I went on a speed date with Summer of Tech, and I just knew that they were the one for me to settle down and have an internship with.

More than once, I have been told that a job interview is like going on a date. A two-way conversation, where you get the opportunity to interview the interviewer and find out whether you and the company (or team) are a good fit.

When getting to know someone, what do you want to know most about them? What kind of person are they? Will they be invested in me? Do we have the same values? You can ask yourself the same questions when looking for an internship or job.

Knowing your values will help you determine which company to choose when deciding what role you want to accept. In a job market where it feels like you are at the mercy of employers, this is where you have the power to decide what's important to you. 

What I could see from Summer of Tech's culture is that they live their values. Even as they are in the process of redefining them now, they completely align with my own.

But how can you tell if a company's values are a match with yours?

Try this, list your top 5 and write out an example of what each value looks like in action.

From here, you can frame interview questions or create criteria for the organisation you would like to work for and see if they check those boxes.

Here are some examples of how an organisation could embody their values:

Compassion: Where it feels safe to express emotion and ask for support.

Forgiveness: Where mistakes are looked at as ways to learn. 

Kindness: Where they actively celebrate and appreciate their employees.

Equality: In a workplace that is inclusive and treats their employees equally with respect. 

Meaningful Work: Where they are making a positive impact in the community.

Through a Summer of Tech, I met Tash Pieterse, a Confidence and Clarity Coach who led an online boot camp, ‘Building Self-Confidence as a New Professional’ earlier this year. Afterwards, I took a course with her, and she coached me as I explored my values and ‘my why’. You can read Tash’s value packed blog at: https://www.tashpieterse.com/blog

What are your values? It's never too late to define them.

This is the third blog post of a series by our 2021 Marketing Intern, Yana Brewster. Keep an eye out - she will be continually posting as her internship journey progresses!

See her second post here: Summer of Tech Internship - Disagreeing With My Boss