doesn't help my chances of getting a job in technology out of school in the future. #technology #human-resources

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Penny’s Answer

Hi!
My first job out of college was through a temp agency at a tech company. That is what lead me to my career at Dell. It was and still is an exciting company! My advice is to choose a company where you can be excited about them and/or their products and services. You can find a good job but your heart needs to be in the company to be happy there.


Good luck!

Thank you comment icon Thank you Penny! Sarah
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Andy’s Answer

An additional consideration - focus on the attributes of the industry and the company you want to work for - rather than focus on a specific company. Do you want to work in a slow growth industry with long term stability and steady profitability? Or, are you more interested in a fast paced, constantly changing industry where agility and adaptability are valued. Also, consider Gretzky's quote - "skate to where the puck is going" when you are contemplating industries, companies and categories. Once you have defined your attribute list (i.e. fast growing, technology, software, under $100M in Revenues etc.), then you can use you attributes as a filter to decide on which company to work for. And, be prepared to change jobs and companies multiple times. Focus on learning and growing at every step - and when you feel things slowing a bit in your growth curve, it may be time to consider another role at your company, another company or another industry. Good Luck!

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Louis’s Answer

For the most part, I agree with the answers provided above. It's important to look at a company holistically when applying for a position. Research on the company will help you determine if the company meets your interests and aligns with your objectives. Prior to actually working at a particular company, it can be difficult to know exactly what to expect going in. The onus is on you, however, to be as informed as possible when applying and interviewing.


Keep this in mind also- all experiences, good and bad, will help you hone in on what you want from your employer and what you want out of your career. Take advantage of this early, especially while interning. Absorb as much as you can about every aspect of a job, company or industry from whatever opportunity you decide to take. Be bold and take the risk.

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Gary’s Answer

Hi,
that is a great question, in my career I have found that I do not choose the company as much as I choose the job I am applying for. then I research the company and find out if I am interested in them and what they do. A lot of choosing a company also depends on what your career and skills are, you can learn a lot about a company by their website, annual reports and their culture by reading about them and their careers/jobs and employment opportunities.
hope this helps a little...good luck.

Thank you comment icon Thank you! Sarah
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Roger’s Answer

It's important to first identify what your interests are. Once you have figured out what your interests are, I would do a self-assessment and figure out what skills you bring to the table that will help you perform activities within your career interests. You also need to be honest with yourself and identify your weaknesses so that you can work on improving them. Once you have figured out your interests, skills and areas for improvement you can begin to focus on the type of career that will allow you to utilize your skills while at the same time enjoying what you do every day. Then you can start to look into the different companies that are out there that offer the types of positions that interest you the most. You can always research a company to see what types of benefits they offer which may ultimately be the deciding factor.

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Kristina’s Answer

The most important thing for me was to make sure I would be proud to work for that company. Do your research on the company, are they involved in the community, are they fast paced, do they have open door policies, do they have a reputation? I want to feel like the company I work for is fair, competitive, and compassionate. That motivates me to be the best I can be at representing that company. There has to be a balance between you professional life and your personal life and working for a company you love will make all the difference.

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Miguel’s Answer

In my case, that kind of happened organically. But, if you really want to work for a specific company, the best way is to network with the people who work there.


In my case, I have a friend who transitioned to the company I wanted to work for, and she let me know about the opportunities for me in that company.


On the other hand, if you don't know anybody in the company, you could try with social and professional networs. LinkedIn (linkedin.com) is a good start. Try to attend to events such as job fairs, or events that the company sponsor, and talk to their representatives.


Also, you can follow them on social networks, to get to know them, and the kind of activites they are involved in.


Hope this helps!

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Srinivas’s Answer

Cutting edge/emerging technology, Vision of the company, demand on consumer/enterprise market, Company performance, Stock trend, Brand, Work life balance and of course Pay.

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Flora’s Answer

Definitely do your research. Have at look at the company website, look at glassdoor reviews and linkedin. Companies are often very proud of their values so will show these on their websites. Take Glassdoor with a pinch of salt, as often people made redundant for any reason might be disgruntled.

If you know anyone there then ask, but ask lots of questions during the interview process, about culture, how they find it and why they joined. Its also worth asking about the onboarding and management processes, this can give you a good insight into how they work.
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Stacy’s Answer

In addition to what you can learn about a companiy's priorities, challenges, and culture on their website, publicly-traded US companies are legally required to file certain disclosures with government regulatory agencies and that too can provide valuable insights to prospective employees. For example, a company's Annual Financial Statement (10-K) is usually available on their website or can be found through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html

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Sarbpreet’s Answer

Hi Sarah,

Before choosing a company for an internship in tech I would do some research on company culture, their mission, and internal programs for someone like yourself. I would check glassdoor for current employee satisfaction and reviews. Their website on cultural pillars and what they've done for the community. How involved the professionals are within the organization you wish to join. Larger tech companies might have a very clearly defined program for you to learn new skills and get involved with different projects, while smaller tech companies may have a less defined program where you have to wear multiple hats in whichever role the company needs you to help.

