The Importance of the Right Culture
Episode #4 of the course Ultimate guide to landing a job by Infobip
You’ve probably heard of company culture or maybe have been rejected for a job because you weren’t a cultural fit.
What is company culture?
Culture is defined by values. At a personal level, our core values are the guiding principles in our lives that help us make decisions and determine our path in doubtful situations. It’s the same for organizations: its core values define who they are and what their guiding principles are. What does it mean for you? Every organization wants employees who share their values. In order to get a job, you need to care, and to show them you care, about the same things they do.
When applying for a job, the majority of candidates don’t research the company’s culture. Company culture can give you much more insight into an organization than you think. It can help you learn what their way of doing business is, what they believe in, and what type of people they look for.
How do you go about this?
Job advertisements are often a true representation of company culture. When applying for a job, look closely at the style, structure, words, and phrases in the advertisement.
• Is it straight to the point, explaining the requirements and responsibilities in bullets? You’ve found a disciplined work environment that pays a great deal of respect to organizational structure, focus, and hierarchy.
• Does it have a strict voice when it comes to requirements and responsibilities, but with playful undertones, regardless? It is a demanding work environment that values results, hard work, and excellence but aspires to create a friendly culture among employees.
• Is the job ad colorful, a bit unusual, and requiring a certain type of personality over specific education? Creativity is extremely important here. You may not find a regular nine-to-five work schedule or many processes, but your work will probably have to meet client requirements.
• Does the ad provide a great deal of insight into the company’s business, history, or mission? They are really proud of it, and it is important that the perfect candidate knows it, understands it, and fits into the culture.
When choosing which job to apply to, try to find a company that is the best cultural fit for you—it’s as important as you being a good fit for the company! When looking into industries or companies you want to work in, before you start researching them, define your own core values. Then find the companies that share your mindset. This way, you will find a company where you will enjoy the work environment and the people you work with, which in turn enables you to grow and thrive.
Take your time and think about the kind of culture you would thrive in. Once you find it, don’t forget the power of good networking, which we will talk about in the next lesson.
Recommended reading
Recommended book
Do Over: Make Today the First Day of Your New Career by Jon Acuff
Share with friends