#jobhunt Archives - First Sun Consulting, LLC | Outplacement Services and Career Transition Firm

#JobSearch : Why It’s A Smart And Effective Strategy To Interview In August. Good News -Bad News. MUst REad!

August 4, 2022/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

August is traditionally one of the slowest months for hiring. The slowdown is comparable to the December holiday season. The major reason for the usual lull in the hiring process is that August is the last chance to take a summer vacation. Most families take time off around Christmas, Hanukkah and during the summer months, especially August.

A new vibe sets in toward the unofficial last month of the summer. Three-day weekends, summer Fridays and mentally checking out of work are commonly accepted practices. It’s an unwritten rule that this is the prime time for families to take their long-awaited trips to Disney, visit family, fly to Europe, check out interesting destinations across America or relax on a sunny beach, reading a trashy novel or just being in a moment of peace and tranquility.

What To Anticipate When You’re Interviewing

If you are in search mode, be prepared for more than the usual ghosting, absence of communications and lack of feedback. Since it’s prime travel and sightseeing season, there will be a turnstile effect occurring at companies. One person after another will be out of the office.

An interview scheduled weeks in advance will get canceled the night before, as the human resources professional reported that they have a cold and need to reschedule. They most likely emailed the change from their summer home in the Hamptons or Catskills.

Upon miraculous recovery, the HR person is back to work, but now the hiring manager is off on a two-week vacation. No sooner than when the supervisor returns, there is a domino effect of all the other parties involved in the interview process saying they’ll be on vacation or away for a few days. You were probably receiving communications about the process and now the emails, texts and phone messages have subsided. This pattern will last throughout the rest of the month into the first couple of weeks of September.

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

There Will Always Be Some Opportunities Available

Don’t give up hope and put your search on hold. You can’t generalize that everything grinds to a standstill. There will always be a small number of roles deemed by management to be essential and need to be filled immediately.

For the crucial open roles, you’ll have a big advantage if you are actively hunting for a job. Fewer candidates will compete for the same job, as they’re off vacation. Even if people don’t go away, they mentally check out.

A smart contrarian plan is to aggressively search for a job while there’s less competition. You’ll stand out that way. With fewer résumés submitted, yours will resonate with the hiring manager. Savvy HR professionals and long-time managers know that if they neglect hiring over the last part of the summer, they’ll be inundated with angry requests from managers yelling, “Why don’t I have any applicants for my job openings?”

The forward-thinking people involved with the hiring process recognize things may move slowly, but they’ll proactively build a solid pipeline of candidates willing and ready to interview once mid-September rolls in. They know that mid-September resembles that back-to-school mentality. It’s the feeling that summer and fun is over and it’s time to get serious and focused again.

The Behind The Scenes Reasons Why Businesses Will Hire Now

Smart hiring managers know from experience that they’ll be caught flat-footed in September and October if they don’t continue hiring now. If they wait until September to re-up the hiring cycle, the time frame may take three to six months to place job listings online, review the onslaught of pent-up demand résumés, retain recruiters to assist with the hard-to-find prospects, conduct interviews, run background checks and prepare an offer. The recipient of an offer would require two or three-plus weeks for their notice period. This would bring you into a start date in late November or early December, which triggers big issues.

White-collar professionals in sectors, such as Wall Street and tech, rely heavily upon their oversized bonuses. In a blazing hot market, companies would buy out bonuses to allure a person to join their organization. It’s not an insignificant amount of money. An investment banker or software engineer may expect high five-digit bonus figures.

A placement in August allows someone to qualify for a bonus if they switch jobs. The longer the time goes by, companies may not want to buy out or give a person a $50k bonus for only working a month or so at the new firm.

In this current economy and job market that is characterized by uncertainty, including runaway inflation, a recession, possible stagflation, layoffs, job-offer rescissions and hiring freezes, it’s more than likely that companies won’t want to shell out a significant bonus. They’ll instead pass on the candidate and wait for someone else who doesn’t require a large bonus reward.

Search For A Job, But Also Practice Self-Care

Understandably, folks don’t want to embark upon a lengthy job search in brutally hot weather. It’s not pleasant to go into the subway station in New York City when it’s 95 degrees and humid outside. The temperature uncomfortably rises as you’re waiting by the railroad tracks. After departing the crowded train car, squished between two sweaty people, you’ll need to walk about 10 blocks to the building for an in-person interview. By the time you arrive, you’re sweaty, your attire is wrinkled, your hair disheveled and you’re starting to get cranky and irritable. This isn’t the best way to shine in a first meeting.

Despite the challenges, you should still continue interviewing. After two-plus years of unrelenting stress and anxiety, taking time out for self-care is not unreasonable. You owe it to yourself to process the effects of the pandemic, try to comprehend what will happen with runaway inflation and a recession and question if the job cuts and hiring freezes are the new normal. With the slower pace at the office and the ability to sneak away while working remotely, it’s easy to just coast for a while and decompress.

