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#JobSearch : How to Navigate Tough Questions During a Job Interview. Great Read!

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Acing a job interview often hinges on preparation for every kind of question—especially awkward or inappropriate ones about your current salary, family responsibilities or other subjects.

Despite some employers’ efforts to boost inclusiveness and combat biases and ageism, such queries can arise during recruitment. At The Wall Street Journal Job Summit in March, executives, career coaches and economists advised job seekers how to navigate thorny questions during in-person or video interviews and avoid potential pitfalls. Here is their advice:

Reframe questions about your current salary

It’s an interview question many candidates dread: “What are you earning at your current job?” In many cities and states it is illegal to ask a candidate what his or her salary is—which doesn’t mean that a hiring manager won’t try.

 

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

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

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 …

If the question does arise, Trier Bryant, co-founder of workplace consultancy Just Work, recommends responding “I don’t feel comfortable answering that.” Then, say what you expect to earn based on your skills and experience.

“Compensation-benchmarking data is out there. Go find out, what are the bands and what’s the market for the type of company that you’re interviewing for?” said Ms. Bryant. “A small startup that’s still private, that’s not public, their compensation structure’s going to be very different than a larger public company.”

Keep in mind that total compensation includes more than base salary, and consider pushing for a signing bonus, a relocation allowance, equity or repayment for transportation or sessions with an executive coach.

While some job seekers may shy away from negotiating, Kim Scott, co-founder of Just Work, warns that there is a cost to skipping the conversation entirely. “Just get the money that you deserve,” she said, “because the tax of realizing that you are underpaid is huge. It prevents you from doing your best work.”

Head off ageism

When Ms. Scott moved to Silicon Valley from New York in the early 2000s, she went from consistently being one of the youngest people in the room at work to typically being the oldest. She suggests a little trick that experienced job seekers can use to win over younger interviewers.

“The most helpful advice I got was to say, ‘I’m really eager to learn,’ ” she said. “That feels like a statement that is not as strong as you want to make. But if you realize that people are worried that you think you already know it all, it’s a great sort of response to that bias.”

 

Discuss your children on your own terms

An interviewer who asks about children may just be making conversation. But there also is the chance he or she is looking to learn about your availability to work outside regular hours or the possibility of child-care interruptions.

“Say, ‘You know what? I would actually like to focus on the skill sets and my experience for this role,’” said LaFawn Davis, group vice president of environmental, social and governance at the job-search site Indeed. “They may be just trying to build rapport with you and have a conversation. But you want to make sure that you’re focused on what you can do for that company in that role and not the other things that may lead to bias in a decision in your hiring.”

If you are concerned about interruptions from children participating in remote school or a babysitter arriving during a video interview, suggest blocks of time that work for you.

“It’s okay to say to the recruiter, ‘Hey, this is the best time for me and it’s going to be the quietest,’ ” said Laura Fennell, executive vice president and chief people and places officer at financial-software maker Intuit. “Don’t worry about asking for, ‘Look, I want some quiet time and two o’clock to five o’clock would be the best time to schedule this.’ ”

 

Get a sense of the company

Ms. Davis recommends that before interviews, job seekers do some research to learn how inclusive a company is. Peruse the organization’s core values, its social media accounts and any recent statements in support of marginalized groups. Pay attention to the interviewers themselves. Are they diverse or are you likely to be an early diversity hire? If the interviewers seem to be emphasizing “cultural fit,” ask what that means.

“Be active participants in the hiring process,” Ms. Davis said. “You are also interviewing the company. You’re vetting the company. So, is this where you want to be?”

 

WSJ.com Author : Write to Kathryn Dill at Kathryn.Dill@wsj.com

 

WSJ.com – April 5, 2021

 

#JobSearch :Tips to Edit Your Resume Like a Professional. Editing your Resume is One of the Most Important Steps you can Take when Applying for a Job.

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Writing an effective resume is about more than just creating a resume once and distributing it to prospective employers. An executive resume writer will tell you how important it is to review your resume and edit it often. Unfortunately, many people find one of their biggest weaknesses is editing. Hiring an executive resume service can provide the assistance you need, but learning to edit on your own can be invaluable.

Focus on Your Achievements

Many individuals focus on what their responsibilities have been at their jobs, rather than what they have actually achieved. Prospective employers want to know what your skills are and how you have used those skills to accomplish things in your past work history. If you could do it for a past employer, then you can do it for them. Think about the requirements of the job to which you are applying and focus on the skills you need to meet the demands of the position.

 

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

 

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

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 …

Market Yourself

Your resume is your chance to sell yourself and tell your prospective employers why they should consider hiring you, rather than one of the other individuals who have applied. You may easily tell potential employers what you can do, but you also need to show them how well you can do it. When writing an effective resume, you need to show them how well you have done in past positions. Quantify your value, don’t just state it.

