Finding the Right Work Environment

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

John Wooden, Former Basketball Player and Famous Basketball Coach for University of California at Los Angeles.

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I remember my mom coming to look at Drexel with me. She looked around the campus to see if the students looked like me. Maybe not in an entirely physical aspect, but environmentally and overall, do the people walking around look like me? Do you see yourself walking around this campus, going to that restaurant or that building? The answer was yes; I knew it was the right fit for me.

The same thing goes with the work place. An article posted on Monster.com discusses the top 10 signs of a positive workplace. You want to take a look around to see if the people working there look like you. The ambiance should be welcoming and friendly. It should invite you to want to learn more and be a part of something bigger then yourself. “When you go into the interview, does the employer make you feel comfortable? Can you see yourself working with this person?" These are all questions you want to ask yourself when choosing the right workplace.

To play devil’s advocate, let’s say you find an environment that you don’t want to be part of. Maybe you like the employer, but not the ambiance of the office. Regardless, go into the interview with confidence. The point of this is you are going through this to see if the position and company is a good fit for you. If you are comfortable and it is a right fit for you, then you will do well, succeed and grow.

If the job doesn’t fit your needs, it’s okay to admit to yourself that this really might not be a good fit for you, and you might also not be a good fit for them. It is more professional to be upfront because you are selling your image to them, and they are selling their image to you, to see if you two are a perfect match. An employer will appreciate if you tell them to truth because it is better to not cheat your employer just to get a job.