By: Lindsey Allbritton
“Where are you working now that you’re out of school?” I can’t count the amount of times I was asked this question just days after walking across the stage on that blazing August day. After working several part-time jobs (some good, some bad) throughout high school and college, I had one thing figured out: I was not going to accept a full-time position without finding 100% confidence and comfort in the interview. Luckily for me, this did not take very long, but how was I so sure?
During an interview, you are just as much the interviewee as the interviewer. My advice – when the opportunity allows, take advantage of being the interviewer. I know there are millions of people out there facing the awkward time frame of graduating college and searching for their career kickoff, and I’m here to help. Below are a few specific questions I asked my potential (now current) boss during
our interview.
How would you describe your company’s culture?
My interview happened to be during the week of Halloween. The door of the room the interview took place in was decorated in caution tape, there was candy up front, and not only was I informed of a costume contest, but that the winner shaved his head to be a Blue Man from the Blue Man Group. To me, this demonstrated something I consider to be very important: Work hard, play hard. I knew from this moment that as long as everyone was fulfilling their job duties, there would be room for fun, too. BINGO.
How would you describe your company’s management style?
If you’re anything like me, you want a clear communication line to all staff and management, no matter the authority. Whether you’re at the top or bottom of the totem pole, we’re one team and everyone deserves the same respect. I expect positive recognition when deserved and constructive criticism if I haven’t demonstrated my best work. A desired management style involves an open door policy where there’s no such thing as a stupid question or too many questions.
What is the training strategy of your company?
I can’t stress this enough. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than being thrown into a job and having absolutely no idea what to do. Personally, I wouldn’t accept a job if there were any hesitation at all in answering this question. I found comfort in that I was assigned to a buddy for the first 60 days of employment, as well as an easy-to-read training schedule I was personally responsible for completing during my first 60 days. Proper training is the starting point to a successful career.
Use your experience as research to know what you want from a company. Because I asked these questions, I found a perfect match between what I was looking for in a company, and what Partners in Association Management has to offer. It is because of these questions, that I sit here at barely 23 years old, excited to start my first career off in the Association Management business.