Remove Irrelevant Material

An executive resume writer can go through your resume and help you pick out the items that aren’t relevant to the job for which you are applying. Many people create a single resume and try to distribute it to all of their prospects. However, employers are looking for the best fit for the job. If your resume is filled with information that doesn’t relate to the open position, your resume is more likely to find its way to the bottom of the pile, rather than in the interview pile.

Don’t Give It All Away

A resume is meant to be a snapshot of your work history to get employers to call you. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you don’t give too much away. Make sure you leave them with questions so they want to talk to you. It’s important to make sure you can work on selling yourself at the interview to close the deal.

Check for Common Mistakes

Grammar and spelling errors can be devastating to your ability to get a job. An executive resume service will be able to identify these problems, but anyone with a firm understanding of the English language can go over your resume and point out potential issues. You should also double check names, addresses, and other important information for accuracy.

Editing your resume is one of the most important steps you can take when applying for a job. Writing an effective resume will help set you apart from the other people applying for a job and can increase your chances of landing the job you want.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – March 11, 2021

 

 

 

#JobSearch : Hiring Has Restarted. Here’s What You Need to Know to Land a New Job, Now. Question: What are your best strategies for job-hunting in the pandemic era?

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One year since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, there are glimmers of a sustained jobs recovery—and that means new opportunities for prepared job seekers.

There are reasons to believe the latest uptick in job creation has more legs than similar spurts last summer and early fall, even though Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned at The Wall Street Journal’s Job Summit last week that the economy remains far from maximum employment.

The number of help-wanted ads returned to pre-pandemic levels in January, fueled in part by more high-wage openings in technology and finance, according to job-search site Indeed. Weekly unemployment claims have fallen to their lowest levels in months. There also are signs that economic activity is poised to pick up as more people are vaccinated.

As hiring accelerates, millions of unemployed Americans will be vying for openings alongside workers jockeying for new jobs and promotions. Yet, the pandemic’s impact on the job hunt is likely to linger: Workers will need to be prepared for virtual interviews and onboarding. They may need to pick up new skills, or reinvent themselves for the next phase of their career.

Whether the pandemic has left you unemployed, underemployed or gearing up for the next step, you will need to stand out in the crowd. Economists, executives and career coaches offered advice to thousands of job seekers at the Journal’s Jobs Summit. Here is what they said:

Get your résumé in front of a human

Before your résumé even reaches a recruiter, it will need to charm a piece of software. Adding certain keywords—the terms most relevant to the job you’re seeking—is essential. For an engineer, that can mean listing programming languages you are fluent in.

“Using those words that are going to be important to the recruiter in your résumé is a key first step,” said Scott Bonneau, vice president of global talent attraction at Indeed. He recommends keeping a résumé to one page: “Once your résumé makes it to a recruiter, they may only have a few seconds or a few minutes to spend on an initial scan.”

After your résumé clears the robots and recruiters, it has a chance to gain the attention of hiring managers. Mr. Bonneau said a succinct summary or objective statement at the top of your résumé can help. “That is your brief but important way to give that hiring manager or that recruiter a contextualized overview of your experience with respect to the role,” he said.

Paige Ross, senior managing director and global head, human resources, at private-equity firm Blackstone, studies outcomes when reviewing résumés. “What have you worked on, and what were the results?,” she said.

Laura Fennell, executive vice president and chief people and places officer at financial-software maker Intuit, seeks clarity: “Résumés can get super flowery and hard to understand, so real clarity around what you’ve done—I love that.”

Work the system—but don’t try to game it

Though it is important to be strategic, overplaying your hand can backfire, Mr. Bonneau said. Key words are vital to get your résumé noticed but cramming in phrases lifted verbatim from the job description or make your résumé hard to read won’t get you far. You may get past the applicant-tracking-system algorithm only to end up alienating the recruiter who receives a résumé filled with key words that don’t genuinely reflect your abilities.

“It’s important to make sure that we focus on the relevant experience, the relevant words, but backed up by your accomplishments and what makes you the best candidate for that role,” he said.

Timing is everything

Once a job is posted online the clock is ticking, and applications that come in at the end of the submission window may already be handicapped, recruiters said. Sifting through applications and interviewing candidates begins almost immediately, and there likely will be internal candidates as well as finalists for previous vacancies all jockeying for the role.

Applicants should make thoughtful—but swift—edits to their résumé and cover letter, Indeed’s Mr. Bonneau said. “A couple of days might be the difference between a job being there or being filled by the time you apply,” he said.

He suggests setting alerts on Indeed and other sites for when relevant jobs are posted. “Let the tools do some of that work for you,” he said.

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

Article continued …

“Network, network, network”

Even as you’re working to get your résumé noticed, don’t forget networking. Jane Oates, president of WorkingNation, a nonprofit focused on unemployment, recommends that as job seekers tap professional contacts they include details that may elicit particular advice.

