McEwen, a sales executive, ôNow I am just looking for a company that has a stable record of growth and a good future. Latte machines in the lounge are nice but IÆd prefer a group insurance plan that includes dental.ö McEwenÆs concern about stability and traditional benefits is not unusual among job seekers. With the rising cost of health care, insurance coverage tops the list of desired benefits. Corporate soundness is also a high priority as employees recover from the layoffs of the first half of this decade. Employees are less likely to apply to a company that offers stock options as an incentive since so many still hold worthless stock options from previous employers. The term ôpre-IPOö no longer holds pull with job seekers. ôPre-IPO just means they throw lots of promises at you but no real benefits,ö states McEwen, ôGive me a good 401K match instead.ö Such cynicism is fairly common among professionals who were burned by start-ups. Caution is being exercised by job seekers as they seek to make a career step or change. As a job seeker, what can you do to weed out the stable companies from the ones on wobbly legs? Here are a few tips: Examine the company record. You should find out about the company before you go on the first interview. Is it public or private? If it is public, what is the stock trading at and what has been the performance record for the past 18 months? If it is private, how long has it been in business and how large is its market? This information will give you a starting point on gaining perspective and will also provide you with fodder for the interview. Look at the market. Is the market the company services growing or shrinking? Is it a niche market with one large customer or is it broad and ripe with competition? Who is the competition? Think like an investor. As an employee, you will be investing a majority of your life in this company; therefore, you need to think like an investor. Is this a company you feel is on the right path to success? Is the leadership sound? Are the numbers in the financials good? Do they have a high employee turnover rate? What is in the benefit package? Benefits like 401K matching, profit sharing, and good health plans show a company cares about investing in its employees. These are the benefits that show the degree of value a company places in its employees. Evaluating a company before entering into the dance of interviewing can save both parties a great deal of time and effort. Companies do not want to make
piece
is
an
abstract
triptych
that
I
found
while
I
was
in
Atlanta
buying
religious
paintings
The
piece
was
called
Guardian
Angel
and
I
love
it
My
patrons
fell
in
love
with
it
as
well
They
have
asked
me
to
track
down
the
artist
and
see
if
he
has
anymore
religious
paintings
available
The
only
religious
paintings
that
I
actually
do
not
buy
are
ones
that
reflect
the
image
of
Jesus
on
the
cross
I
don’t
have
a
problem
with
them
some
of
them
are
extremely
well
done
and
would
more
than
likely
sell
well
but
my
investors
made
it
very
clear
when
they
financed
the
gallery
that
I
would
not
put
that
image
into
it
PPPPP
683
Ajello
Candles
The
motto
of
the
Ajello
Candle
Company
is
“It’s
better
to
light
a
candle
than
to
curse
the
darkness”
This
candle
making
company
has
been
in
business
since
1775
The
business
has
been
family
owned
for
seven
generations
The
candles
from
Ajello’s
are
well
known
for
their
beauty
and
quality
While
they
make
more
candles
now
than
in
1775
their
dedication
to
quality
and
to
customers
has
never
changed
The
Ajello
Candle
Company
was
founded
by
Rafael
Ajello
an
Italian
painter
He
was
also
a
beekeeper
so
he
tried
his
hand
at
using
bees
wax
to
create
candles
He
worked
hard
to
create
a
formula
that
worked
well
The
formula
combined
with
his
outstanding
artistic
ability
lead
to
the
birth
of
the
Ajello
Candle
Company
In
1785
the
company
earned
the
honor
of
creating
all
the
candles
for
the
Vatican
He
and
his
wife
ran
the
business
keeping
their
children
involved
in
the
processes
from
an
early
age
As
time
went
on
their
children
and
grandchildren
kept
the
business
running
as
well
as
passed
the
family
business
on
to
their
children
By
1862
the
company
had
established
itself
as
a
leader
among
the
candle
making
industry
They
had
also
added
perfumes
and
many
.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.
Related Post
