What the good places had in common

I’ve worked at a lot of places and with all kinds of people. Enough of a sample to have seen it all: the good, the bad, and everything in between. The good ones had a few things in common. And here are some of the things I tell folks to look for when they’re considering a new job. Or even just to think about in their current situation.

1Generosity flows from the top down.

It’s like what they say — people don’t leave bad companies, they leave bad managers. The same is true of generosity, just in reverse. It comes from the top, and you really can’t install it in the middle of an organization. People teams try — initiatives, rewards programs, all of it — but there’s only so much the folks below can uphold against the imbalance of authority.

At the good places, somebody near the top just did it, and everyone copied. Generosity is absolutely contagious, as well as kindness. Take care of the people, and the people take care of everything else.

2Seek out highly paid internships.

Meaning full-time jobs where you’re still learning.

A job where you’re learning and growing isn’t just a job where you’re paid to do a certain task. That’s a paid internship, and it’s the best of both worlds.

Think about it. Most places hire you for what you know, not for what you could grow into. The job description is a list of things you’ve already done.

In my case, I’ve been around the block enough that folks realize I have tremendous capabilities to do more, and I’ve always been handed more hats to wear. That’s the thing worth looking for — whether a place gives you room to become more than what they hired you for.

3The best seat is learning and teaching at the same time.

It’s nice when you’re the one people come to as the expert in the room. But it’s a slow leak. You’re spending down what you know and never refilling it.

The better version is a place where you’re learning and growing but also getting to teach and mentor. The full circle of life.

But at a minimum, double check that you’re learning, otherwise you should be going.

4Are you learning the right way to do things?

I tell my mentees and basically everyone that’ll listen to me — you need to know whether or not you’re learning the right way to do things at a given company.

Most places, it’s tough to tell. You inherit the way it’s done. But question it, push back on it, and ensure you know what the reference or standards are. Because every so often you land somewhere early enough that nobody has built that “process” yet. And you are the one to do it. You’ll need to know what it should look like, not just how it didn’t work in the past.

That’s the difference between building something that works versus something that repeats the same issues over again at a new place.