“When you’re networking with the people you know, don’t say ‘I’m looking for a job,’ ” said Ms. Oates. “Say instead, ‘I really have great organizational skills. That has to help me get a job. Do you have any idea about that?’ Be a little bit more specific.” Even if you don’t know anyone at the company or the field where you’re applying for a job, she added, try making contacts at professional or trade organizations.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

What are your best strategies for job-hunting in the pandemic era? Join the conversation below.

You don’t need to check every box

Some job descriptions may read like an unachievable wishlist—but that shouldn’t necessarily stop you from applying.

“‘Preferred requirements’ or ‘nice to haves’ doesn’t mean that you have to have that skill set to apply for the role,” said LaFawn Davis, Indeed’s group vice president of environmental, social and governance. She recommends explaining in your cover letter how your skills can translate to the role you are seeking.

“You should go for it if you have most of those things because, I guarantee you, the skills that you have will work out well in that role,” she said. “If you’re ready to get into something new, if you’re open to stretching yourself, you can learn those other three to four things that maybe you don’t have right now.”

 

WSJ.com | March 7. 2021 |  

#JobSearch : How Does Your Brand Stand Out on Your Resume? Accurately Reflect your Expertise? Most if Not All, the Answer is NO.

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One question I get asked every single week by clients is if their resumes have enough branding–specifically, executive branding. Does their resume accurately reflect their expertise and what they are recognized for? Can I tell what their brand might be? Usually, my answer to these questions is NO.

 

Your executive brand doesn’t always speak for itself, especially if your resume is basically a job description of what you’ve been doing. No, you have to sprinkle aspects of your brand throughout your resume and let your reader know who you are.

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

Article continued …

A brand is an evolution of where you are today. It communicates your value to the reader. Have you Googled yourself lately? What comes up in the searches next to your name? That will help you realize your brand.

To represent your brand on your executive resume, make a list of 5-10 strengths and personal attributes that describe you. Are these strengths and attributes on your resume? If a reader were to glance at your resume, would they be able to tell within 10-20 seconds what your brand is, who you are, and what you bring to the table? Is the first half of your resume selling the reader on your brand?

This may sound like a difficult task to do. We aren’t very good at evaluating ourselves. Many of our clients tell us they have this information but are unsure of how to incorporate that into their resume. There is help for that. There are many talented executive resume writers who specialize in executive branding and can walk through it with you. Whether you hire someone to help you with that or do it yourself, the most important thing is that your resume is infused with your unique brand.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – February 1, 2021

How to Work With Headhunters…. Important Note -Headhunters Work for the Company that Hired Them, Not for You. (i.e. Not there to ‘find’ you a job)

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What is a headhunter?

There is a distinction between headhunters and recruiters. Headhunters tend to be more singularly focused on filling a particular role and actively seek out the perfect person for the job, whereas recruiters tend to work on multiple jobs at once and rely more on candidates finding them. “You’re going out to find people. You’re not waiting for them to come to you,” says Matt Clarke, managing director at recruitment firm Blackwood Associates LLC. “There are some people who are more proactive and there are others that are reactive. It’s more about the proactive approach.”

A headhunter usually tries to convince a high-performing worker to leave a job for a competitor, according to Mr. Clarke. “You’re recruiting someone out of their current seat based on a referral or knowing that they’re good in their current space.” This can be more challenging than trying to find a role for someone who is looking for a new job. “They’re happy and you’re motivating them to make a move.”

A headhunter usually tries to convince a high-performing worker to leave a job for a competitor, according to Mr. Clarke. “You’re recruiting someone out of their current seat based on a referral or knowing that they’re good in their current space.” This can be more challenging than trying to find a role for someone who is looking for a new job. “They’re happy and you’re motivating them to make a move.”

In brief:
  • Headhunters work for the company that hired them, not for you.
  • Talk to the people in your network to track down who is recruiting for particular roles.
  • Build a rapport and offer help to headhunters for benefits down the line.
  • Know which headhunters to avoid.

 

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

Article continued …

Do headhunters focus on people who are mid-level or higher?

Not necessarily. While some headhunting firms specialize in filling C-suite jobs, others fill jobs that require less experience. “It spans where you are in your career. It’s really more about your company’s focus,” says Mr. Clarke.

Headhunters don’t work for you, they work for an employer.

Headhunters primarily work with companies looking to fill a position. If you aren’t getting a call back from a headhunter, you are not alone. A headhunter’s focus in most cases is to devote his or her time to the client, not a job seeker who isn’t an active target. “Most recruiters work for companies that are paying them to find candidates,” says Stacey Staaterman, a leadership and career coach based in New York. “So, what’s most important for people on the job-search side is that they need to be sensitive to the fact that they’re not the first priority.”

Why would a company hire a headhunter?

