If there’s one thing I’ve learned about my career since graduating college, it’s to trust your gut and do your due diligence. Ok, that’s two things. Let me explain.
I’ve worked for four different companies since I graduated college in 2006. Of those, two were fantastic in their integrity, staff, core values and way of doing business. The other two…not so much.
I had a gut feeling about the two that turned out to be shady. But, how exactly does one verify these often ignored gut feelings during a job interview process? Well, you find a site that allows you to do a webcheck or business search on the directors, financial records, lawsuits and reputation of the company you are interviewing with. I don’t know if there were sites like this 6 years ago, but if there were and I had known the truth, I probably would have re-considered 2 of my job offers. All my gut feelings turned out to be true – wish I could’ve verified them before having to get back on the job hunt…
Another form of in-person due diligence is to meet with non-management team members of the firm you’re interviewing with. I know this isn’t always possible, but it never hurts to ask. I believe company employees within the job function you are interviewing for will give you the feedback, honest answers and information you need to put facts behind your gut feelings. Ask these folks:
- Do you like your job?
- Which managers do you like working for?
- Where do you see your future in the company?
- What’s the biggest challenge of your workday?
- What could this company improve on?
Have you worked for a company that turned out to be a bit shady? What did you do?
Do you do due diligence before accepting a job offer? What is your process?
You can read more about my experiences at shady companies in these articles:
- Interview Liars
- Confessions of a Former Sub-Prime Lender
- Big Lies About Your First Job