I completely agree that an amazing boss is more important than a job title. I would actually add to this. When you’re looking for a new opportunity, look at the topmost leadership.

A company assumes the personality of its CEO, so make sure you admire, respect, and want to inherit some of those key personality traits.

Culture really does often come from the top, so interview job opportunities for culture the same way you are interviewed for whether you’d be a fit for the job.

Ask questions like:

• Is this the kind of leader I’d want to be? (About your prospective boss or CEO)
• What values get privileged, and are they the same ones that get marketed?
• What is the office vibe — do people seem chatty and social, helpful and focused, heads down and independent? Does that match up with yours?
• What could you learn from the people around you, thinking through both soft skills and technical skills? Does that match up with what you want or need to learn?
• Who succeeds under this type of leadership? Who is happiest under it? What do you have in common with that “who?”

Thanks for writing and sharing this article!