Companies hire headhunters for a variety of reasons. “It could be that it’s a messy situation, so they need a recruiter to sell it,” says Roy Cohen, a career coach and author of “The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide: Success Secrets of a Career Coach.” Another reason could be the seniority of the role. Mr. Cohen says that recruiting for a very senior-level position, such as a division president or chief executive, can be a heavy lift and companies may prefer to use a headhunter with the expertise to find the ideal person from a “large universe of potential candidates.”If you are contacted by a headhunter, it helps to ask tough questions about why the role is open, because some of those reasons might not be positive for a candidate. “Be careful what you wish for when you do work with a recruiter. It could be they’ve been hired because the situation is one that has been problematic,” says Mr. Cohen. “Maybe there’s turnover, maybe the boss is a screamer. There could be all sorts of reasons they’ve hired this recruiter.”

How to find a headhunter to work with.

Since most headhunters are looking at a fairly small pool of people, you may have to get creative to get yourself on their radar. One way is to triangulate the jobs they are trying to fill by speaking to people in your own network in similar roles. “It’s about networking with people who work in the field that you’re looking for a job, because it’s likely that if you’re talking to people who are in visible positions in your field, they will have received calls from recruiters,” says Mr. Cohen. Find out who the headhunters are that are targeting them. There is often a virtuous cycle of people referring headhunters to their contacts when they themselves are not interested in positions.

You may need to tell people you trust in your network that you are open to talking to headhunters. Mr. Cohen says that this strategy is preferable to emailing several recruiters en masse.  It is useful to develop a relationship with a headhunter that might pay off later. If you happen to be contacted by one for a position you have no interest in, think about how you might be able to help him or her with a solid reference to someone else in your own network. “I always tell people if they’re looking, identify a few headhunters that you can establish a bit of a rapport with so that they kind of know you and stay in touch,” says Ms. Staaterman. “Don’t be annoying—be helpful. If you’re not right for a position, give the headhunter a few names. That always creates goodwill.”

What are headhunters looking for and what are their motivations?

Headhunters look for high-quality candidates—who in most cases are already employed—and try to convince them to leave for a better job. Usually, they are trying to meet specific requirements from the company that hired them to fill the job, but sometimes they may look for less obvious candidates who might be an interesting wildcard. “There is a growing interest in having nontraditional candidates on the candidate list,” says Ms. Staaterman. “The term is a ‘cultural add.’ It’s essentially trying to bring something different into the organization,” she says. “Thanks to companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, we have more awareness [that] having a diversity of thought, for many companies, is a good thing.”

How disreputable headhunters can harm you and how to avoid them.

You need to be smart about which headhunters you are willing to work with, says Mr. Clarke. You should make sure they are not trying to hire you for a job that someone else left due to an unresolved problem, such as the work culture or bad management. You also need to avoid working with headhunters who aren’t thoughtful about the jobs they submit you for. “If they’re just sending your résumé around to different firms—let’s use banks, for example—some headhunter gets your résumé, or some recruiter gets your résumé and they’re not professional, [or] good at what they do, and they start sending you around to different companies without telling you where your résumé has been sent in, that can absolutely crush your chances of getting jobs at certain places,” says Mr. Clarke.

WSJ.com | January 8, 2021 |  and

#YourCareer : Build Your Brand Through LinkedIn Recommendations. Recommendations are Like an Online Review of Who you Are.

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I don’t know about you, but before I buy anything online, I read the reviews. I like to read a first-hand perspective from other buyers. Very often a review will change my mind. Think about that when it comes to LinkedIn recommendations.

Recommendations are like an online review of who you are, your work, etc. Receiving recommendations from colleagues, past supervisors, professors, etc. can act as a professional reference for your expertise, skills, and overall work ethic. It’s social proof for you.

But how do you go about receiving recommendations from your network? 

Here’s the Plan:

  1. Make a list of people you’ve had contact with at previous companies or projects.
  2. After you write it, send them an email telling them what a great job they did.
  3. The best time to do this is right after the event is done.
  4. Wait a week or so, then contact them and ask if they would be willing to write one for you.
  5. Be sure to send them a thank you if they follow through.

So now you have the plan, but how do you go about executing on it? 

What to Include in Your Recommendation

When you’re writing a LinkedIn recommendation for a connection, think about what you would want someone to say about you. Be specific when it comes to your experience with working with them or how you know what they bring to the table. Grab the reader’s attention with the first sentence and be very clear as to why you think they will succeed in any given endeavor. And never hesitate to ask your connection what information they would like you to include in the recommendation as well, so it’s tailored appropriately. It only needs to be 2-3 sentences, not a novel.

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

Article continued … 

Requesting Recommendations

Now that you’ve written recommendations for your colleagues, you can feel more comfortable asking for one in return. You can do this through email or through, sending a personalized message or on the main page, under “More” you can ask for a recommendation. Don’t expect everyone to respond with one, but be sure to thank those that send them. 

