Many people looking for a job do not have the luxury of choosing the kind of work they will be doing and what company they will be working for. In many cases, being able to find a job, any job, is good enough. However, if you ever find yourself with the upper hand in having a choice due to your particular circumstances such as going to the best schools, getting the right degrees, having the appropriate experience, coming from a reputable family with an extensive network, here are my thoughts on what to look for.
In looking for a long-term and highly rewarding career, you must look for a company that provides you with three important things. First is growth opportunities, second a nurturing environment and third is that the company must have competent managers and inspiring leaders. A company that provides growth opportunities for its employees must necessarily have growth opportunities for itself. This is only possible if the company is large and profitable enough to have layers in its organizational chart, products or services in high demand, and is competitive across market segments. As the company grows and diversifies, you can ride that wave of opportunity without waiting for someone to vacate a box overhead in the organizational chart.
A nurturing environment is a challenging one. It means that you learn on the job, understand the business, and even contribute or be part of the big plan of the company. Toxic people should have already been weeded out for you before they can do much damage to the organization and the loss of good people. Education and training are encouraged in a nurturing environment where the company may even subsidize the cost of completing a degree or getting a higher degree. At the very least, make adjustments in your work schedule for you to attend your classes. Cross-posting and rotation are common for these companies to ensure fast-track individuals get maximum experience and exposure.
Any progressive company to work for needs to have competent management and this should be very visible across all levels and in different units. Typically, they would have supervisors and managers who have the right education, experience, work ethic and motivation to get the job done right all the time. Meritocracy is the basis of promoting and rewarding people and the leadership of the company is able to inspire everyone in the organization to see the same vision and work for the same goals and objectives.
You could stop at having a life-long and fulfilling career working for a company like this and retire having a comfortable life. However, there is another option that I would like you to consider, which is starting your own business. You could create all these things that provide the best job for your workers, the big difference is that instead of being an employee you are now the employer! Instead of aspiring to get the dream job, you are now creating the dream jobs for all your employees. This role is definitely not for everyone but once in a while a truly exceptional individual comes along to step up to this challenge. Can you hear it calling to you?
(The views and comments of the author are his own and not of the newspaper or FINEX. Dr. George S. Chua was 2016 FINEX President, 2010 to 2020 FPI President, an active entrepreneur, regular member of the National Press Club, Professorial Lecturer 2 at UP Diliman and BGC, Trustee of the FINEX Foundation, Vice Chairman of the Market Governance Board of the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. and loves playing golf. Comments may be sent to [email protected])