"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."
-- Winston Churchill

Resources

Need some help with the job-search process? Here's some guidance on navigating the following issues:

Researching Companies

Research can help you identify potential employers or clients as well as uncover information that may be valuable in your communications (e.g., correspondence, interviews, and proposals) with the company.

Where can you find lists of companies and sources of company information?

• Hoovers: if you’ve got the name of a company, Hoovers has information for you; basic content (usually enough for me) is free with additional information is available to subscribers;
• Fortune: the publisher of the “Fortune 500” list also ranks companies that are the fastest growing, best for minorities, most admired, and more--though a subscription is required for access;
• bizjournals: this national publishing company specializes in news for specific markets (check out its “News by Market”) as well as selected industries;
• Chamber of Commerce: visit your local chamber starting here; you should find uncover companies that have headquarters or a presence in your city;
• Company websites: visiting a company’s website is a quick, easy way to learn about its products and services as well as openings (try the “careers” section) and financial performance (go to the “investors” area for publicly-held companies).

Additional online and offline sources include manufacturing guides, trade associations, and professional associations.

Information does not need to be actively presented (e.g. recited) during a meeting. More effective uses of research may be insightful responses or questions that demonstrate a genuine understanding of the company and its values.

Information gathered during a job search should be not actively presented during an interview unless specifically requested by the interviewer. A more effective use of research are insightful responses or questions that demonstrate a genuine understanding of the employer’s needs and the candidate’s potential role in making a contribution to the company.

Return to Resource Index

Understanding the Interview Process

An ideal interview is as a conversation between employer and candidate about professional capabilities, past experiences, and career interests as well as career paths, company needs, and more. Eager-to-please candidates, though, may not be equipped to judge a prospective employer and present qualifications precisely, positively, and honestly while human resources staff and hiring managers, similarly, may not have expert ability to screen candidates, judge position-specific competencies, and decide on the fit of a candidate with the company's culture.

Prepare as best you can and be ready for what may happen in the screening and selection process, such as:

1. Employers will verify that a candidate possesses minimum qualifications for an opening, most likely using:
   • Screening interviews, which may be face-to-face meetings or telephone conversations;
   • Online application processes that require candidate responses to highly specific questions tightly aligned with position requirements;
   • Tests that assess industry-specific knowledge or proficiency in software applications.
2. Employers may also use psychological tests or interviews to assess a candidate's professional strengths and aptitude with profiles mapped to specific positions. Interpersonal, managerial, and leadership styles may be evaluated for compatibility with the organization's culture.
3. Hiring decision-makers will assess higher level competencies and the suitability of a candidate for the work environment using:
   • Content-based questions about your education, credentials, and experiences;
   • Behavioral questions to determine past actions to situations such as changed deadline or a conflict with a co-worker;
   • Hypothetical questions requiring a response to “what would you do if….” that are often drawn from the actual experiences of someone in the position being filled;
   • Sell-yourself prompts (e.g., “why should we hire you?”);
   • Career-oriented questions (e.g., “where do you see yourself in 5 years?”);
   • Tricky questions that allow an interviewer to judge your reaction to the unexpected and your problem-solving abilities.
4. Candidates should also evaluate prospective employers by:
   • Clarifying information, if any, that is unclear;
   • Learning the specific accountabilities and performance measurements of the proposed position;
   • Asking to visit the work area and meet potential colleagues;
   • Determining the next step in the selection process.

The closer an interview is to a real conversation (of which you have some but not complete control) the more likely you will present yourself and your qualifications successfully.

Return to Resource Index

Using Job Boards

Are job boards a quick path to lucrative job offers or an arduous trail to time-wasting? Yes, they are. My clients, for example, have experienced great success (e.g., multiple job offers at higher salaries within a few weeks) as well as non-success (e.g., minimal response with no viable offers) by using job boards.

First, what are job boards? They are aggregated, searchable position listings (i.e., the digital equivalent of multiple newspapers' "helped wanted" listings). Nearly always, a job board offers the functionality for job-seekers to post résumés and other information relevant to their qualifications and goals, such as geographical preferences and salary expectations.

I put job boards in the following categories:

• General (nearly anything can be found here)  
  • www.monster.com
  • www.careerbuilder.com
  • www.hotjobs.com
• Niche (each has a focus but encompasses multiple categories)
  • www.mrinetwork.com (go to “find a position” section for listings of positions available through Management Recruiters International recruiters)
  • www.dice.com (technology)
  • www.marketingjobs.com (sales and marketing)
• Super-specialized(these are limited to special groups such as professional associations)
  • www.nacm.org (the “career center” section of the National Association of Credit Management’s site lists credit management positions)
  • www.clubcareers.org (a restricted career site free to members of the Club Managers Association of America site)

The job board is like a virtual, digital matchmaker that 1) lets employers and recruitment firms tell people about job openings and 2) lets job-seekers tell employers about their qualifications. The mechanics of how employer/recruiter meets job-seeker vary but all nearly all boards will have the following features:

• Registration: complete the site’s registration process, which is nearly always required to post a résumé and sometimes required to search job listings;
• Job searching: search for positions by job title, industry, geographical area, and more; learn what qualifications are typically required for certain types of positions;
• Résumé posting: create, name, post, and store your résumé using cut-and-paste method or attaching a Word document;
• Multiple résumé postings: create, name, post, and store multiple versions of your résumé and cover letters (but it’s okay if you just have one version);
• Application (this process varies not only by job board but also by position): apply for a position by submitting a stored résumé to a job posting; sending your résumé to an employer via email; or submitting a résumé in the careers section of the hiring organization’s website;
• Privacy features: set your privacy level, which may vary from “active” for anyone registered as an employer or recruiter to view or made available only in response to positions you designate;
• Alerts: sign up to receive emails on job openings that match your criteria.

What happens next (after you’ve registered, searched for positions, and applied for a position)? Your résumé and other information are screened, electronically or by a human or both, and if there’s a match, you’ll get a call or email requesting an interview. You may be the one who with another job-board-success story.  

Return to Resource Index

Figuring Salary Requirements

Want to make as much money as possible without losing a seemingly great opportunity? That is, do you want to specify salary requirements that are higher than you currently make and within the range that company expects to offer but don’t make you seem greedy or ill-informed on market value. Everyone does.

Here are some hints on making the most without losing anything:

• Research salaries by position and geographical area on www.salary.com;
• Read and listen to the audiobook "Salary Negotiation: How to Make $1000 a Minute," which is client-tested and recommended;
• Negotiate an entire compensation package rather than salary only, which may include signing bonuses, relocation packages, profit-sharing, timing of performance reviews (and accompanying merit increases), and quarterly and/or year-end bonuses.

Why do employers ask about salary? Salary history indicates career growth (or lack thereof) and current compensation gives them an idea of your level of responsibility. They’re valuable, though not perfect, indicators of past performance.

Just in case you wanted to know, a comprehensive salary history will provide beginning and ending salaries for each position, starting with current salary and going backwards. Salary requirements, of course, are your expectations at a minimum for accepting a position.  

Salary Negotiation; How to Make $1000 a Minute (2 Cassettes)

Return to Resource Index