Choose Your Recommendations Carefully

You may receive recommendations from your network you never requested. Think quality over quantity at this point. LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to review your recommendations before they get posted on your profile. Don’t just accept every recommendation without reading them first. You want to make sure it matches your personal brand before accepting. On the other hand, you could harm your own reputation if you give out a recommendation every time you’re asked. Unless you worked closely with the person or know them very well, proceed with caution before writing one. Hiring managers and recruiters can tell a genuine recommendation from a fabricated one, so it’s not worth it just to make someone happy.

If managed properly, LinkedIn recommendations can increase your brand messaging and shore up your social proof. But live by the motto of “reciprocity”, giving back and sharing the love to your network in return.

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

#BestofFSCBlog : How to Negotiate a Job Offer. The Do’s and Don’ts. If you Don’t Ask for What you Want, You’re Not Going to Get It. A MUst REad!

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Salary negotiation is an art, but there are proven techniques you can use to get what you want. In addition to researching and crafting your pitch about why you are the most desirable candidate, experts say that creating a personal, empathic connection with your negotiator is also a good strategy.

Consider the salary negotiation as part of the honeymoon period for you and your employer. Since the hiring manager has chosen you for the role, he or she will be more likely to hear your requests and try to accommodate them. “If you don’t ask for what you want, you’re not going to get it,” says Tessa White, a career navigation adviser and founder of The Job Doctor.

Find out how much your expertise is worth.

Research how your experience and skills are valued across the industry in which you have applied for a job. Figure out what the company or others like it pay current employees, either through publicly available information or by networking with current or former employees. Websites such as Payscale.com, Salary.com and Glassdoor.com also offer salary comparisons across various roles and industries.

Establish a connection with your negotiator.

An effective negotiating tactic is to create a personal rapport with the other person. “You’ve got to develop, in whatever amount of time you have, a degree of personal empathy with that person, some kind of personal connection with the individual so they look at you as other than something like a cog in a wheel,” says Luis Rueda, a retired Central Intelligence Agency operative whose role involved convincing foreigners to spy on their countries for the U.S. “You’ve got to let them humanize you.” 

 

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

Article continued …

Mr. Rueda recommends researching the person before the negotiation begins. What motivates him or her? Think about what the person has highlighted in his or her biography on the employer’s website or LinkedIn. What has this individual mentioned in past conversations? “The idea of winging it is seldom successful,” says Mr. Rueda. “Find out what makes the individual tick and what makes the company tick. Do your homework and understand your audience.”

On the day of the negotiation, try to identify something in the person’s office or in the background of a video call that you can bond over. “If they’ve got pictures of a kid the same age as your kid, there’s something you can play with,” Mr. Rueda says. Perhaps the hiring manager prominently displays interest in a sport or in travel. Think about how you can use that to develop some kind of personal connection. “You might be the 15th person they’ve seen that day, or the 30th issue they’ve dealt with,” Mr. Rueda says. “Try to create a connection that says: ‘I’m a human being. Look at me.’”

“If you want to maximize your pay, the cardinal rule is: Do not bring up pay.”

— Tessa White, The Job Doctor

Don’t bring up your salary.

If you throw out the first number, you might be negotiating against yourself, since it is possible the employer would be willing to make a higher offer than what you propose. “If you want to maximize your pay, the cardinal rule is: Do not bring up pay,” says Ms. White. “If you make yourself desirable to them, your offer will be higher.”

If the employer directly asks what you would like to make, respond by asking what the budget for the role is. In all instances, wait for the employer to say a number first. If the number is lower than what you expected, you can always counter it. If it still comes up short, consider negotiating a raise six months into the role if you meet agreed-upon goals.

Don’t focus entirely on the pay.

Many people only negotiate salary and bonuses, but that is a mistake. There are many other elements of a job that can be negotiated and may make the difference between feeling appropriately compensated for your work and not. For example, if you are currently paying out of pocket for your health insurance, can the employer reimburse those costs until your new benefits kick in? Or if being able to work remotely or have more vacation time is important to your work-life balance, consider negotiating these.  Find out what terms are on the table so you can prioritize which ones matter most to you before the initial job offer. By doing so, you will be in a better position to negotiate. Read our guide on how to counter a job offer for a list of what could be on the table.

Make all of your requests at once.

Don’t make the mistake of negotiating each benefit individually so that you are constantly requesting new terms. Dr. Hamaria Crockett, a career coach with Korn Ferry Advance, the career-coaching arm of organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry, says it’s best to avoid negotiating each term piecemeal because it can be “a turn-off” for the employer.

If you are going to ask for several adjustments to the offer, divide your requests into hard and soft categories, negotiation experts say. Anything related to pay, bonuses and stock options should be negotiated together, as part of your hard requests. Once you have reached an agreement on those, move on to the softer requests like vacation time, flexible work and job title.

Make it clear how hiring you will make the employer better off.

