Written By: Lauren Howard
Questions you should consider for your next job interview:
If they ask if you’ll be able to “hit the ground running”, ask what their training program is like and what resources they provide during that process.
If they ask if you can “bring value from day one” ask if they mean in revenue or in relationship building that will be the ground work for long-term gains?
If they mention their fast-paced environment, ask what their PTO policies and after-hours response expectations are.
If they insist they’re a family, ask if they also cook you meals, nag you about calling your Great Aunt, and share their medical histories so you can tell your doctor the next time you’re there.
If they don’t have answers for any of that, then take a hard look at your boundaries and theirs.
“Hit the ground running” often means, “We don’t have a training program and you’re likely to be on your own for that.”
“Bring value from day one” often means that they emphasize revenue or immediate output, not learning the product and doing things in order.
Fast-paced environments can be great, but they can also be code for boundary-less existence, late nights, poor planning, and pivoting for low-hanging fruit.
And your job isn’t a family, it’s a team. Teams work together for the greater good. Families put each other into therapy. You don’t need another family. Love the one you have hard, and build a team elsewhere.
I am a startup person. I love the startup chaos of a small company figuring things out, but good chaotic environments still have processes in place, or they hire someone smart to build them.
Figure out the intent behind the buzzphrases. You can learn a lot from those answers.
Founder & CEO at elletwo