Done right, job hunting involves due diligence and accepting that there are “Unknown Unknowns”
When you’re interviewing for a new role, some things are obvious right away.
These include the job title, the responsibilities, the industry, the location, the size of the company, etc.
Then there’s the second layer: the things you can investigate.
Talking to current or former employees and asking smart questions can give you more insights into firm or company culture. You can learn more about the work style of the hiring manager, the pace of the work, and what it takes to be successful.
You can look at turnover, leadership stability, how the hiring process is conducted, and do other research (on-line or through your network).
This is the due diligence phase, and it matters.
But as Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense, famously said, every decision involves “known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns.”
That last category is the one job seekers struggle with most. No amount of research will tell you exactly how a team handles stress, how priorities will shift, or what it’s like to work with your future boss on a difficult day.
Some things you simply won’t know until you get there. It’s like the difference between dating and marriage (or living together).
The goal isn’t to eliminate uncertainty, that’s impossible.
The goal is to reduce unnecessary risk.
Do your homework. Gather what you can.
Then make the best decision with the information available… and give yourself permission to accept the “unknown unknowns” as part of the process.