If you’ve spent any time looking at jobs, searching through Handshake, or attending career fairs, you know that there are countless employers looking for talent! However, understanding the role of employers in the job search process and knowing how to evaluate an employer is important, especially when applying and searching for career opportunities. This blog will introduce you to what employers do, how to choose the right one for you, and resources to help you learn more about potential employers!
What Are Employers?
Employers are individuals or organizations that hire, pay, and manage employees to perform tasks. Employers generally oversee how their employees work and manage a variety of responsibilities, and it’s helpful to have a clear understanding of what to expect from employers so you can evaluate if you want to work at a given employer.
Some of the core responsibilities employers have are:
- Set expectations: Employers define roles, responsibilities, and performance requirements.
- Provide resources: Employers provide any tools, equipment, and training needed for success in the job and organization.
- Monitor progress: Regular check-ins or performance reviews allow employers to ensure goals are met.
- Provide feedback: Employers offer constructive feedback contributing to success and growth.
- Comply with laws and regulations: Employers ensure equal opportunities and fair and lawful treatment.
- Drive company vision and strategy: Employers set company goals and objectives to achieve organizational success.
How to Choose the Right Employer
With so many employers, companies, and organizations out there, it is important to thoughtfully choose where to work! Here are some questions to help guide your decision:
- What roles interest you? Think about the job functions you enjoy and where you see yourself thriving.
- What skills can you bring to the table? Reflect on your strengths and what jobs will allow you to utilize them.
- What types of skills and knowledge do you need to gain? Are there specific skills or qualifications you need to pursue the roles you’re interested in?
- Are there causes or issues you’re passionate about? If so, look for employers whose mission or values align with your own.
One more in-depth resource that can be beneficial when choosing the right employers is the Tufts Career Center! The Career Center includes various resources to help you consider how and who to apply to.
- Career Advisors: The Career Center offers career advising appointments where you can cover topics such as exploring employers and job search strategies with our various industry-specific advisors.
- Blog Posts: The Career Center posts blogs centered around employers, titled “Employer Insights”. These blogs highlight different aspects of several organizations, allowing you to gain more insight into specific employers.
There are many questions to answer and many resources out there. However, the Career Center is a great start to identifying your interests, passions, and skills and how they may help you choose the right employer.
How to Find and Learn More About Employers
Once you’ve identified what type of employer you’re looking for, there are many in-depth ways to learn more about the companies or organizations that interest you.
- Coffee Chats: Coffee chats are casual meetings with professionals where you can build relationships, gain insights about a specific organization or industry, and explore career opportunities. Employers frequently host coffee chats with Tufts students.
- Handshake: Handshake has a dedicated tab solely focused on employers. You can find, follow, and filter companies that interest you, and stay up-to-date on jobs and events postings. Additionally, you can find information for coffee chats and other event information on Handshake.
- The Herd: The Herd is a mentoring and networking platform for Tufts students and alumni where you can connect with professionals, participate in formal mentoring, discover career options, and learn more about different companies and employers.
- On TRACC: On TRACC (Tufts Recent Activity in Career Communities) is a weekly email customized to your career interests featuring blog posts, career events, resources, job/internship listings, and more. It is a great way to learn more about different employers and career opportunities. Click on this link to learn more and customize your On TRACC emails!
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a social media platform that helps build a professional network, discover job and internship opportunities, showcase skills and experiences, and connect with potential employers. You can use LinkedIn to find alumni working at a company and to look into a company’s brand and what they’re posting about themselves.
- Glassdoor: Glassdoor is a website where current and former employees can anonymously review companies. Students can use Glassdoor to research employees’ experiences at a company, including their salary, culture of the company, benefits, and opportunities for professional development/promotion.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the role of employers and how to choose the right one are key to making informed decisions during your career journey. By utilizing available resources and reflecting on personal interests and skills, you will be in a stronger position to find an employer that aligns with your values and career goals!