What Companies Should Do

After all these years, you’d think executives would see the cycles and take action. It would make sense for business leaders to call for vacation schedules that would make it easier to streamline and fast-track the hiring process.

Businesses lose two or more months of interviewing and vetting candidates by not taking proactive measures. Once companies return to a normal schedule, there will be pent-up demand for hiring without sufficient applicants available. Feeling that they’ve been ghosted, some may have given up. Top talent will have already found jobs with more motivated candidate-friendly companies.

Management should embrace the summertime vibe. As 4 million Americans quit their jobs every month, if companies are missing out on hiring during August, the least they could do is stem the tide of attrition.

With the slower pace, team leaders should schedule time to talk with their staff. They could go to an offsite location and the worker could share their goals. The manager, in turn, can address their desires, ask for feedback, provide accolades for their accomplishments and share constructive criticism that would help them grow and flourish.

The Bottom Line

August is a great time to both enjoy a relaxing summer and search for a great new job, as there will be less competition and you can stand out.

Forbes.com | August 4, 2022 | Jack Kelly

#JobSearch : How To Negotiate With Confidence When You Really Need The Job. How can You Negotiate when Your in a Position of Weakness?

December 13, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

When you’re looking for a job, you might feel like you’re in the weak position because you’re doing the asking and hoping employers say Yes. For example, you’re sending out resumes and waiting for interviews, or going on interviews and waiting on offers. If you are currently unemployed and really need a job, you might feel like you have no leverage and should take what you can get.

You should always negotiate. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you negotiate every step of the way in the job search, not just at the offer stage. Each step from the initial application (where you are likely asked about salary expectations) to multiple rounds of interviews establishes your value to the company and career priorities for yourself. (Here are some tips for navigating common negotiation issues for job seekers.) Furthermore, employers expect job seekers to negotiate and respect you more when you negotiate well.

If you are anxious about negotiating, here are five ways to reframe the offer situation so you can negotiate with confidence even when you really need the job:

1 – Even if you feel like you don’t have leverage, your potential employer doesn’t know that

In any negotiation, each side doesn’t know 100% what is going on with the other side – e.g., their priorities, constraints, anxieties. You might feel like you can’t or won’t say No to the offer, but the employer doesn’t know that for sure. Don’t assume that the employer sees how anxious you are.

You can also ease your anxiety by increasing your leverage all along your job search. A competing offer is just one form of leverage, so don’t worry if you don’t have another offer at the exact same time as this one you’re negotiating. Being close to an offer, or having multiple leads in play, is also leverage because they represent other potential options. Having a strong network that you can tap (even if it’s for contract work to tide you over till a full-time job materializes) is another form of leverage.

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

2 – The employer also has something to lose if you say No

You feel like you really need this job, but remember that the employer also really needs to hire. This new addition to staff will cost money. It takes time to recruit and onboard. The hiring process takes people away from their day-to-day work. Clearly, the employer wouldn’t be doing this if they also didn’t really need something out of it – i.e., someone like you to fill the job.

The fact that you got the offer means that they want you, not someone else. So if you say No, they don’t get their first choice. If you say No, the search has to start all over again. The employer has to wait that much longer to get this much needed position filled. The employer also has something to lose if this offer story doesn’t have a happy ending, so they are just as invested as you in making things work.

3 — The right compensation matches the position, not just your specific situation

Maybe you have been underpaid before or you’re unemployed and therefore starting from a salary of $0, and this makes you uneasy about asking for any more money at all. A good way to reframe this negative head game is to remember that the right compensation matches the position being recruited, not the candidate. Whenever you discuss salary, bonus or other cash compensation with the employer, highlight any data that shows what the market commands for the role. Tie your request to the market, not your situation, especially if your salary history doesn’t match what the ideal compensation should be for this role.

4 – Don’t assume that the employer is trying to take advantage of you

You will have a more collaborative and effective negotiation if you assume the positive for the other side – i.e., that they, like you, genuinely want to come to agreement. If instead you assume that the employer is trying to take advantage of you, then you’ll approach the negotiation in a guarded way. This might show up in your attitude and be perceived as hesitation, or worse, declining interest in the role.

The employer made you an offer, which means they want to work with you. You also want to accept the position (if the offer is right!) and work with them. That shared agreement – you both want to be there – should be considered more important than anything else you’re negotiating and currently in disagreement about. Focus on the agreement you already have in common and how you can get to agreement on everything else. You’re working together, not against each other.

5 – If you don’t get what you want now, you can always try again

Even if you do everything right, the employer might still say No. If you are issued a best and final offer and you want to take it, then accept it wholeheartedly. Do a great job, and remember that you can negotiate at a later time.

