Quick Tip: Hot Times For Job Hunters

The Imagemakers, Ink! LLC

The dog days of summer are winding down, which means it’s time to turn up the heat on your job search. The fourth quarter can be a great time for job seekers; as companies are winding up their books, those that have a surplus in their hiring budget may be hot to hire because they don’t want to lose those hiring funds in next year’s budget.

Also, Labor Day marks an unofficial end to summer (and wearing white). With kids heading back to school and hiring managers returning from summer vacations everyone is getting their head back in the game. That means if you’re on the hunt for a new position, Labor Day is a good time to motivate and rejuvenate your job search efforts.

The fall hiring window is between September and November with summer vacations over and the winter holidays yet to begin. But even if you don’t find your dream job this fall, looking now and through the holidays lays the ground work for a highly productive first quarter, another hot time for hiring.

~Linda

Answering The Salary Question

“How do I answer the salary question?” From seasoned executives to professionals just beginning their climb up the career ladder, that is the number one most dreaded question and the one most frequently asked of me by my clients.

When it comes to our salaries and compensation packages, even the fiercest negotiator who is comfortable navigating through multi-million dollar deals, turns from a lion to a lamb when the transaction they’re negotiating involves their own livelihood.

What makes it such a difficult question? Well, first of all, it involves each of us personally and directly (there’s some ego attached as well). Secondly, most of us are not comfortable talking about how much we make. But thirdly and perhaps the most prevalent reason is the fear that we’ll come in too low and leave money on the table or come in too high and lose the opportunity all together.

The answer oftentimes depends on how the question is framed. If the hiring manager asks you, “What have you been making?” that’s easy, tell them. The company can always ask to see your  previous W2 forms anyway. Once you have the offer, it’s reasonable to request an increase by explaining that one of your goals with this career move is to improve on your previous compensation.

The harder question is, “What are you interested in making?” Before answering this question, you should do some research on the position, location and industry, using such tools as www.salary.com or www.glassdoor.com. In this way, you can get a general idea of what the market is paying for the type of position for which you’re applying, thus enabling you to develop a reasonable answer to the question.

There’s a saying that he who gives the first number loses. However, when you’re working with a recruiter, the salary question is what determines if you’re playing in the same ball park or in an entirely different league. When speaking with a recruiter, tell them what you’re looking for so you don’t waste each others time.

If you’re talking directly to a hiring manager (rather than a recruiter), sometimes you can put off answering the salary question by suggesting you need to know more about the position and duties before you’d be able to answer the salary question intelligently. But if that doesn’t work and you’re forced to name a figure, giving a range is also an acceptable option. Just make sure the low end of the range is a figure that’s palatable to you, because that may be the figure you see when you receive the offer from your prospective employer.

~Linda

Networking Faux Pas

Whether you’re networking for a new job or for new business, the same rules apply. . . your number one goal should be developing the relationship with the person with whom you’re networking. Developing a relationship begins with having a conversation.

I frequently attend networking events and had the pleasure to attend a recent gathering with HR professionals and the vendors who work with them. As in any group, there were good and bad networkers, individuals you like immediately and those you don’t.

In this instance I ran across two people who prompted this post. The first a very charming person who was well-spoken, knew her industry and organization very well and was a great representative of her organization. BUT, she monopolized the conversation. In fact, rather than having a conversation it was a monologue. On and on she went, at first interesting and even fascinating and finally on and on until she achieved the status of bore.

That brings us to the first networking no-no, don’t monopolize the conversation. Actually take an interest in those that are gathered around you, ask questions and engage them in the conversation. Find out what they’re about and how you may be of  help to them.

The second person was amazingly rude. Yes, rude. I was chatting with a recruiter who was a class act and an interesting conversationalist. This second person overheard our conversation and barged in with “I overheard you, are you a recruiter?” She completely dismissed me, even physically blocking me away from our little group with her body. She too was a recruiter and couldn’t wait to find out if this other recruiter did “splits” (splitting fees for recruiting assignments).

It was a case of crass vs. class. I certainly would never recommend the crass act’s service to anyone, nor I think would the class act recruiter to whom I’d been speaking. Which brings me to what seems like an obvious no-no, don’t be rude!

~Linda