At the CIA they call it “PTBUF,” or putting the benefits up front, says Mr. Rueda. When you are negotiating with someone, you should start by explaining what is in it for that person, he says. You should detail up front how hiring you is going to benefit your potential employer. Mr. Rueda recommends emphasizing these benefits at the beginning and end of the negotiation. “You want the negotiator to come away understanding why you’re worth the money,” he says.

Don’t exaggerate.

Part of the art of negotiation is building trust, and if you are exaggerating your qualifications, the chances are someone will notice. That only gets in the way of forging the kind of relationship that would lead to getting what you want. “Be very honest,” and try to strike the balance between overselling and underselling yourself, says Mr. Rueda. “Have a very realistic opinion of who you are, backed up by the facts.”

Don’t give an ultimatum.

When you finally get an offer in writing, but it falls slightly short of what you want, use a “yes, but” response. In a professional and friendly tone, convey your gratitude for the offer and then follow up with the reasons that the job warrants better terms. Lay out what you would be missing out on by leaving your existing role or the typical salary and benefits that a similar position would offer in your sector. Back up your requests with evidence. Just as you wouldn’t recommend an all-or-nothing solution to a work challenge, you shouldn’t do so during the negotiation. Each touchpoint during the discussion is your chance to develop a relationship with your new employer. “Once you receive a job offer, you stop being a candidate and you start being an employee of the company to some extent,” says Paolo Gallo, the author of The Compass and the Radar: The Art of Building a Rewarding Career While Remaining True to Yourself. “The way you negotiate starts building your reputation.”

Resources
  • O*net: This Department of Labor-sponsored website provides a comprehensive look at the skills required for specific jobs across all industries, plus median pay per job.
  • H-1B Data: As part of the H-1B visa program, companies must keep a public-access file that includes the exact salary of the employee they sponsor. This website collects some of those salaries and allows you to search by company, position, location and the year the candidate was hired.
  • Payscale: This salary comparison website requires that you enter your data before it shows you anything.
  • Salary.com: This comparison site allows you to see payscale by profession,  industry and various other variables.
  • Glassdoor: You can browse salaries by company and position. The salaries are entered anonymously into the website by employees.
What to do next

 

WSJ.com – December 9, 2020 – Deborah Acosta

#JobSearch : How to Get a Job. Landing the Job you Want, Specially in a Competitive Field, goes Beyond Having the Right Skills and Experience.

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Landing the job you want, especially in a competitive field, goes beyond having the right skills and experience. How you communicate, how organized and prompt you are, and how you present yourself will determine whether you are selected over other candidates. Arming yourself with knowledge about the company and role will demonstrate that you have done your research. Preparing for a range of questions shows you can think on your feet.

“Network with purpose and have a plan, an end goal and time frame,” says Marjorie Miller, a partner at executive search firm Mitchel Lake Group. “Something that helps you keep on track and keeps you to a schedule, so your search isn’t so open-ended.”

The following steps will help prepare you to land the job you want.

1- Nail down the basics.

Your cover letter and résumé, which concisely explain your experience and skills, are the basic but essential building blocks of landing the job. Some employers use automated systems to scanrésumés to see if you are a match. Most résumés need to first get past that automated system for you to be considered in the first place. If you can’t get past that, you may never have the opportunity to show you are right for the job. Make sure your résumé is in the most simple format possible. You might need multiple versions of your résumé that are tailored for the specific jobs you are applying for. You’re going to need to write cover letters that have a personal touch for each role.

Quick tips

  • Keep it simple. Stick to the most standard formatting possible with your résumé.
  • Use keywords. The more frequently certain keywords appear in a job description, the more important they likely are. Make sure those words are included in your résumé.
  • Tailor your cover letter. Your cover letter should be specific to the company and job you are applying to.

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

Article continued …

2- Know where to look.

Once you are armed with a solid résumé, explore several different avenues to find the job you want. Online job boards are the most common path, but they are only the beginning. Don’t limit your search there. Networking with people in your industry, seeking out job placement agencies and recruiters, and joining professional organizations can improve your odds of not only finding a job, but finding the role that is best-suited to you. “Network with purpose and have a plan, an end goal and time frame,” says Marjorie Miller, a partner at executive search firm MitchelLake Group. “Something that helps you keep on track and keeps you to a schedule, so your search isn’t so open-ended.”

Key takeaways

  • Networking can be your most powerful tool. Seek out contacts in your target industry.
  • Professional organizations can open doors when you don’t yet have an inside track.
  • Agencies and recruiters can be your job advocates, helping you focus your efforts elsewhere.
3- Be open to remote work.

Many employers are allowing staff to telecommute and work from anywhere, which wasn’t always the case. This could give you the chance to work for companies that might normally have required you to uproot your life and relocate. “Since workers are no longer constrained to work for companies in their own cities and towns, they can consider every company across the globe as a potential employer,” says John H. Chuang, chief executive of Aquent, a staffing company for the marketing and creative industries. “This increases their earning power and also enables companies to compete for and retain the best talent available worldwide.”

