My Campus Chronicles
Our college blog dedicated to helping students prepare for life outside of college.
February 2007 archive
Salary negotiation. It's one of the most difficult parts of the interview process. You don't want to seem over eager and ask for too much, but you don't want to be afraid to undervalue your experience by not asking for a higher salary. But hiring managers expect candidates will want to try and get a bump in salary, as that is one of the top reasons for workers to seek new employment.
In a recent post on Career Solvers, a blogger offered tools and tips to guide candidates in preparing a salary history, and negotiations. The post also suggested a couple of Web sites, payscale.com and salary.com, to help you research what you are worth based on experience, education and job market trends.
Using Web site tools such as these can really give you the confidence to know exactly what your job market can hold and what a reasonable salary request entails. Being knowledgeable about your position's salary range also gives you a leg up in the negotiation by showing the hiring manager that you are well aware of what you should be making based on compelling research.
So next time you find yourself on the hot seat, in the middle of salary discussions, relax and do your research ahead of time.
A recent article on Boston.com discusses potential legislation reform regarding criminal record histories. Given the popularity of our post Combating a Criminal Record, job seekers in Massachusetts may find this article of interest.
The article discusses plans by Governor Deval Patrick to limit employers' access to the criminal records of potential employees, giving employers access only to criminal information that is relevant to the job being applied for. Currently, Massachusetts State Law says that employers can have full access to criminal records, even if the case ended in a "not guilty" or "continued without a finding" verdict. Activists argue that many applicants are rejected for jobs based on minor criminal convictions, crimes unrelated to the post, or records that contain errors. Those who oppose the legislation reform say full access to criminal history records is critical for employers to make informed decisions, and that while employers who hire applicants with criminal backgrounds should be rewarded perhaps through tax breaks, giving them limited information doesn't help anybody and can be dangerous.
I've often heard my recruiter colleagues questioning whether mature workers can keep up with using the technology required in the typical workplace. To this I say, if you are hiring people who simply need to know how to use standard office technology, I suggest that you think about how easy it is use these tools. Office-based technology is so simple that if folks can't learn to work with today's tools, maybe they should not be driving on any highway, much less the technology highway.
The question is, can they learn? Ask the right questions about how they have managed change and conquered new tasks and you'll have the answer as to whether they will step up and learn to master the relatively minor challenges of workplace technology.
Also, consider what guru Peter Weddles says about mature workers and their ability to hunt for jobs and apply online:
"There are more people over the age of 56 (10%) visiting job boards and corporate career sites than there are people under the age of 25 (8.8%) who do so. There are almost as many people over the age of 50 (22.4%) using employment sites as there are people under the age of 30 (26.8%) who use them. The usage pattern across the entire population is almost evenly split between those under the age of 40 (53.7%) and those over it (46.3%)."
This is the bottom line according to Weddle's Research. "The alleged deficiencies of 'older' workers-they don't learn quickly, they are Luddites with new technology, they can't relate to younger workers-have all now been decisively disproven."
Finally, if you want to hire a technology expert, may I introduce you to my neighbor's 14 year-old son?
Well, it's Valentine's Day again and what better time to share some interesting results from our office romance survey. Did you know that as many as 8 million Americans every year enter into an office romance? Not hard to understand why when you consider the sheer number of hours that workers put in at the office, it's a likely place to meet a love interest. I can attest - I met my wife of nearly 4 years at the office, although we didn't start dating until I had left the company... which brings up some interesting issues when it comes to dating coworkers.
Does dating a coworker jeopardize your career? Do you try to keep a relationship secret or formally announce it? What's the company policy? Spherion's latest Snapshot survey looks at these issues and how workers today feel about them. Here's what we found:
Derailing Your Career. According to the Spherion survey, 41 percent of U.S. workers think openly dating a coworker would jeopardize their job security or advancement opportunities.
What's the Company Line? More than half of U.S. workers say their employer does not have a policy regarding workplace romances, and 16 percent say their employer does have such a policy, according to the Spherion survey. Perhaps most noteworthy, nearly one-third of workers surveyed were not sure if their employer has a policy regarding workplace romances.
Mum's the Word. When it comes to secrecy and office romance, Spherion found that 41 percent of workers who had a workplace romance said it was conducted in the open, while 35 percent claimed they kept it a secret.
