7 Job Research Questions

The job of a recruiter is to make their organization sound as attractive as possible to potential candidates.  They're probably not going to tell you any negative things, so it's up to you, the job seeker, to do your due diligence when researching a potential job.

This is not to say you have to be ultra cynical when reading a job description.  It's more likely than not that you're going to get an accurate picture of what the job entails.  The trouble is, that's only half the information you need.  You're going to need to do some serious job research to make sure this is the nonprofit you want to join.

There is a lot of information you need to gather when conducting your job research.  To help speed the process along, here are 10 questions you should ask yourself:

• Who is the owner, and how frequently does that position experience change?  You probably won't want to join an organization that experiences a lot of ownership turnover.
• Does the nonprofit have a good reputation in the industry, or is it considered a bad apple?
• How are the finances?  You should be able to easily find the organization's income for the latest fiscal year.
• Who are its key competitors?
• What do current and past employees think of the organization?
• Who are the major clients?  Are they financially stable?
• Is there room to advance past the current position?  You don't want to be stuck in the same job for years, so find out if there are opportunities for growth.

These questions will not only help you get a better idea of the nonprofit, but they will also help you with future job interviews.  Employers are always going to be impressed if you know a lot about their place of employment.