Researching Potential Employers

March 29, 2018 at 6:03 pm (job, Job Hunting, Job Interviews, Job Search)
Tags: , ,

When searching for a job, it is equally important to research potential employers. Having a good understanding of the employer can tremendously help you prepare for a job interview. By doing this research beforehand, you will have a greater understanding of what you are walking into on interview day. Questions that you may have had prior to an interview could be answered by simply doing your own research ahead of time.

What exactly do you look for when researching a potential employer? Some of the most important aspects to look at would be how long the company has been in business, and if the business has been successful. Obviously, no one wants to start a job just to find out the company is going downhill. You want to make sure the employer has built their business on a strong, solid foundation. Another part would be the company culture and morale. Other details to look at would be location, schedule, a general idea of salary and benefits, and employee retention rate. Again, researching these things before a job interview can help you come prepared for any further questions you might have.

Now the question is, HOW do you research a potential employer? With the internet right at our fingertips, it should be easy! A couple of my favorite websites are:
• Glassdoor – A free website with information compiled from anonymous employees around the world. You can narrow down your search to certain geographic locations, if you wish. The website provides information regarding salary, benefits, interview process/questions, pros/cons of working there, etc. It is a great website to research potential employers.
• LinkedIn – Search for the company page on LinkedIn. Is the employer well known? Do you have any mutual connections? If so, are they people whom you would want to work for/with? These are important aspects to look at when researching a potential employer.

Aside from those helpful websites, it is also imperative to review the company website. Is the site valid, updated, and user friendly? Do you feel welcomed when looking at the site? Click around on all the tabs throughout the site. You should be able to gain a great understanding of who the employer is and what they do by looking through their website. Some employers will share employee testimonies on the career page. This can give you insight on why people like working there!

Researching a potential employer can be quick and simple. It is always a good idea to do your research before heading into a job interview. The more information you know ahead of time, the more prepared you will be. Knowing what to look for in a potential employer and where to look could be the key to your next successful job interview!

By Samantha Winters, Business Major – IUPUC

Leave a Comment

How do scientists share research results without creating controversy?

November 21, 2013 at 6:28 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

For centuries scientists have been a vital part of our ecosystem evolving and progressing forward into the future. They have found cures for the world’s most devastating diseases and answered questions previously unknown to mankind. How can they manage these feats without causing a controversial uproar? They can solve issues of the most delicate matter without creating turmoil in the media and do so every day.

Scientists have learned through the years how to convey information that may be sensitive to the public in a way that is understood and accepted. They have learned to do this by not insulting the public’s intelligence, but also not overestimating their understanding of the issue. They provide clear examples and use terms and explanations that an average person is capable of understanding. Although, if conflict does arise, they have also started accepting conflict because one hundred percent of people are never going agree with any topic.

Instead of refusing to accept others ideas and suggestions, scientists now welcome them in hopes of creating an even better solution the problem at hand. The more diversity that is involved with fixing an issue, the more applicable the solution can be to everyone. Scientists know that they do not have answers for everything; that’s why they are open to hear criticism without immediately disputing the comment.

Above all, the most important thing is to be open an honest about controversial issues in the beginning. The quickest way to stir up drama is lying or misleading the public into creating it. Everyone knows, it’s always better to just tell the truth, and that still applies when presenting controversial information. As an example, if a celebrity was seen sneaking around with a stranger, and they did not recognize the issue, the public could see it in a variety of ways and then everything is blown out of proportion in a negative way. If they had came forward in the beginning and told the truth, the issue could have been taken care of in a better fashion.  

In conclusion, scientists have evolved the way they transmit information to us to keep the level of controversy down. They have taken different approaches presenting information based on the circumstance at hand and what is best suited for the situation. They know everyone won’t agree, and they are welcome to hear a different approach to the issue.

 

-Corey Hofelich

Leave a Comment

Differences in Men and Women Communication Styles

October 24, 2011 at 12:29 pm (Diversity in the Workplace, Effective Communication)
Tags: , , , , , ,

It’s no secret that men and women communicate differently.  But have you ever done research on the difference between the two?  Most people have not, they just make generalizations about ALL women or about ALL men (we all are guilty of this at one time or another).  But with the number of women in the workplace growing significantly, more and more people are studying communication techniques used by each gender.   I had not done any actual research until recently and I found some interesting discoveries.

For women, talk is the essence of intimacy.  Women define friends as someone you can sit down and share problems with, get advice, give support and connect with.  While men define friends as someone you can do activities with.  Going golfing, working on a truck, hunting, talking about sports or business is how a man communicates or connects with someone.  Women create the feeling of closeness by talking, hence the reason the woman is always trying to talk to her man.  The men do not connect like this and therefore, are left confused of why she is always talking!  This is also the culprit for a common misunderstanding about women:  women go to their man about their problem, whether it is work, girlfriend, money, or family problems, they want to discuss the situation.  Well, when a woman goes to a man with a problem, the man automatically thinks she is looking for advice or a solution to her problem.  Consequently, the man gives a solution and wants the conversation to end.  However, that was not what they lady was looking for.  She probably will not act on his solution and try to talk to him again. This leads to the common generalization that “all women do is complain and they do not want to take action or do anything about it,” when the whole time she was just trying to connect with her man by sharing her problems.

One of my more interesting discoveries was the idea of the pecking order in nature.  A male’s (animal or human) ultimate goal is to be able to mate with the chosen one.  To be able to do this, they must make their way to the top of the pecking order.  Once they are at the top they need to stay up there and keep their social status high.  I went on to discover this reason plays a part in the male denying the woman simple help.  To get to the top of the pecking order he must give orders to men lower than him and when a woman asks a man to do a simple task he feels as though he has lost his status in their relationship.  This leads me to the point that men communicate more in public whereas women communicate more at home in a private area.  This makes sense because it is important for the male to make his presence known in public but not so important to do so in the privacy of his home.

Personally I believe some of the research but at the same time I believe the way people communicate strongly depends on how they were raised.  Did the person have any siblings? Were they brothers or sisters?  Where did this person fall in the order of children, were they the oldest, middle or the youngest?  Were both parents around while the child was growing up?  Did the parents encourage the kids to express their feelings and thoughts?  With that said I believe everyone is different and going to communicate differently.  Some simple advice for men and women trying to understand or figure out the opposite sex and their way of communicating:  do not try it!  Men and women are wired differently and therefore, will communicate differently.  Women communicate to connect, while men communicate to compete.  The world of communication would be boring if we all communicated the same, embrace the difference.  Do not try to change the style of communication the other gender uses, but instead learn how to adapt to that style.

By Katelin Hehe, Business Major -IUPUC

1 Comment