4- Make sure your public presence is in order.

Employers are probably going to look at how you present yourself to the public, since this could reflect on them if they hire you. That means you should feel comfortable with what they may find on your social media, personal websites and search results. Think about how your posts and content may be perceived and if you would feel confident discussing it in an interview. This can work in your favor. Ideally, your social-media presence should be a way for employers to see that your interests align with the role or the values of the company. Having a personal website showcasing your work at previous jobs can be a big advantage to allow you to stand out from other candidates. LinkedIn is also a useful personal-branding platform if you keep your profile up-to-date and include a strong headline, well-written summary and keywords. It is also a place to post content relevant to your industry or career.

5- Do your research.

Read up on the company you want to work for. When you attend an interview, you should be able to communicate how you can be a valuable asset to the company. You should be able to articulate why you want to work for this employer, why this particular role is appealing to you and what makes you the right person for this position. Prepare yourself with answers to the most common interview questions. Think of ways to personalize your answer to show how your unique experiences or skills qualify you for the job. Share a story of a success you had or a challenge you overcame. Preparation helps you to come across as someone who is comfortable, confident and can think on their feet.

6- Sharpen your soft skills.

Your soft skills—such as how you communicate, your ability to work well and collaborate with others, and adaptability to change—are highly coveted by employers. The way you answer behavior-based questions can help determine how strong those skills may be.

The little things mean a lot: Showing up early to an interview; bringing extra copies of your résumé; dressing appropriately; thinking about your posture: these can help to demonstrate your soft skills, such as reliability, organization and professionalism. You want to appear confident, and being prepared goes a long way toward putting yourself in that mindset.

Get outside help: One way you could refine these things would be to get a career coach, if it is within your means. “It’s a great exercise to help you refine and define your brand,” says Ms. Miller.

7- Follow up and be gracious.

After your interview, make sure you follow up to thank each of the people you met for their time and consideration. You should mention something specific from your conversation to show you paid close attention. Explain briefly why you think you would be a good fit and tell the interviewer you look forward to continuing the conversation.

8- Make sure the culture is right for you.

The ideal job should allow your best qualities, passion and skills to shine. Don’t try to fit into a role that you will be unhappy getting up every day to do. You only get so many opportunities to make a new start, so make this one count. Get to know the employer’s culture. If you have been thoughtful about the companies and positions you are applying for, your best self will shine through. Remember that the employer isn’t just hiring you—you are also choosing who to offer your talents to and spend your time working with.

What to do next

 

WSJ.com | November 20, 2020 | Anthony DeRosa

#JobSearch : 6 Things You Need To Do Before, During And After A Job Interview. A MUst REad!

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To have a successful job interview, there are a few key things you need to focus on. Preparation beforehand is critical, as is the way you perform in the interview itself and the way you follow up afterwards.

These tips will help you ace your next virtual or in-person interview.

Before the interview.

Research

It’s important to research the company you’ll potentially be working for so that you have a better understanding of the company culture and what working there is like. Look at the company’s website as well as sites like Glassdoor to get a feel for what employees think about working for the company. Read reviews to see if anything raises a red flag and if overall employee outlook on the company is positive or negative.

Prepare questions

It’s just as important for you to ask questions at the end of a job interview as it is for you to answer them, because that helps you gain more insight into what working at the company is really like. You want to make your questions as specific as possible and avoid asking anything that could be answered by going to their website. If you want to know about company culture, try asking for clarification of something you’ve read – ‘I saw on the website that one of your core values is learning. Can you tell me more about the kind of learning and development options that you offer?’

You first impression begins the moment you turn on your video in Zoom. It’s of utmost importance that your background is clean and clutter free and you are dressed professionally. If you can’t find a good background in your home, use a virtual one instead. Replace the handshake with a greeting and thank the hiring manager for inviting you to the interview. Be sure to look directly at the camera when you’re speaking so that it gives the impression you’re looking the hiring manager in their eyes. You can look at them when they’re speaking, but when it’s your turn, speak to the camera not their picture.

Talk about more than just what’s on your resume.

The hiring manager has already looked over your resume, so they know the details of your work history. The interview is when you can elaborate and give more details about your accomplishments and the type of work you did. Back up your answers with statistics wherever possible, as this helps to show how you’ll add value to the company.

Don’t answer yes or no questions with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Always elaborate on your answers. Saying yes or no doesn’t tell the hiring manager anything about you, so don’t throw away an opportunity to sell your abilities by using one word answers. If you’re asked if you have experience working with a specific program or software, say yes and explain how you used it. If your answer is no, think of something comparable that you do have experience with and explain how you think it’s relevant.

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

Article continued …

Follow up.

Stay in contact with the hiring manager.

