Jan 12, 2021 | by Budi Tanrim
4P: framework for choosing job
This month will be my last month with Bukalapak.
I’m inspired to write this while I was reflecting on what’s next in my career.
Back then, I was a junior. I took any place that will accept me. But now, fortunately, I have more options after years of hard work. So how will I decide where to work next? I have the 4P framework: Purpose, Practice, Pay, People.
During the interview, I’ll look for a cultural fit through this 4P. Here’s my train of thought:
Purpose.
This is the most important aspect that I will look at. Ultimately, I’m trying to understand where the organization wants to go in the long run.
What is your vision?
I’ll see if I’m interested in helping the organization pursuing that vision. A red flag is when the manager or leader who is interviewing me can’t articulate their vision. I normally will have a follow-up question to clarify what does that vision means to them. Sometimes it can be ambiguous.
What are you currently working on?
I hope to see whether the person can understand how their problem helps the company get closer to the vision. For me, the red flag is when they talk passionately about the solution instead of the problems they’re working on.
Practice.
At this point, I want to get an idea of the team’s dynamic. How the team works together.
Why are you working on that project?
In this question, I really want to know if the team owns the problem space or gets the feature request. It’s a good question to get an idea of the culture. If the team can’t articulate the why, it is a sign of an unhealthy team. I’ll have a few follow-up questions to clarify it.
When was the last time you talk to your users?
I normally look in a company that has a culture of customer-centricity. When I ask this, I hope the team gets access to their users and talks to them. Even if the method they use is not effective, but this will be a good foundation.
Pay.
I don’t have to explain anything here. I’ll ask myself: Am I happy to get this amount of appreciation compared to my work scope?
People.
Do I want to work with these people?
After a series of interviews and I asked a lot of questions. I can get a rough idea of how the people on the team.
”Will I regret it if I don’t take it?” After discussing with various companies, I will compare them in the table format. Then, I’ll ask myself, will I regret it if I don’t take this journey with them? I will also ask what’s the most important for me now? What is my aspiration?
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