Written By: Hannah Stickford

Looking for a job during the “The Great Resignation” can make the job search more difficult. For me, it did just that. I was on the lookout for job opportunities fitting the requirements I had in mind which were: work-life balance, a healthy workplace, and community involvement.

Needless to say, this wasn’t an easy thing to come by.

After hours of looking for the right fit, I had to realize maybe the job I had created in my head was non-existent. That night, I decided to break from the search, after all, I had seen more of my computer than anyone else that past week.

My mind disagreed, so I logged on once more and to my surprise found a job posting for a Marketing Operations Lead with a company in Dayton. Intrigued, I started digging. I decided this was a job I wanted to pursue, but I needed to do a thorough search on this company to ensure it was the right fit. To do this, I needed to go back to my three primary qualifications.

Main Qualification Number One: Work-Life Balance

This first qualification can be hard to find if you’re not looking in the right place. So, where should you look? It starts with the ole’ reliable Google search for me. I looked for some keywords: company stress, lay-offs, covid-19 relief, and remote working. I also looked at Indeed and Glassdoor to see what other current or past employees said about the company. Google reviews are always your friend when looking for a restaurant as well as a job – but make sure to discern which reviews are genuine versus fake. For example, I recall a negative and inaccurate customer review on a previous employer of mine even though this customer had never done business with them – so be thoughtful and thorough with what you read. For the company I was reviewing, this first qualification passed so I moved on to my second one.

Main Qualification Number Two: Healthy Workplace Environment

Number one and two can run together sometimes, as work-Life balance is part of providing a healthy workplace environment. To gauge the level of health & wellness within an organization, I sift through company websites and reviews, along with LinkedIn profiles to be thorough. Awards like Healthiest Places to Work stand out as a good source of reference. The company in Dayton had, in fact, received the aforementioned award multiple years running, and furthermore the people I met with internally provided a look at exactly how the wellness narrative was pushed to employees via the engagement platform, incentives, challenges, and more! And onto my third must-have I went.

Main Qualification Number Three: Community Opinion

For this one, I had to be more specific when researching what the community says about a company. Usually, I start with popular affiliations recognizing outstanding businesses, like the Better Business Bureau. Then I try to see if a company has any recognitions referring to them as the best place to work or a great place to work, etc. Of course, not every company will have these accolades, but I personally want to work for a company with community standards top of mind. For the company in Dayton, I found many local sponsorships and community partners – this speaks highly of the involvement and ties to the immediate area.

After reviewing everything for this particular job, it was apparent that I wanted to pursue the opportunity. This Dayton company was open about supporting its employees and community. A company that not only cares about its employees and their community but is involved and acts in a supporting role is scarce. Even before I started my first day at Boost Engagement LLC, I had been introduced to many and even walked around the very cool building (there is graffiti on the inside walls!). Subsequently, on my first day, everyone made me feel so welcome and I even arrived to find some company-branded new hire gifts on my desk which made me feel confident in my choice.

It is always essential to make a list of must-haves or, in my case, qualifications for what you need in your new job. Don’t shortchange yourself or think your dream job is out of reach. You have reasons and shouldn’t compromise just because it may make the job search more difficult. Coming from experience, due diligence, and not wavering on what I look for in a company has brought me to where I am now, in a new job I love, and feel confident in the future!