Leadership Insiders网络是一个在线社区。在这里，最有思想和影响力的企业人士会回答有关职业和领导力的问题。今天回答的问题是“对即将进入职场的大学毕业生有什么建议？”，答案由Sailthru人事副总裁娜塔莉·沃兹沃斯撰写。

对于一名刚刚毕业的大学生来说，评估可能为之效力的公司会让人感到力不从心，但事情并没有那么困难。尽管很多公司在第一眼看起来很熟悉，但初创企业、规模化企业和老牌企业之间存在着巨大的差异。在申请工作、衡量来自于初期和中期阶段公司的工作机会时，不妨问自己以下几个问题：

该公司的产品是否有价值？

在评估潜在的雇主时，可以从评估其产品入手。如果它生产的是消费品，而且你能够购买到并使用，那么就从这里入手。你喜欢这个产品吗？它是否能解决你生活当中的某个重大难题，你是否能够联想它会在其他人的生活中发挥同样的作用？如果你能够联想到其他人的生活也会因这一产品或产品理念（即便是未上市）而改变或改善，那么你便完成了第一步。

通过阅读评价，了解消费者对其产品或服务的感受。对于为企业提供服务的企业，搜索行业竞争力分析或寻找一位真实的客户进行交谈，了解他们对公司现状的看法，包括其实力、弱点、威胁和机遇。在该品牌官网或其他独立评价网站查看客户评论，搜索社交媒体查看它如何与客户进行接洽。你查看的所有地方是否都有产品的支持者？他们的生活是否受到了其产品和服务的重大影响？

不管是哪种类型的公司，你都应该在完成调查后思考：这家公司提供的产品是否深受大家的喜爱，或正在开发深受人们欢迎的产品。

自己对于风险和变化有着什么样的承受力？

尽管在初创企业工作比在历史悠久的老牌公司工作听起来更令人振奋，但是别忘了，初创企业与生俱来便与风险相伴。美国劳工统计局的数据显示，自1994年以来，50%的新企业撑过了第四个年头，在第十年依然存活的新企业只有1/3。不管你的评估有多么严谨，有两件事情你必须留意。第一，你在冒险。第二，能够长时间存活的初创企业很多时候靠的是运气，因为风投资本家和领导团队无法控制外部市场环境。

你还应该意识到，初创企业会经常性地改变其产品、策略和团队。对于某些人来说，这些公司良好的商业、职业和能力培养机遇比不确定性更重要。但对于某些人来说，这种不确定的前景会让他们感到担忧而不是兴奋。请弄清楚自己的侧重点。

这一职务是否会给自己带来挑战？

第一份工作应具有挑战性，这一点十分重要。在找到最适合自己的工作之前，你可以尝试几份不同的工作，因此，你的早期工作应有助于你培养良好的沟通、时间管理和问题解决技巧，这一点至关重要。此外，一定要接触高层领导，并自愿尝试不同部门的工作，这样你便能获得核心职责之外的技能。这些绝佳的方式都能够让你尽可能地从第一份工作中获得最大的收益。（财富中文网）

译者：冯丰

审稿：夏林

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question, “What advice do you have for college graduates entering the workforce?” is written by Natalie Wadsworth, vice president of people at Sailthru.

As a new college graduate, evaluating potential companies to work for can be overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be that hard. While many companies may seem similar at first glance, there are major differences between startups, scale-ups, and long-established enterprises. Here are some questions to think about when applying for jobs and considering offers from early- and mid-stage companies.

Do they offer a valuable product?

When evaluating a potential employer, start with evaluating their product. If you can buy and use the product because it’s a consumer product, start there. Do you love the product? Does it solve a major problem in your life or can you imagine that it does in the lives of many others? If you can imagine that lives will be changed or improved by this product, or by the idea of this product if it isn’t available yet, that’s a start.

Investigate what customers say about their product or service by reading reviews. For business-to-business companies, search for a competitive analysis of the industry or by finding and talking to a real customer to determine their point of view on the state of the company—including its strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. Look for customer reviews on the brand’s site and on other, independent review sites to see what people are saying. Search for it on social media to see how it engages with its customers. Are there evangelists of the product everywhere you look? Could they not imagine their life without that product or service?

Regardless of what kind of company it is, you should come away from your research thinking: This company builds something lots of people really love or is developing something people will really love.

What’s your appetite for risk and change?

While working at a startup may seem more exciting than at an older, more established venture, it is critical to remember that startups by nature are inherently risky. According to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics, since 1994, 50% of all new businesses made it to their fifth year and one-third made it to their 10th. No matter how rigorous an evaluation you undertake, you have to recognize two things. First, you’re taking a risk. Second, there is simply a lot of luck involved in a startup going the distance, as venture capitalists and leadership teams cannot control external market conditions.

It is also reasonable to expect that a startup will experience near-constant change to its product, strategy, and team. For some, that uncertainty might be outweighed by the great commercial, professional, and intellectual opportunities it offers. For others, that prospect may feel more terrifying than exciting. Figure out which type of person you are.

Will this position challenge me?

It's important to be challenged in your first job. You may explore a few different careers before settling on the best fit, so it is crucial that your early positions help you develop good communication, time management, and problem-solving skills. In addition, make sure to seek exposure to senior leadership and volunteer to work in different functions so you can gain skills outside of your core responsibilities. These are great ways to get everything you can out of your first experience in the workforce.