PurpleLine Consulting

In the Independent's Careers column in January 2008, Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at the London Business School gives her tips on succeeding at work.

The one that stood out for me is 'Decide if the Company is right for you'. Lynda says 'People spend too much time selling themselves, they should be asking: is this a company that will make me excited and happy?'

As candidates, we often do not pay enough attention to what it is that makes a job, and an organisation a good fit for us. We can get trapped into pursuing the new job title, bigger salary or succumbing to the sales pitch, like being on the crest of a wave. It really helps to give some thought in advance to what makes an organisation and a job fit well with who we are. The better the fit with our criteria, the more likely we are to make a success of the job or a career in a particular organisation and most importantly, to enjoy what we are doing. Recruitment is, after all, a 2 way process.

Think about environments in which you have flourished and what made it so. It could be that you enjoyed the opportunity to generate your own ideas, or had the freedom to manage your own workload, that you had lots of social gatherings with your colleagues which forged good working relationships, that you were working on a product that really made a difference to people's lives. Use whatever criteria you identify to assess your prospective employer. Ask lots of questions - of those interviewing you as well as other people you meet (like the receptionist) what they like about the organisation. If offered the job, ask to spend some time in the organisation before making up your mind. Like the old adage 'marry in haste, repent at leisure' it's important to make a considered decision about a job move. We spend a lot of time at work, it's so much more rewarding if it's fun.