Determining Your Fit

by  ResumeEdge.com - The Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service

After months upon months of high-gear networking, sending out your resume, and interviewing, you finally have a job offer! After all that hard work, it's awfully tempting to accept the new position and put your grueling job search behind you. 

But, unless you have thoroughly researched your employer and your prospective position, don't be so quick to jump on board. As anyone who has ever had a deceitful boss or a soul-sucking job will tell you, it's foolish to blindly accept your first offer. Though it's advisable to research potential employers before you even interview - if not before you apply at all - the bottom line is that you do your homework before you accept a job.

Begin by investigating the company as a whole. As you research, be particularly mindful of whether the organization is compatible with your moral and political beliefs, whether the organization has growth potential, and whether the organization is financially sound. The Internet, the library, and your alma mater's career services office should be helpful. It's also savvy to do a Nexis search for newspaper and magazine articles about the company in question. Specific, helpful publications include The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Fortune, and Business Week. Standard and Poor's corporation records and Dun and Bradstreet reference materials are also helpful directories. Don't forget to take notes!