There are plenty of places to look for jobs, lots of companies hiring, and, in theory, your shiny new diploma is the ticket to success. Well, if you're like me and have already been dabbling in the working world, you might have found that a good job is defined by much more than salary and benefits. You're about to embark on what will hopefully be a long, prosperous and fulfilling career - but how do you figure out which employer is on the right path and not just standing in the way?

As a kid I tried every entrepreneurial venture possible; I couldn't stand waiting to get into the working world. I wanted a job, something to do, to get my career going before I even knew the meaning of the word. As a senior in high school, I had the opportunity to work for a local company and finally get the feel for business. The experience was invaluable, but the company eventually felt too small for my growing visions. After some tentative job searching, I found myself a cutting edge "dot com" where I was sure my career would be catapulted into brilliant success. Well, that company just wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and I've learned a few hard lessons about the job search circus. As graduation quickly approaches, my experiences have proved invaluable in figuring out what companies are worth a look, and which ones would only stall a promising career.

Let me clarify exactly what I mean by the word "career". There are jobs, which can be likened to tasks, chores, or the ball to which you're chained if you want to make rent and car payments this month. Then there are those idolized, life-long initiatives that might take you from job to job, building experience and working out the kinks to find a niche where you really fit. Those, my friends, are careers. There are a lucky few who make their job and career one and the same. This union is what has so far eluded me, but which I think I've a much better shot at reaching now knowing a few things about job searching.

The first thing you need to do is actually research the company outside of the nice package you received in the mail. Web sites and financial stats are good places to start. If these convince you that the place is worth a shot, then go more in-depth. Try to get a feel for the firm's underlying values, how they do business, if the environment fits with your idea of a good place to work. Finding a contact, perhaps through a college alumni network, is often the best way to get an inside look. Just like when you had to choose a college, you need to figure out if you will actually like the place where you work, and if it will like you.

So you found a way to get the inside scoop, now what? There are some key questions that you will need answered, but it's not as easy as just asking them outright. Any reasonably intelligent representative is going to tell you that his company is a great place to work; you have to read between the lines. Does the person really seem enthusiastic about the subject matter, or is it simply that he gets a bonus if you sign on? Are the people in the office smiling when they don't know that you're looking? Try to concentrate on the little things that aren't a part of the standard tour, like how people from different departments work with each other, if there's a human touch to the general decor, where managers offices are located in relation to the various departments. The little details may seem negligible, but they are important clues to the big picture.

All the pieces of a company need to fit together, so if it has lots of segregated departments, dreary cubicles, and management offices located a block away from the center of business, you can bet the management strategy is, at best, outdated. Even if you're set up to take one of the nice corner offices, think about what it would be like trying to communicate with your co-workers, or convincing management to take on an exciting new challenge. The odds of finding real career-moving opportunities are slim in an environment like that.

The focus of your job search should be your career, and you need to know what you want out of it. Promising positions aren't necessarily those with the highest salaries or most comprehensive benefits. Compensation is an unavoidable issue, but don't let your insight stop there. Where a job will take you is the ultimate reward. Use an interview as a chance to ask questions, and subtly conduct your own "interview" of the company at the same time. Look at the big picture, in terms of the company environment, how the job fits into your life and long-term career objectives. Blinded by the flashing lights of a high-tech company, I missed all the clues that would have saved me a lot of time, frustration, and cash; hopefully you will be able to avoid the same mistake.