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What Do Employers Really Want?

03 May 2016 Career Advice
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The art of job hunting is reading between the lines of a job description


Employers often don’t know what they’re looking for until they find it. On this basis a candidate potentially has quite a wide berth, and in-precise boundaries in which to be creative, to put forward their case, for every job they see that is relevant.

If tech companies had relied on research the smart phone would probably not have been invented since few consumers would have asked for it. And this is much the same in job search. Offering employers more options than they had originally asked for gives more choice and opens up a wider range of possibilities.

It’s often rather like looking for a new home – you give the estate agent a brief but end up going for something completely different. So, part of the art of job hunting is in developing your own understanding as to what might win you the role, provided you have the essential qualifications to do the job.

Here are a few tips on how to do this:
 

Think about the role in the abstract

Don’t just read the list of responsibilities outlined in the job description itself, but think about the importance of the role in the wider context of the company as a whole. What is its purpose? Is there a broader objective other than the day to day fulfilment of your duties? Why does the overall department in which you would be working exist at all?

These are all considerations you should make when applying for a job. It’s also worth bearing in mind that most companies expect employees to be proactive in establishing their role’s boundaries and carving their ‘niche’ within the organisation once hired, so if you can make a start on this from the outset it will put you in an excellent position.
 

Consider the size of the company

How big the company is and what stage it’s at in terms of growth or expansion can make a huge difference to the requirements of a role.

If the company is well established, large and heavily regulated, your role may be quite restricted and subject to the influence of other departments such as procurement, finance or HR.

If it’s a startup or a small outfit you may find that your duties are extensive and quite varied. Both have their pros and cons. In the first scenario you will probably find it easier to slip into the job and may not have to take full responsibility for many things but there could be less room for promotion or possibilities to expand your skills.

In the second scenario, you may find that many things are required of you which are outside your comfort zone and you will have to learn fast, but it may be easier to make an impact within the company and to get promoted fast.
 

Consider the industry as a whole

Think about the industry within which you would be working and where it is heading. Is it an industry that’s in decline or experiencing rapid growth? What skills does the sector demand as a whole? Is it one which tends to have high staff turnover and allows you to change jobs quickly or not?

All these things play a part and you need to consider how you would fit in within this wider context. For example, the music industry traditionally provided for a fairly creative, unrestrictive working environment, but has suffered a long period of decline and consolidation and is now a far more corporate environment which values financial experience.
 

Think about the company’s ‘character’

Companies within the same sector often have very different corporate cultures. Some are more conservative, some very innovative, some very laid back, some value creative thinking in non-creative contexts. You should heavily consider this when you apply for a particular job, as it can make an enormous difference in terms of what is expected of you, even during an interview. For example, both Google and IBM are large players within the tech/computing industry, but have very different corporate cultures – ignore this at your peril!
 

Get in touch

To find out more about how to approach job applications and interviews, get in touch with our recruitment experts at Morgan Hunt.

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