I would also recommend to do some research on crunchable for funding rounds which shows you the maturity of the company and and available resources to have certain internship programs. Do some research on the team you wish to join if it is HR check linkedin for background accomplishments, and work history. I would also recommend to work at a company that's solving a problem you are very passionate about and align with on mission and culture.

I hope this was helpful and wish you the best in your future career!

Best,
Sarb

Sarbpreet recommends the following next steps:

glassdoor.com
Linkedin.com
crunchbase.com
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Amy’s Answer

I started working for my company after a summer internship. I interned at a couple of companies during college to get a feel for the company culture and work. Luckily, I found a great fit with my last internship and decided to continue on and start full time! Interning was a great way to sample different companies to figure out if it would be a good fit without the long-term commitment. I highly suggest interning if thats available to you.

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Lia’s Answer

While choosing a great company is important, I have found that having a great manager and team is even more critical. You could be in any company doing great work, but if you don't like your team you will have a hard time succeeding. To find a great manager, look for a good fit for you - what is the team culture like? Does that fit with your values?

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Nishant’s Answer

First thing that you have to do is, decide the field of your interest.

Then make a list of companies which works in your area of interest.

You can further sort the companies according to the technologies they are working in.

And finally prepare according to the company's job profile to get into it.

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Rachael’s Answer

Hi Sarah! I started by picking an industry of interest. Since I enjoy numbers and constant change, I narrowed down my search to the tech field. after that, I started networking and asking around for people to refer me to those who worked for a company I thought I may enjoy working for. Listening to other's experiences helped me a lot.
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Jonathan’s Answer

I had the opportunity to go into the place of business and see how the team was as well as ask a couple questions before my interview. Doing some research on the company you’re looking at is important, it can help you get a better idea of what you’re getting yourself into.
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Simeon’s Answer

You want to look at companies that offer the opportunities that you're looking for. Most of the time, you don't have a lot options starting out, so you choose which ones you can. However, if you do get a choice, see which companies have people who have the success stories that you are trying to emulate. Look up their employees on LinkedIn and see if people have the job titles you're thinking about and how much experience they needed to get there. Also, I would recommend seeing which companies your friends and connections work at and see if they know of any openings within their companies.
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Jai’s Answer

This is a great question and I am impressed you are thinking about this so early in your career.

I understood this after working for 2 years, when I changed my company. I saw an amazing change in the culture and team work and I realised how bad my first experience was.

In today's world most of the companies are very active on social media - LinkedIn, Instagram etc. Once you've decided the industry, narrow down your search to a few companies, follow and review updates and posts from these companies. This will give you an initial feel of how happy the employees are and what's the leadership culture. I am very fortunate I work for an organisation which very frequently asks if I am physically and mentally ok.

Research about industry awards they've won - especially things like 'Best place to work', HR & People related awards. This should help you decide where to apply.

I hope this helps you. Good luck!

Thanks,

Jai

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Anilkumar’s Answer

What company you work for is primarily derived from skills you developed either via education or by self learning. End of the day jobs are given based on skill level one possesss. Of course they have a basic education criteria but for a right skill candidate there are always exceptions.
If you already have any company names you wish to work for or a dream company in mind. Then first thing is to find out what it takes/skills level to get into that company. And then develop/groom your self and apply for that company.
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Keri’s Answer

Hi! Internships are a great way to learn about companies and their culture, which is one of the things that typically determines how enjoyable a place is to work. If a company has a very casual culture, fluctuating work hours, casual attire (flip flops and t-shirts), your personality may not be a great fit with that environment. Or, the reverse could be true, business suits and a strict schedule may really be unmotivating for you - internships are a fabulous way to get an inside look at different company cultures.
When you are looking online at employers, consider reaching out to their HR department to ask questions about the overall structure of the company, it may well be important for your workplace satisfaction to work in a place that makes you feel productive, valued and inspired - no matter what line of work it is.
In the time of COVID internships may be challenging to come by, so consider emailing a local recruiter to find out if they have done work with a company you are interested in learning more about. Temp agencies are also a great way to get your foot in the door of various companies without committing long term if it's not a good fit.
Good luck to you!
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Katie’s Answer

Hi Sara! Great question.

I think the company you want to work for will depend on what goals you have at the time. When I first started my career in Sales I worked for a smaller organisation as I didn't have enough experience yet to be noticed by bigger companies. The benefit of working for that small organisation though is that they gave me a chance to learn a lot as with many smaller organisations you end up doing more than just your role. Over time in that smaller company I took on roles in Sales, L&D and then eventually started my career leading teams.
With that experience I was then able to move into working for much larger organisations where I could gain experience working for publicly listed companies and eventually moved into working for a global organisation so I could fufill my career goals of working and living in new countries.

Think about what skills you want to learn and develop over the next 3-5years, the skills that will help you along your chosen career path. Try to find a company that will help you gain those skills. Be prepared to be upfront about what you want to learn from your employer and ask those questions in your interview. Ask what opportunties or projects you'd be able to work on to help as you develop in your career. In my experience (and certainly in my own case) employers love to hear that their candidates are ambitious and driven towards their future career goals.

