
Ask HN: As a recent Graduate, what to look out for in future employers - lamchob
I am located in germany and recently graduated in computer engineering with a focus on high performance computing.<p>I know what kind of job I want. Generally I want to work at place that gives me some degree of freedom in the way I approach a problem, enables and supports further education of 
employees with conferences and literature, for both technical and domain knowledge, and respects
the work life balance. I guess that is what most people are looking for in an employer.<p>But I&#x27;m not sure about what I have to look into when I evaluate a potential employer (online as well as during an interview). Because in the interview an employer can always tell you that they care about education etc. But how do I know that is actually the case?<p>What are good cues for a good&#x2F;bad culture in a company?
What are some warning signs?
What are signs of good employer?
Is it okay to contact current employes and get some information from them?
What else should I look out for?<p>Thank you!
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scarface74
_I know what kind of job I want. Generally I want to work at place that gives
me some degree of freedom in the way I approach a problem,_

I wouldn't think that most companies would give an inexperienced developer too
much freedom. In fact, you shouldn't want it. I spent the first 12 years of my
career working at two companies where I had complete freedom of implementation
and no mentoring. I was a good developer (I'd been a hobbyist for 10 years
before that),but I didn't know what I didn't know.

 _enables and supports further education of employees with conferences and
literature, for both technical and domain knowledge, and respects the work
life balance._

Whether it _should_ be this way or not, never depend on a company to advance
your career or technical knowledge. You are responsible for both.

I would go so far as to say don't expect good work life balance as a junior
developer. It's going to take you a lot longer to add business value and only
with experience and skill is your value based on your experience and knowledge
and not just your ability to crank out code. Once you get to that point, life
is easier.

For example, even though I'm still a hands on coder, most companies don't
grill me about technical minutae during interviews. They care more about my
architectural skills than my raw coding skills (even though I have both).

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mchannon
The evaluation and interview processes tend to be far more one-sided the other
way. It's not a matter of which 3 of 100 employers you want to work for, but
which 3 of 100 employers will even consider interviewing you at the
compensation you want.

This is true even for hot-shot CS and CompE graduates. You will have to
experience the door slammed in your face in this process. The more you yearn
for a particular company, the more likely it is to happen, and to hurt. It's
unpleasant. Expect it.

Larger company culture probably ends up toward the bottom of most people's
like/dislike list when it comes to employment. Your immediate social culture
in the company is far more important and applicable, and large companies that
suck in general can have islands of paradise within them, and the reverse is
true too.

Your heart will tell you if it's a bad fit. You'll get depressed and you'll
question your life decisions. It's the only metric that truly matters. That's
the only way you'll know- even good friends may thrive in an environment next
to one you'll wilt in.

The good news is a miserable job looks as good as a wonderful one on a CV, and
to keep raking in the Euros (and I would argue, to be above average in your
field), you'll need to job hop at least a bit.

------
Blackstone4
Culture - it helps if you have good self-awareness. Understand how you like to
work and what kind of people you like to hang out with and work backwards from
there. Translate this into what kind of culture you're looking for. Use this
to build a framework to filter firms.

When trying to assess a firm's culture, try to meet as many potential
colleagues as you can. Ask them what it is like to work there. Speak to people
who use to work there.

No one likes to speak badly of a firm.... they will speak to you in semi
encoded toned down messages. Take what they say then times it by 2x-10x and
that's what the firm is like.

Good luck :)

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ILikeConemowk
I'm a Latin-american CompSci and applied math graduate(B.Sc. and M.Sc.
respectively) currently living and working in Germany for five years.

> I know what kind of job I want. Generally I want to work at place that gives
> me some degree of freedom in the way I approach a problem

I've lived worked in three countries sofar, worked in two and met people from
all around the world who worked in many different places. One thing to note is
that nowhere I've been to are people, specially those who have a rank or time
to show for it, who have been longer at a job so keen on showing you the _one
and only right way_. This is a cultural German tendency in my opinion. Don't
be surprised. Germans need a long time to let go and give you trust, they need
a very long time. You will most likely have to use every opportunity you have
to subtly but surely "flabergast" your superiors and colleagues so that they
start trusting you. The cues for this are extremely subtle and almost not at
all visible during an interview process. You might ask how they treat new
hires or what kind of responsibility and trust you can expect in your first
months. It's ok for them to take your hand and guide you, on the other hand I
hate the attitude of most colleagues I've had that "they always know better".
If this is the case, don't worry, this is almost everywhere in Germany and
where it isn't is the exception. If you want to chase an unicorn or not is
your decision.

> enables and supports further education of employees with conferences and
> literature

You can ask your first and second interviewers about how they support the
education of the employees. I've never had problems in this regard sofar.
This, as far as you show desire to learn and they don't think they're burning
Euros on you.

> and respects the work life balance

Start-ups and small to medium companies will have a hard time guaranteeing
this. Big companies usually can allow themselves to let you do 9-5. They move
a bit slower than start-ups or midsize companies. Insurances, banks or other
companies with high availability requirements will most likely be bad choices;
give them the chance to prove themselves and mention "work-life balance" of
their own volition but don't hold your breath.

> But I'm not sure about what I have to look into when I evaluate a potential
> employer

They believe in their product, aren't cheap with gear and have clear that you
have a life out of work.

> What are good cues for a good/bad culture in a company?

When colleagues in the _same team_ bad mouth each other even if slightly so.
Intra-team is mostly inevitable, never participate, remain neutral, think as
you please.

"Work hard party hard, eh? Hehe, snort, LEL ... here, have another red bull or
some pot."

> What are some warning signs?

"Work hard party hard, eh? Hehe, snort, LEL ... here, have another red bull or
some pot."

When colleagues in the _same team_ bad mouth each other even if slightly so.
Intra-team is mostly inevitable, never participate, remain neutral, think as
you please.

They try to save on gear such as your chair, monitor or stuff you need for
doing your work.

>What are signs of good employer?

They respect your time during the interview process and if something happens
they apologize. Colleagues in the _same team_ don't bad mouth each other. They
are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They believe in their product.
They _try_ to never compromise on quality over quantity. The atmosphere is
friendly, there's water, coffee, cocoa and the like readily available for all,
bonus if they have fruits and nuts. Mega-bonus if they have a canteen and the
lunch is free or you only pay the tax/get a considerable discount.

>Is it okay to contact current employes and get some information from them?
What

Yes, ask the first and second interviewer questions. Be polite, simply show
interest and formulate your questions ALWAYS POSITIVELY: "what is the culture
among colleagues?" vs. "are you all assholes who hate eachother?"

>What else should I look out for?

Be creative. Translate what you value to polite and positive questions you
might pose.

