Salary and job type are obviously important elements to consider when hunting for work. Whether to use of help of recruitment agencies and graduate programs is yet another consideration. There is a third element to bear in mind: workplace appeal.

While both financial reward and working in a role you enjoy should be priorities, their relevance will quickly fall by the wayside if your daily environment itself is uninspiring. It’s amazing how quickly we can lose our drive if our pay packet is reasonable but our 9-5 conditions are unhappy.

A good approach is to start by imagining your ideal workplace, list the specifics that make it ideal, then underline those specifics that you feel would be the hardest to live without – ideally no more than a handful. This list is what you should keep in mind as you prepare your professional resume or attend an interview. It will help you keep your job search focused as well as make you stand out to those employers who share your values.

Workplace qualities that you may like to consider include:

Staff Recognition
Everyone needs to be noticed. Opt for workplaces that make a point of rewarding those who put effort into their jobs, either through dedicated awards or through public acknowledgement. Logically, employers who recognise staff contributions are more likely to work harder to retain staff in times of financial trouble and to offer bonuses when times are good.

Job Resources
Nobody is an expert at everything. Recognise those aspects of your job where you could benefit from support and seek out workplaces that will offer you this – be it through fostering a culture of teamwork or by paying for extra-curricular learning that will give you a chance to up-skill.

Strong Leadership
Seek out workplaces with leaders you admire. Leaders who are able to listen while also being decisive are the kind of people who will draw you to work each day. Graduate recruitment programs often incorporate such leaders into their strategic recruitment processes.