Organization Size
In recent years the trend towards business mergers has created some huge conglomerates. Although there are exceptions, larger, more established organizations offer greater long-term security and a more developed training program than do new businesses. On the other hand, smaller organizations provide more independence, greater variety in work responsibilities and earlier involvement in decision making. Similarly, in an educational institution you might choose to work in a large university where the president remains remote and inaccessible or in a small college where the president is known on a first-name basis. The former may offer greater opportunity for variety; the latter greater opportunity for involvement. Since the majority of businesses are small in size, and the predictions are that the largest number of new jobs will be provided by small organizations, you should not overlook opportunities they offer. Both large and small organizations have advantages and disadvantages for the individual. You need to consider which is best suited to helping you reach your own long-term career goals.
Rate of Growth
How fast or slowly an organization is growing will have a significant effect on all positions within that organization. Faster growing companies and organizations can be exciting and provide many opportunities for speedy advancement. To some workers such an environment may seem dynamic, to other workers, it may seem chaotic. Once again, such a variable is a matter of "fit" with your individual work style and expectations.
You should also consider the physical environment in which you would most like to be working. Would you like to work in an urban, suburban, or rural setting? Indoors or outdoors? Would you like to travel? Would you like to remain in an office? Would you like a formal setting with an opportunity to wear fashionable clothes or a more relaxed environment with an opportunity to wear jeans? The following Action Steps can help to more clearly identify your preferred work environment and to translate your work environment preferences to specific employer possibilities.
Action Step: Preferred Work Environment Characteristics.
Individual Action: Listed below are some sample factors which relate to work environment characteristics. Use a scale of one to four to rate these characteristics with "1" indicating "not at all important" to you and "4" indicating "very important" to you in considering a career.
Public Contact: Have a great deal of day-to-day contact with people.
Work with Others: Have close working relationships with a group; work as a team toward common goals.
Affiliation: Be recognized as a member of a particular organization.
Friendship: Develop close personal relationships with people as a result of my work activities.
Competition; Engage in activities which pit abilities against others where there are clear win-and-lose outcomes.
Work under Pressure: Work in situations where time pressure is prevalent and/or the quality of my work is judged critically by supervisors, customers, and others.
Change and Variety: Have work responsibilities which frequently change in their content and setting.
Precision Work: Work in situations where there is very little tolerance for error.
Stability: Have a work routine and job duties that are largely predictable and not likely to change over a long period of time.
Security: Be assured of keeping my job and a reasonable financial reward.
Fast Pace: Work in circumstances where there is a high pace of activity, and work must be done rapidly.
Location: Find a place to live (town, geographical area) which is conducive to my lifestyle and affords me the opportunity to do the things I most enjoy.
Community: Live in a town or city where I can get involved in community affairs. Or work in a position that involves community activities/affairs. independence: Be able to determine the nature of my work without significant direction from others; not have to do what others tell me to do.
Time Freedom: Have work responsibilities which I can work at according to my own time schedule; no specific working hours required.
Group Action: Conduct a discussion on the variety of factors characterizing work environments. Some suggestions are listed below. Write them on a blank flip chart, then post the list for discussion. Give members of your group time to discuss the items, then have each person list five characteristics most preferred and five to avoid. Brain storm as well some typical settings where these characteristics might be found.
Action Step: Ranking Work Environment Characteristics.
From the previous inventories and any other considerations you have made, make a list of no more than ten items which are important to you in the working environment.
Then rank these items from most important to least important. Read down the list and ask yourself for each item, "Is this a crucial factor in my accepting a job offer?" or "Do I need this in my next position to be happy, effective, and/or successful?" If some item on your list priority should shift from "crucial" to "desirable," draw a line through the list at the point where this shift occurs. All factors above this line are "musts"; all factors below the line are "wants."
Not only will this help you in defining your, career objectives, but you now also possess an "objective" resource for double-checking any future job offer you receive. You will be able to compare what the opportunity offers against what you previously decided were necessary characteristics of your work environment.
Another important aspect of your working environment is the type of employer in which you are interested. Use the Action Step below to begin identifying your preferences.
