We are about to hit the beginning of the work week. The unemployment rate is below 4%. There are a lot of job openings at different levels in different sectors. Organizations are looking to hire. However, we all went through a pandemic where we were forced, in some ways, into reflection. Companies love to ask where do you see yourself in five years. Just as a side note, I no longer ask that. I see no point in asking that. I may be a hit jaded. However, with everything that has happened the last three years in general to everyone and in particular to me the last two months, five years is way too unpredictable.

What I have come away with the last few years in terms of a job vantage point is that we should be interviewing the companies as they interview us. This is true for all levels of employment.

Let me explain.

As a CEO for various organizations, my past application processes for both hired and non-hired positions,  I’ve undergone a battery of tests. For example, I’ve undergone 4-hour long aptitude and personality tests, a psychologist interview/assessment, and a minimum of four rounds of interviews, as well as two-day interviews. The few questions we are encouraged to ask after five hours of being questioned doesn’t cut it anymore. A right fit has to be true all around. It should be a two-way street. 

We should be able to do reference checks on the organization. I’d like to administer my own aptitude and empathy tests to the managers and board members alike. Even when you are brought in to change a culture, it also inevitably ends up changing you as well. It’s best, you get as true a picture as possible before you subject yourself to life-altering changes.