A discussion about salary is no minor detail! It not only has a direct effect on the level of offer made, it can literally make or break a person's candidacy with a company. There are some definite rules to salary negotiation that every candidate should know. So keep the following ten commandments in mind during the interview process and also follow my detailed advice in a prior post on what to say when posed with a salary question during the interview.
There are way too many stories about candidates who blow off the importance of reference checks and end up losing the offer. It makes no sense. It's like stopping just before you reach the end zone to tie your shoe and getting tackled.
References are the critical last few yards of scoring a touchdown. If you assume it's a done deal and don't pay attention here, you'll lose out. Don't treat this as a rubber stamp and mere administrative detail. Take it seriously and pay attention to how this gets conducted on your behalf.
Continue reading "Make sure your reference checks "check out"" »
How do you answer the toughest interview question in the world - "What is your biggest weakness?" Whatever you do, don't try and avoid the real answer. What the manager wants to know more than anything else is NOT what your actual weaknesses are, but if you are honest enough to admit you have one.
At the end of EVERY interview, you will be asked if you have any questions. It is unbelievably common for candidates to say "no". Understand that not asking questions is tantamount to telling them you are not interested. If you are interested, don't blow it by being misread...be inquisitive!
Be mindful of "pecking order"
during the interview process. Unknowingly putting yourself above or below the wrong person can hurt your chances of getting the job.
Picture this...you're the perfect candidate for the job and have been invited back for a third and final round. Someone asks you to meet with "Tom" at the last meeting. You assume he is a subordinate member of the team and are dismissive by not asking him any questions. You come to find out after the fact that this was the VP of the department and you didn't get the job because "Tom" didn't like you.
Be smart about this topic when interviewing. This news should never hurt your candidacy or relationship with your new company. But it could, if this topic gets handled the wrong way.
First off, ask yourself this ....WHY would an employer need to know this? The only really bona fide need they would have for this information is for planning purposes down the road when you take maternity leave. Remember this and make sure that the news of your pregnancy is never used to judge your qualifications for a position.
Continue reading "Covering pregnancy during the interview process" »
Don't be too specific about your career objectives or you may shoot yourself in the foot. Most managers want to hire people that are somewhat open minded to
their future and will be slightly weary of those who have a dead set, concrete
picture of what their career path should be.
So always go with a "less is more" approach to how you communicate your professional goals since you don't know what type of answer the manager will want to hear. Your basic rule of thumb should be this..."If you don't know if your stated objective will help your candidacy for the job, don't say it!"
Continue reading "Pigeon hole-ing yourself with your ambition" »
There is a fine line between playing the field and being a "player". Learn how to make hiring managers aware that you are a hot commodity without turning them off or scaring them away.
Covering competing offers is a very touchy subject. Do this poorly and the hiring manager will feel that you are holding them hostage by this fact and using it solely as a point of leverage. Don't do this at all and you are missing out on an opportunity to attract them to you and create momentum during this final stage. Here are some tips...
When deciding on the amount of time to give notice, don't fall for the guilt trip from your boss or what people tell you is the "standard" notice period. This is as personal and customizable an aspect to your job search as anything else. Know what should factor into this decision and why.
Continue reading "How Much Notice to Give: The New Perspective" »
Don't blow it when it comes to negotiating salary with an employer. The wrong attitude or approach will cost you dearly. Why get all this way in the process and lose out because you said the wrong thing. Follow this good advice on avoiding the most common salary negotiation mistakes.
Continue reading "Salary Negotiaton Tips: 5 Things to Avoid" »
A strong job market combined with a talent shortage provides candidates with serious leverage. However, no one (and I mean NO ONE) likes a cocky candidate! Your hard-to-find skills may be in demand,
but remember that there's ALWAYS competition in play. Stay humble and sell
yourself whether you think you have to or not. Read on as to why...
Continue reading "Don't let this candidate’s market go to your head " »
As the pace of the job market picks up, Hiring Managers will need to move more quickly. However, the candidate is also responsible for the speed of this interview process. Learn how to put your foot on the gas and avoid putting your foot on the brakes.
Some of the most reasonable things to ask can kill your chances in an interview. Understand how these questions can come across and learn how to rephrase them to avoid this pitfall.
Very rarely will you get all the offers out on the table at the exact same time. This means you'll have to decide without knowing how things would have eventually turned out. If you don't have a crystal ball handy, there are other ways to predict your future.
Sometimes the first interview you do seems like "the one". Now, it very well might be! But you may also want to think about playing the field and doing a few more interviews before jumping into a decision.
Don't ever misrepresent things in an interview. Think about how you'd feel if companies weren't completely honest with you about the job? Bottom line: it's bad news either way.
Just like learning that babies don't come from the Stork, candidates should know the truth about how offers are made. Most companies go about it the same way. Know what this standard process is when negotiating your salary.
Handle this poorly and you'll not only negatively impact the offer you get, but could actually knock yourself out of the running altogether! Learn how to catch this question and quickly throw it back to the manager (before you get burned!)
This isn't "all about you". There's a daisy chain of people that get affected by your decisions. So, think things through before acting and then, of course, follow through with what you say.
Nothing can prevent the inevitable discomfort that comes along with giving notice. However, there are things that you can do to make this go more smoothly with your boss.
Be aware of offers that are unusually high or low. There are lots of reasons why this happens and you'll want to know these things before ever accepting a job under these circumstances.
Good looks aren't the ONLY thing that matters in dating and job offers shouldn't be judged entirely on the starting salary either. Dig deeper to acknowlege everything that goes into an offer before ever accepting or declining a job. You'll be glad you did.
Time to celebrate getting your new job!! Not yet. Cut cord and close the loop on all your other activity to avoid sending the wrong message to your new employer.You'll also save yourself the headache that will come from leaving your self "active" on the market.
These not only officially document your decision, but communicate your overall level of professionalism in doing this. So, leave things on a positive note by taking the high road with what you choose to say here.
Counteroffers are accepted everyday. Why? Because money talks. The harsh truth is that this can backfire leaving candidates in an even worse position down the line (unemployed!). Be wary and look at this situation from all angles before considering one.
First, let's be clear about what things we'll help you to address: unpaid parking tickets, being let go, bad credit. But, if what pops up from your past is a felony, well then..... "Houston, we have a problem".
Managers don't just check references as a matter of protocol. They look for very specific things past the obvious positive endorsement. Just like field goals, it may not be the bulk of how you score points, but strong references may be just enough to help you win in the last few minutes of the game.
