2012 Graduates: LinkedIn Says Be Mindful of Culture When Job Hunting

Canada’s 2012 graduating class is now leaving college or university to enter the always-scary workforce. Even though you’re anxious to land your first gig, a recent blog at LinkedIn.com says you should be mindful of company culture, and not necessarily jump at the first job offer you get.

“With the pressure (or excitement) of finding a new job, it’s all too easy to pursue a job opportunity or to accept an offer with only a hazy view of how the institution really operates,” wrote LinkedIn blogger, Bill Barnett.

“The path to an institution you’ll like is to investigate the culture you’re thinking of joining before you accept the position.”

Too many job-seekers get fixated on the superficial details like salary, hours, benefits package, and commute time when sizing up job opportunities. Of course, these things are hugely important, but you also need to look beyond those factors to gauge if you’ll really be happy working for this company.

Barnett says you can start gauging the culture and atmosphere during your job interview.

“Culture may come up in job interviews, although it may be complicated to do much investigation when you’re trying to sell yourself,” wrote Barnett.

“People sometimes worry that discussing culture might make people uncomfortable and put a job offer at risk. The culture topic is certainly not off-base, and it is necessary to know for future growth in the company. Hiring managers should expect it.”