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.
I've gotten a lot of response about the post on admitting to weaknesses during the interview process. There was one question in particular that I'd like to share from a high-level Finance Professional who felt he asserted himself too much/ the wrong way with upper level management and is looking for a way to "admit to this weakness" without jeopardizing his candidacy.
He writes... "I recently read an article you wrote regarding
"Admitting your weaknesses" and I hoped to solicit some advice. I am an internal audit professional with a big four
audit and consulting background. I've worked my way through the ranks of
both corporate internal audit functions and similar consulting firms.
However, I now find myself unemployed, slightly frustrated, and really
wanting to get back on my feet...."
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"" »
Every company performs some level of due diligence on the people they hire. Whether
the HR person does this themselves or hires a 3rd party
to conduct a formal background check, count on everything you say to be
double checked.
Know that any informational discrepancy could cost you the job, even if it involves something very minor or ends up being a completely innocent misunderstanding. So always apply the "background check" factor to every aspect of your job search (writing your resume, answering questions during the interview, filling out a job application, etc..) to avoid this problem.
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!
Although not the most important player in the hiring process, HR does have influence over the final decision (kind of like your in-laws!). Understand what you can gain here and use that meeting to make a positive impression.
If you dismiss HR and try to marginalize their importance, they'll make things very difficult for you (kind of like your in-laws!) :)...
As impersonal as these can be, many companies conduct first level screening this way. Instead of getting annoyed, learn what these calls are designed to do and nail these conversations.
