According to a recent poll I conducted, 60 percent of respondents said they ended up in a bad job because they didn’t research enough about the school. As Paul Wright, health business mentor and author of One Minute Practice, commented, “It’s disheartening to learn that such a significant portion of individuals have experienced the consequences of taking a job without conducting thorough research.” Absolutely! It isn’t pleasant for anyone who goes through this. The vital lesson is that we learn from this situation so we don’t go through it again.
I’m not surprised at the poll’s results, however. I, too, have ignobly fallen to temptation when making employment decisions. It was a heavy lesson, but I learned from my mistakes. I’m a problem solver, so I am not one to perpetually model a shroud of victimhood. Instead, I reflected profoundly on why this happened and made changes to make sure I didn’t rinse and repeat.
Of course, no matter how hard we try, we cannot guarantee with 100 percent certainty that a potential job is a terrific new match. Yet, as a numbers guy, we can play the odds in our favor to significantly minimize the chances that we’ll take the wrong job.
Here are 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS I gained.
- Research. Research. Research.
- Check out School References
- Desperation is the Enemy
So, let’s look at each with more depth.
Research. Research. Research. The internet yields a wealth of information. You can use it as a tool to learn more about potential employers. There are many more clues available than just what information the school provides you. Sure, their website is one central tool to utilize, but there is a wealth of other information elsewhere.
The school’s message is the foundation that supports how you look at your other information sources. HOW a school says things matters as much as WHAT they say.Without question, you have to look at what the school DOESN’T say. When looking at their website, consider these questions and see what their silent message is. How well is the website maintained and updated? How thorough is it? How easy is it to use? Have they thought of ways to target and attract potential employees like you? What should they be saying on their website (but aren’t)? Are they using overused phrases like “we create 21st-century learners” but without showing evidence to back up their claim? Or do they show repeated examples throughout their website showing their commitment to the values they claim for their school? The answers gained from each of these questions give you authentic evidence about what they really value and how they operate — to either confirm or refute what they’ve told you in interviews.
Check out School References. As potential employees, we easily accept that a school or business will check our references. But you can do the reverse and check out the school’s referees, too, both formally and informally.
During the interview, you’ve likely met several school employees, but don’t rely on them alone for information about the school. You can ask to speak to one or two other employees, as well, especially those who hold jobs similar to what you’re considering.
You can also do an online search for school employees. LinkedIn makes it especially easy. It’s easy to connect to the school’s LinkedIn business page to find employees who work there. You can then connect to a few people to learn about their views of the school. Other social media sites may have a way to make similar connections, but because LinkedIn focuses on business networking, it’s made for this kind of connection.
When you speak with any of the school employees, you want to evaluate whether what they tell you matches the information you’ve learned about the school through your research. Remember to listen to the employees’ tone, which can be as important as what they say. If something needs further clarification, don’t be afraid to ask. They won’t mind since they wouldn’t be speaking with you if they didn’t want to help.
Desperation is the Enemy. This is a vital point to remember, but desperation, with its driving force, urges us to make bad decisions. Psychologically, we’re compelled to take a job right away because we’re programmed to believe that being unemployed is terrible, so we get nervous. Yet, unless there is a vitally compelling reason to take any job instantly, it makes sense to wait if the good offer has yet to come through.
My great friend, Shelly Nicholson Haddock, a woman wise beyond her years, once offered me the most sage insight. I was in the middle of a horrible job search that extended 110 applications over eight months when she provided this golden advice, “If you can afford to wait for the right job, do it, or take the first offer you get, and you’ll be doing another job search in a year.” This was the wake-up call I needed. I could have given in to my desperation. But instead, I dug into my savings and waited it out. It was worth it because I later found a fantastic school and job that filled my life immeasurably. That advice worked for me, and if you can use it, I am confident it will work for you, too.
One way to help us keep desperation at bay is to focus on what matters most. We must prioritize the work and job qualities we NEED vs. those we WANT. We have to distinguish between the must-haves vs. the nice-to-haves. This helps keep our eye on the prize. Our minds delight in playing tricks on us that make us feel like we have to act right away, and if we can afford to do so, it is at this exact moment when we must take control of our decision-making process.
I always say that the main thing recruiters want to do is fill their jobs, and the main thing candidates want to do is find a job. These wants may intersect and result in a dream pairing or a nightmare. But when you follow the three tips just mentioned, you’ll emphasize finding your dream school, not just a good job.
Key Takeaway. The thing to remember in your job search is to prioritize finding the right school, not just a job. Too many candidates flip the emphasis to the job and end up in a miserable situation when they fall for sweet talk coupled with empty words. Don’t let that happen to you. You can make your dreams happen!
There are three ways I can help you maximize the effectiveness of your job search.
- You can follow my LinkedIn profile to learn more about job search insights.
- Subscribeto this newsletter.
- Buy my book, Teach or Lead Abroad: Easily Find Your Dream Job in International Schools, by clicking on Visit my Store. Available on Amazon or Audible.