Forbes.com – December 13, 2020 – Caroline Ceniza-Levine

Your #Career : Five Victim Mentalities to Drop During a #JobHunt …When Going Through the #InterviewProcess , We Subject Ourselves to all Kinds of Vulnerabilities that May Compel Us to Play the Victim Card. Yes You!

April 17, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We all have different filters through which we see the world that influence our attitudes and behaviors. One filter that is common to many is that of the “victim”. When circumstances become challenging, we sometimes use this “victim filter”, to ease certain ego bruises we experience. This filter leads us to feel victimized by events perceived to be beyond our control.

When going through the interview process, we subject ourselves to all kinds of vulnerabilities that may compel us to play the victim card. This kind of mentality can be especially detrimental when it manifests during a job hunt.

As a candidate, it’s your job to ensure that:

You’re able to articulate yourself professionally and sell your experiences
Your professional documents tell a clear and formatted story
You’re prepared for each interview

If you can’t check these boxes, then there’s work to be done beyond adjusting your attitude. However, if you’re confident that you’ve met the criteria discussed above, and you’re still experiencing interview rejection, it’s important to counter the negative thoughts that may result. Let’s examine some common victim mentalities.

1. “If a person I reach out to forgets to follow up, they must not want to help.”

People are usually well-intentioned and willing to help. Before assuming that someone has dropped off the face of the earth to avoid helping you, consider that they may have simply forgotten, or your approach didn’t work! People get inundated with messages all day, so it’s your job to be thoughtful about standing out.

Consider the following strategies before writing a person off:

Take the initiative to follow up and nurture your leads
When reaching out to someone for networking purposes, remember to ask for advice, not a job
Refine and retry your messaging — a/b test your strategies to see what works

Reframe your thoughts to “This person forgot to get back to me, but it’s my job to follow up and make a great impression.”

2. “I don’t have the right experience, so I won’t bother applying.”

Job descriptions often set out a wish list of qualities required of candidates that are more aspirational than mandatory. Though you might not have the years of experience, your skill set might nonetheless still fit the bill for a given position. Less experience also means a lower pay grade, which can be an advantage for an organization.

Break the job description down into tasks, and if you feel you could succeed in each area, don’t hesitate to apply.

Reframe your thoughts to “I can’t change my work experience, but if I get rejected at least I went for it!”

3. “Job hunting is hard for someone like me.”

Whether you’ve been laid off, fired, or left a job, it’s tempting to think that you’re the only one struggling. You need to acknowledge that job hunting is hard for everyone; and you can’t pretend that there won’t be rejection involved. “You’ll need to build the confidence to move on from setbacks and get back on the horse”, says Work & Life Coach Minda Miloff. It’s important to fill your life with meaningful hobbies and projects, so when a challenge presents itself in one area, your confidence remains intact!

Reframe your thoughts to “Job hunting is hard for everyone. I will show empathy and help those in their job search whenever I can”.

4. “I’ve been rejected from so many jobs — it’s not fair!”

When an organization makes a choice about who gets the job, the decision may not always be based on criteria that is transparent to you. Though the outcome might not be what you hoped, there is always something to learn and a tangible skill to be gained through each interview, says Miloff. Assume that the competition is stiff, and you can’t predict how things will unfold. Focus on what you can learn from each interview, and use that to drive yourself forward.

Reframe your thought to “I’ve been rejected from so many jobs, but I’ve learned from each rejection and I know that all it takes is one person to say yes.”

5. “I’m never going to land the job I want.”

While you need to project the confidence that you’ll be successful, it’s important to monitor your expectations and be realistic that there is a chance things won’t work out. Interviews should be viewed as a performance about “delivering the best of who you are on the spot” says Miloff. At some point, you have to say, “I did my best,” and that’s a helpful countermeasure to feeling knocked down.

Reframe your thoughts to “I will land the right job eventually. I accept that it might take time, commitment and grit on my behalf.”

It’s normal to indulge in some necessary pity parties. However, career development requires mental toughness, strength to recover and self-awareness to recognize your own weaknesses or alternatives for why things didn’t work out. Rejection is an unavoidable part of the process, and so the quicker you learn to bounce back and re-strategize, the more success you’ll find!

Stacy Pollack is a Learning Specialist with an MA in Educational Technology. She is passionate about building leadership programs that engage and contribute to the success of her organization. She loves to share her perspective on job hunting, career building, and networking for success. Connect with her onLinkedIn or Twitter.

Glassdoor.com | April 16, 2018 | Stacy Pollack

Your #Career : These Are 6 Red Flags That You Shouldn’t Take The Job….If you See One or More of these Warning signs During your #Interview, Maybe this Isn’t the #Workplace for You.

February 20, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The average job hunt takes the better part of three months, according to job search platform TalentWorks. That’s a long time to have your mind focused on how to land the interview, prepare, and make the best impression to get hired. So, it’s no wonder that, once there, many job seekers overlook red flags that they may not be courting the greatest place to work.

