Day: September 30, 2016

How Much Are You Looking For? Version 1

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job-interview-intro__1303750811_5965 Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter provides you with two ways to answer the question, “How much are you looking for,” at an interview.

[spp-transcript]

I will talk about how to answer that great question that is often asked at first interviews, that is asked 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes into the conversation, where they look at you so seriously and say, “so, how much are you really looking for?” Or something to that effect.

When all is said and done, you can answer that question… But I don’t think that serves you best. Let me give you two examples of ways to answer that.

Number one. You start by saying, “I’m currently earning such and such.” The reason you start that way is that for most of you, the fact is (to be clear, I’m not talking about a senior executive who is looking at a board level position or senior executive position. You’re probably not listening to this podcast anyway. You have an agent working with you who’s coordinating everything related to the search. They’re handling it for you.”, But for Average Jane and Average Joe, if you choose not to answer that question, firms will press you and will give you two choices: answer it or I will escort you out the door.

Here’s how you do it. Both of them start off by telling them how much you are currently earning. Here is variation number one: “I’m really looking for an opportunity. If you decide on the right person for you, and, Lord knows, this seems like a great opportunity for me, I am just going to ask that you make your strongest offer.” Notice how you are avoiding stating a number?

If you give a number, that becomes the benchmark. If you give a range, I know you mean the highest number and they think about the lowest level in the range. So I’m not a big fan of “the range” even though sometimes you have to get one.

Here’s the second option. Again, you tell them your current salary and continue on by saying, “We are just getting to know one another. You haven’t decided if I’m right for you and I really don’t know enough about the role, so it’s hard for me to set a price point for it so I just want to say that if this is for both of us, I’m sure we can come to a satisfactory agreement. Suffice it to say, it’s not going to be for the same amount of money that I’m making now. I will be looking for an increase but I just want to get a better feel for the job before I start talking numbers with you.”

By doing this (I happen to be a bigger fan of the second answer than the first but I don’t know your capacity for delivering these lines so I’m giving you two choices), by using a line like the second one requires confidence in yourself. It requires a degree of self-assurance. It requires the capacity to present yourself authoritatively.

Again, notice what I did. I started off by telling them how much you’re currently earning and saying, “I really don’t know enough about the job to set a price for myself. Yes, I’m looking for an increase. I’m not going to take the same money as I’m making now to do this job, but I’m looking for, ultimately, is an opportunity and I just don’t know enough about the opportunity but if both of us are interested, I’m sure we can come to an agreement.” That’s ultimately what you’re saying to them.

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Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

How Do I Stay in Contact With My References During a Long Job Search? – Job Search Radio

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If you do with the right way, you will establish your references at the beginning of the job search so you know who they are and what they will say and can include them in an application when you fill one out. But, often, a lot of time goes by from the time that you first speak with them until the time that you need them. How do you stay in contact? How do you keep them on their toes so they are ready when you need them?

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How do you stay in contact with the references when you know you to be involved with a lengthy job search?

So much of this question reveals a lack of confidence on the part of the job hunter. First of all, I don’t know how long a “long job search” is. Let’s assume this person knows it will be a long job search because they realize that they are a beginner or they have antiquated skills or experience that will cause it to be a long job search.

First of all, you need to accept the fact that you will need to do work in order to make this not a long job search. By that, I mean that there are things you will need to learn or relearn that the job market demands of you that will improve your chances, instead of being like a feather in the wind blowing from place to place. You take charge of your own career and learn what you need to learn. That’s step number one

Step number two is how do you stay in contact with people? You stay in contact are limited basis but not an abusive basis. For example, you write what seems like a personal note. Instead of doing a bulk copy or blind copy to five people who might be references, and send it to one person at a time.

The subject line could be something like, “Status update.” The message could read, “I’m not at a point yet where my interviews will yield an offer, but I want to let you know that I’m still looking, keep this in your mind.” Then remind them of the few points you want them to make at the right time so it just doesn’t hit the like a ton of bricks.

Continue by saying, “Have no fear. When I need you I will contact you immediately and say,” ‘It’s time.'” That will give them the habit of knowing that that is the code phrase for, “I really need you.”

Doing it every 4 to 6 weeks is fine, just to send a quick report on your job search and where you are. You don’t have to mention companies by name. You just want them to know that she was still looking for a position and you’ll be in contact when you need them.

[/spp-transcript]
Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.= http://www.JobSa

Connect with me on LinkedIn

How Do I Find Out Why My Job Application Has Been Rejected?

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[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TgQnrSyaPU[/svp]
I have sent out over a hundred job applications to various positions across many fields, and 90% of them had been rejected – the other 10% I never hear from again, even after following-up. For most of those applications, I should be a perfectly viable candidate, but I get no indication whatsoever why I get rejected.

[spp-transcript]

here’s a question for today: How do I find out why my job application has been rejected? I’m going to paraphrase the next part. I have sent out over100 applications to various positions across my field and 90% of them have been rejected. The other 10%, I never hear from again even if I follow-up. For most of those applications I would be a perfectly viable candidate but I get no indication why I was rejected.

The person then goes back to talk about what career services told him. Career services knows nothing. They have never fill the job in their life, offer pablum advice but I digress.

What’s the issue here? How can this person find out why their application has been rejected? I’m going to answer the question for them because there are really only a few reasons why an application is rejected.

The first one is that they sought better-looking resumes.What made them better looking resumes? Well, when you see a job ad, that position may have already been online for a month and they are deep into the hiring process. You got to it late.

Number two. Let’s say you found that on the first day was posted and they have just been inundated with responses and they’ve chosen better fitting candidates or resumes for these roles.

Number three. You did nothing to tailor your resume to demonstrate how you actually fit for the job.

The most likely alternative is the second one – – they saw better resumes.Here’s what I say that.

For a student resume (I’m going to get to you more experienced people in a little bit to start with students first),

What is your resume say? You have a few internships and went to a particular school, got certain grades and took particular classes.

Man, that’s boring! Unless some of those internships were spectacular (I’m sure some of you had great internships, but most were pretty mundane), some of these people are ahead of you on line, particularly if you went to an average school– – We have no idea of your experience so it’s hard to be particular for you.

For you experienced people, is number three (you did nothing to demonstrate your fit for the job). That’s the most common mistake that experienced people make.

Students are often given a load of crap by career services about how wonderful their school is, how great a job it does preparing people for graduation… And they are lying. Career services knows nothing about how well prepared you are or any of the graduates are. The next time they go out and talk to a business about how their academic program matches up with that businesses needs will be the first time that ever happens.

So, for students, your background isn’t as wonderful as you have been led to believe. For experienced people, you have to tailor your resume to demonstrate a fit for the job that you are applying for; that’s the most common reason why you are being projected; you never made a case for your candidacy and how your experience fits the firm that you are applying to.

Your resume is awful vis-à-vis the job you’re applying for. As I’ve said many times before, your resume is like the broken watch that’s right twice a day. Yes, you will get some interviews. To use the example of the student, he or she gets 10 interviews out of 100.

Why doesn’t he get 100 out of 100? Who knows!

For you, you keep sending that same resume out over and over and, if my inbox is any indicator, a lot of you are sending out little more than spam.

I want to encourage you to tailor your resume to demonstrate your fit. As a student, I want you to go into detail about the program you went to, how wonderful it was, what you learn there, and try to find something in your background that will distinguish it from the other thousand resumes that they are going to be receiving.

By that I don’t only mean the appearance; I mean the content as well.

[/spp-transcript]

Do you really think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn http://bit.ly/thebiggamehunter going to answer going to