Best of luck!
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Wendy’s Answer

Hi Sarah.


That's a great question, especially since you want to make sure the company you choose is the best fit for you and your career goals. We are very fortunate in this age to have so many resources available at the hands of technology. tYou can do quite a bit of homework on the companies you are interested in before you interview with them. A couple sites offer free information on companies, including reviews of the company from an employee standpoint and salary information. Glassdoor and LinkedIn are two of these sites. I chose Dell because of the collaborative culture, the fast pace, and the excitement of the constantly evolving technology industry.


During your interviews, ask as many questions as you can to gain a perspective on the company culture, the team you will be working with and gauge your potential career path.


Best of luck to you!


Wendy

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Angelie’s Answer

Hey,


I have been in your situation before. I wasn't sure about which company I wanted to commit to. After an extensive amount of research and thinking about which company offers values that I felt are a reflection of who I am as a person, it made it much easier for me to make a decision. What is important is that you find a company that sparks that fire within. A company, that you can see yourself working for long term. Think about what truly makes you happy. Ask yourself: Do I see myself working here every single day? Do I see myself committing to the tasks that are expected for me to do? Afterwards, you should have a better idea of which company you would want to work for.


As long as it's a job/company that offers great skill sets that will benefit you in the long run, you should be fine.


I hope my bit of advice helps!
Best of luck.

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ASHISH’s Answer

Hi!

I joined my first company as a college hire and am still enjoying working for the same company! Cisco.

I was pursuing Electronics Communication Engineering degree so Software development and tech related to my field which is communications always attracted me. While Software development was on boom, I wanted to do something different which would impact everyone's live, whose outcomes can be seen. Fortunately Cisco came around and I was much obliged to join them. Here I deal with Network technologies, impacting today's world internet, how we access it, how fast and reliable it can be, 3G,4G,5G etc. and this world is developing so fast I am always in awe with how it is achieving these thing and barely able to keep up with it. In this rush of time, I not only enjoy the work but also the outcome it has on everyone's lives.

But this would not have been possible if I started out making list of companies before I tried on what they have to offer just on the words. My advice, check the field you're studying in, check the topics you're interested in and match it up with the tech world development. With these keywords, you can filter out the domain and the companies you want to go in. Best would be to put those companies in the list which are leading the world in those technologies or if not are in race with them. Even if you don't get to them, start with the companies which work on those technologies but which will give you challenges like start-ups and then work your way up learning to the leading companies.

Journey should be more enjoyable than the destination itself :)

Cheers and all the best for your journey ahead!
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Reeja’s Answer

For me, my first company was based on the area of my graduation. I was keen to get into telecommunications that being my Engineering field. Though I had to wait a while for the right job field to come my way, it was always worth waiting and choosing the field you have a passion for. Every company has its pros and cons. Putting some efforts in researching what a company profile(what is it known for, the rating of the services it provides,..) is can help you choose when you have multiple options.

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Sonali’s Answer

Choosing a company should depend on your interests. So, while choosing where to work, make your interests and passion priority because you would be able to grow in an environment you love to work. Yes, hard work is required but along with you should be loving your work. For instance, i always had interest in network security and wanted to pursue my career in it so, i majored in IT Security and right now, everyday, i love what i am doing and do my best even in challenging situations.
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Robert’s Answer

I interviewed for several companies before i chose to work for Verizon wireless. I always have had a very healthy self worth, and so instead of looking at whether a company would want me to work for them, i flipped the question around. Why should i want to work for you? Why should i take 40 hours a week of my life away from my family, friends and hobbies in order to further your cause as a company? I started looking at mission statements, community impact and involvement, and the general disposition of current and former employees to help me decide. When you find the right fit, you'll know. Verizon is a great company to work for, and i never once regretted my decision.
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Aman’s Answer

Firstly it all depends on your field of interest. Lets say you love coding or have interest in networking.

Then you start preparing accordingly and start exploring options in that respective organisation.

So it totally depends on your area of interest.

Thanks & Regards

Aman chaudhary

Aman recommends the following next steps:

Area of interest will help in deciding.
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Andrea’s Answer

I chose to work for Dell for two main reasons:
1. The salary they offered was in the range of my salary goal.
2. I felt that Dell is a company committed to doing the right thing. During my internship I saw that they truly meant it and followed through on their commitment to have team members do community service etc.

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Lauren’s Answer

Great question! I would think about what's important to you! Is it good work life balance? A great culture? Really amazing benefits? A place where you'll grow/learn? A company that supports things you value? Do some reflection around what's important to you and start there!
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Monisha’s Answer

First thing is to know where your interests lie. Next is to see what you are good at. Keep in mind that they might not be the same. Doing this will give you an insight about choosing the right career for yourself. Then you can go about searching for opportunities in that career.

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Alicia’s Answer

Hi Sarah,


Lucky for you know it is very easy to find out what are the core values of the company, their challenges and upsides. You should look at several factors to see which is better for you - locations, values, growth, etc. What is important to you?
Good luck!

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