Cupid's Success Rate at the Office. Among those workers who have had a workplace romance, 30 percent say they dated for several months, 15 percent dated for several years, and one quarter resulted in marriage.
What do you think? Finding romance is great but is it worth jeopardizing a career? Or being the subject of office gossip?
This year's American Idol has delivered all the usual hype we've come to expect and more, even a new controversy. The question being debated in coffee shops and chat rooms across the country - have the American Idol judges gone too far in their criticism of idol wannabes? Well, as I watched this latest episode, it occurred to me that these "auditions" draw parallels to the job interview. And as I pondered this similarity, it may sound crazy but I believe some interviewers could take a cue from Idol's own Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
I wonder if it may be more useful (and frankly refreshing) for potential job seekers to get feedback on their interview performance right then and there. Now I'm not advocating that interviewers start name calling or commenting on someone's physical appearance. Let's be clear about that. All I'm suggesting is that for job candidates who have "auditioned" over and over again for prospective employers only to hear a "no" every time, it might be a nice change and ultimately fruitful to hear some very straightforward feedback from their interviewers.
How many times have we heard Simon remark "singing is not a career for you"? Well, this may be just the feedback candidates need if they are interviewing for jobs that are out of their league. Or, Paula often encourages Idol auditioners to "work on your range and come back in a year or two." Job seekers could benefit from getting very specific advice on where there might be holes in their qualifications and/or resume.
And while the promise of hearing candid feedback after an interview may make interviewees even more anxious, I suspect it wouldn't stop them from going to the "audition" in droves...
Q: I believe I am a high performer at my company and would like to ask for a raise. Is there a trick to doing this effectively?
- Submitted by Megan Miratzhi, Chantilly, VA
A: Dear Megan,
You are already on the right track! Realizing that you may need to ask for raise, rather than waiting for one to be offered, is important. The key, as with many things, is doing your homework and being prepared. Here are some quick tips to give you the best chance to successfully secure a pay raise.
Do your homework. Know where you stand relative to your peers in the company and industry. Research salary ranges on the Internet, look at job postings, and talk to peers to determine your actual worth and build a business case for the raise you are targeting. Spherion offers salary comparisons on our Candidate Resource Center.
Phrase your request assertively, but not aggressively. Base your request for a raise on a set of objective criteria that include industry salary standards and your recent performance. Communicate honestly and directly the value of your contributions to the company, and gather documentation to support your case.
Define your goals. Start the conversation with a figure above what you are aiming for and be prepared to negotiate back to a figure closer to your minimum acceptable raise. Leave yourself room to compromise without being priced out of your target range.
Aim for a win-win. Realize that you and your boss need to walk away feeling you both have gained something. Ask if you can assume more responsibility or redefine your role to help support the raise.
Prepare yourself for all possible scenarios. Anticipate all the concerns and possible objections your supervisor may have and prepare your responses.
Get it in writing. To ensure there is no question of commitment and no room for ambiguity or retreat, get the terms you reached in writing with the right signatures.
According to a Spherion survey, nearly 40% of workers have had workplace romances, and 25% ended in a trip to the altar. Have you ever had a romantic relationship with a fellow employee? Let us know
Let's face it, resume writing can be difficult and stressful. To help combat the confusion when writing a resume, try refreshing your memory with some useful tips.
CareerHub is a great source for career tips, and interviewing and resume tools. Recently, they posted a link to one of Louise Fletcher's e-books called Insider's Guide to Resume Writing. The ebook is sent to recipients via email and can be found here. This is a timeless source for not only writing your resume, but offers other ideas and guidance about finding a job.
Here are a couple of chapters that I found most interesting and provides some sage advice.
· Louis Fletcher's chapter called "Don't Write a Resume - Tell a Story." This section focuses on shaping your resume to tell what you have done and how you did it.
· Another chapter called "How to Pass the Hiring Manager's 30-Second Test" is based on the idea that hiring managers only take 30-seconds to review a resume. This provides job seekers useful advice for creating a resume that stands out from the masses.
· Also check out the chapter titled the "Pros and Cons of the Two-Page Resume." This gives some food for thought when considering what to add or delete from your resume.
Resumes are the most important first step in the job search. They are often your first impression, and represent the type of employee/candidate that you are so make sure its a good one. Good luck!
