External Assessment

The following is an outline that can be used as a guide for this assessment. Use it to document your goals, identify your career target and develop steps to help you reach those goals.

1. Identify 15 target companies that match your company criteria to begin your research.
   
   
2. Identify the best resources to research the target companies.
   
   
3. Determine the type of information you need.
   • What industry is the company in?
   • How large is the company?
   • Who are its competitors?
   • What type of products/services does the company produce/provide?
   • Who are the company’s customers/prospects?
   • What type of culture does the company promote?
   • What type of benefits does the company promote?
   • What criteria does the company look for when hiring?
     
     
4. Organizational Criteria
   
   

   General Company Criteria
   Organizational stability	Financial stability
   Solid organizational history	Future direction
   Industry recognition	Community recognition
   Quality products and services	Location
   Office environment	Cultural diversity
   Organizational values	Ethics / honesty
   Social environment	Teamwork and collaboration
   Cultural Requirements
   Documented orientation Program	Work life balance
   Flexibility	Healthy environment
   Collaboration and teamwork	Competence of peers
   Equipment and productivity tools	Reward system
   Family orientation	Standard market benefits
   Well-documented policies / procedures	Opportunity to contribute
   High employee morale
   Cultural Requirements
   Visionary leadership	Leader/employee relations
   Communication skills	Individual respect
   Ability to coach and provide feedback	Follow through
   Time management	Ability to adapt to change
   Accountability
   Career Growth
   Individual career development plans	Monitoring program
   Feedback and performance evaluation system	Solid education and training
   Higher education support	Cross-training opportunities
   Job descriptions and position specifications	Opportunity to mentor others
   Career Growth
   Competitive base salary	Realistic bonus opportunities
   Stock / profit sharing program	Group health insurance
   Dental / vision insurance	Life insurance
   Short-term and long-term disability	Paid holidays / vacation
   Tuition and training reimbursement	Accidental death benefits
   Community Involvement
   Cultural events	Social conscience
   Philanthropic involvement	Charity contributions

Learn which resources to utilize in your job search.