No matter how well or how poorly you think the interview went, you absolutely must follow up afterwards. A quick message to the hiring manager thanking them for their time goes a long way. In your follow up, you should include the position you interviewed for, a quick takeaway from your interview, and a reiteration about why you’d like the job. If you want to get creative, you can send a video message or a link to your website if you have a portfolio of work you’d like to share.

Continue to follow up regarding next steps like a second round of interviews or a decision being made. You should already know when the hiring manager intends to reach out, so be proactive and send an email if you haven’t heard from them by a few days after they said they’d be in touch. Keep this email short and to the point – a couple of sentences will suffice.

Forbes.com | October 30, 2020 | Ashira Prossack

#JobSearch : A 7-Step Job Search Plan To Beat The Tough Economy. A Seven Step Job Search Plan that has Gotten Results!

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Job searches go faster when job-seekers first take a step back to plan strategically. And careful planning has become even more important during these challenging economic times. Think of it this way; your “job” in a job search is to be a world-class consultative salesperson, for yourself. So do what the best salespeople do: plan carefully first, to get the highest return on your time investment.

Here’s a seven step job search plan that has gotten results for my clients, and that any great salesperson would appreciate. 

1. Start with the audience. Define your audience using two parameters so that you can understand and market to them effectively. Vary one of these two parameters and your pitch needs to change to resonate with the new audience:

  • The position description, including the level. “Finance” doesn’t cut it; “Chief Finance Officer” or “Financial Analyst” does, because of the very different ways you need to sell yourself for each of these roles.
  • The type of organization, including the industry, for profit vs. non-profit, startup or global Fortune 100, and so forth. For example, a CFO at a startup will be expected to pitch in beyond their finance role more so than would a CFO at an established global company.

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

Article continued …

2. Craft messages that will resonate with your target audience in your resumes, LinkedIn profile, emails, cover letters, and your networking and interview pitches. Which keywords, phrases, skills and experience would gain their interest? Find out by researching a) the words and phrases used in job postings, b) the LinkedIn profile content of those that do what you want to do, c) online publications for your field, d) blog posts and articles of relevant thought-leaders, and e) the “Investors” section on public company websites.

3. Make sure your target audience is big enough. Does your job target have enough potential so that your search won’t become a years-long odyssey? By “potential,” I mean the number of positions that exist, whether open or filled. You want to fish in a sea with a lot of fish so you’re more likely to catch one! Try to target roughly 200 potential positions, to help ensure you can complete your search in two to four months.

For example, a client was looking for a Chief Marketing Officer role at mid-sized technology companies in a remote part of the U.S. and identified 13 companies that met the definition. She thus identified only 13 potential positions, since each of these 13 companies has only one CMO.

This small number implies a very long search given that most positions will be filled, and for those that are not she would be competing with lots of candidates. She was ultimately able to target roughly 200 potential positions by expanding her geography, the types of roles she was willing to accept, and the industries to which she was open. And she did in fact land a role about three months after expanding her audience.

4. Prioritize your valuable job search time. Plan to spend 80% of your time on the “active” marketing channels that are getting my clients (and my colleagues’ clients) roughly 80% of their interviews: networking (that is, getting introductions) and cold-calls/emails. Spend the remaining 20% of your time on the “passive” channels for getting interviews – job postings and search firms.

5. Think broadly about your network, then plan how you want to reach out. Aim to let at least 200 people know about your search. Include family, friends, colleagues you haven’t spoken to in years who might be open to helping you, former classmates, your neighbor and so forth. One of my clients landed an interview after reaching out to a former business school classmate she hadn’t spoken with in 17 years. This is typical.

Then segment your outreach by those who will receive a) a mass “Your help requested” email vs. individual emails, b) a highly personalized vs. templated email, and c) an informational meeting request vs. a referral request or simply an update on your job search.

6. Create a one-page marketing-plan document. Plan to share this document with those who are well connected in your field, as it will make it easier for them to help you. Consider emailing the document prior to, or even during, an informational meeting. In the document, include a) your job target, b) how you can help/what differentiates you, and c) a list of the better known organizations that you’re targeting, with the hope that they’ll more likely think of someone they can refer you to if they see the organization names.

7. Set up your contact management system. You’ll want to keep in touch with everyone in your broadly defined network so no opportunities pass you by. To do so, you’ll need to keep track of, and schedule, your individual outreach efforts.

Whether your system consists of a simple spreadsheet (like most of my clients) or something more sophisticated, every contact should have “next action,” “date of next action” and “priority” fields next to their name. This way you’ll always know what to do on a given day and ensure no opportunities slip through the cracks. Adding a “last action” field is also useful to see how you have been spending your time. Click here to download an example of what this spreadsheet might look like (customize to make it work for you). Plan to follow up with everyone in your system every three to six weeks.

Jobseekers often struggle with what to say when keeping in touch, and I routinely get asked about this. Here’s what to say.

 

Forbes.com | October 21, 2020 | Robert Hellmann