“It is important for people to slow down and realize that it’s a two-way interview, because the job is only going to be a great experience for them if it’s a good fit,” says Carisa Miklusak, CEO of recruitment automation platform Tilr, based in Cincinnati. And there are often a number of clues about the job, company culture, and leadership if you just know what to look for, she says.

Here are six red flags to watch out for.

ATTITUDE AND APPEARANCE

You may be nervous, but take a moment to look around and observe your surroundings. What you see may tell you a lot about the company and its people. “From the time that you walk in, it starts with the receptionist. As you’re walking through the office, do people seem friendly, do they try to engage with you, say welcome, say hello, make eye contact?” says Tonya Salerno, principal staffing manager at WinterWyman, based in New York City. People who are happy in their work are generally curious about and friendly to newcomers, she says.

Also, take a look around the office. It doesn’t have to be prime office space, but do you get a sense that people have pride in their workplace? Are common areas tidy or in disarray? Does the place look clean? Do people have personal effects in their work space? Does it look inviting?

“I believe an office is like a second home, and that I should take pride in the space and the people with whom I would be working,” says Salerno.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Continue of article:

LACK OF PREPARATION

When you sit down with the interviewer, do you have a sense that they know who you are? Has the interviewer reviewed your resume and have some familiarity with your background? If not, they may not be taking the job search as seriously as you are, or it may be a sign that the company has a lot of turnover and doesn’t invest much time in replacing people, Miklusak says. The interviewer should be familiar with the job for which you’re interviewing and have at least a basic familiarity with your background.

HYPOTHETICAL AND SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS

Miklusak says one of her best “job interview hacks” is to listen for hypothetical or situational questions. If an employer asks, ‘How would you react in a situation like this?” listen to the question, she says. “The interviewer is asking because you are likely to be in a situation like that, or in some type of situation where one could make a parallel between the question and the situation.”

So, if an interviewer asks you how you would react if you were in a chaotic situation with little direction, it might be a test to see how you manage disorder. But, it could also be that the interviewer is trying to figure out if you can manage the organization’s way of operating.

A QUEST FOR ELUSIVE CHANGE

If your interviewer talks about how the company is ready for change or needs change, ask a few questions, says Sarah Connors, principal staffing manager and team leader at WinterWyman. Get more information on what needs to be changed, how long it’s been that way, and most importantly, how ready they are to change it.

“I’ve had candidates get excited to be the person to truly impact change at a company, just to find out later that the managing team isn’t ready to change things. So be sure it isn’t just an ideal they’re paying lip service to, but a reality they want you to help deliver,” she says. Or the company may put the responsibility for changing things on you without giving you the resources you need to be successful.

IMPROPER QUESTIONS

There are a number of questions that interviewers aren’t allowed to ask by law. Yet a 2017 Associated Press and CNBC poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that more than half (51%) of those who have been on at least one job interview have been asked at least one inappropriate or personal question. Questions about marital status, medical history, and disabilities topped the list. If interviewers aren’t aware of basic employment law, that could be an indicator that they’re lax in other areas, too.

“It can be a real cultural flag. For example, if a lot of people are asking you if you have kids. It’s either a super-friendly family place, or they want to put you on a plane 100% of the time and they’re real concerned if you do [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][have children],” Miklusak says.

COMFORT QUESTIONS

If an interviewer asks about your comfort level with certain factors, take note, Miklusak warns. “This question is a huge flag, ‘Do you think you will be comfortable here because . . . ‘ and then the because is something like, ‘Most of the people are younger than you’ or ‘This is a pretty male-orientated sales team,’” she says. Look for what the interviewer is trying to indicate about the culture. Such a question may reflect a flaw, lack of diversity, or issue that has been a problem in the past.

By keeping an eye out for red flags, you can keep focused on finding a job that will be a good fit for you—and more likely free of unpleasant surprises.

FastCompany.com | February 20, 2018

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Tag Archive for: #jobhunt

Posts

What To Anticipate When You’re Interviewing

There Will Always Be Some Opportunities Available

The Behind The Scenes Reasons Why Businesses Will Hire Now

Search For A Job, But Also Practice Self-Care

What Companies Should Do

The Bottom Line

1. “If a person I reach out to forgets to follow up, they must not want to help.”

2. “I don’t have the right experience, so I won’t bother applying.”

3. “Job hunting is hard for someone like me.”

4. “I’ve been rejected from so many jobs — it’s not fair!”

5. “I’m never going to land the job I want.”

ATTITUDE AND APPEARANCE

LACK OF PREPARATION

HYPOTHETICAL AND SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS

A QUEST FOR ELUSIVE CHANGE

IMPROPER QUESTIONS

COMFORT QUESTIONS