If you want to negotiate the best deal for yourself going into a job, do as I say, not as I do.
When the Free Press asked me whether I wanted a job, I immediately yelled, “Yes!”
Not very cool, I know.
And I quickly slammed any door I had for negotiating. Fortunately, I was treated pretty well anyway. Now, I tell people (even people I make offers to) not to accept instantly.
A little about the dynamics of hiring: Between the time when a company offers you a job and you accept, you have leverage.
Inside the company, a bunch of people have met and decided that you are the person, out of a handful of candidates, whom they want to hire. The person who makes the call is expected to get your acceptance. They do not want to reconvene, go to the next candidate or re-ignite their search.
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Posted in Talent and Career
Think about all of your college experience, including classes and extracurricular activities. What did you do in your class that helps to qualify you for the job of your dreams?
Consider first your classes. Many lucky students undertake activities in classes that are every bit as valid for providing experience as paid jobs. Such activities include:
- Class projects
- Research papers and projects
- Group projects
- Hands-on assignments and “real-world” experiences
- Laboratory experience
- Presentations
- Study-abroad programs
- Simulations
Look, for example, at your school’s special programs and relevant, hands-on projects you’ve done in classes. Stetson University, where we teach, has an unusual program in the finance department in which students invest actual money in a stock portfolio. Such a program provides an excellent way to make the most of your college experience in your cover letter, as in this example:
Currently, I am involved in a unique program at Stetson that sets me apart from other recent graduates who apply to your firm. For the past year, I have been part of the Roland George Investment Program, the only undergraduate program in the Southeastern United States that allows students to invest real money in the stock and bond markets. The Roland George Program has allowed me to gain practical experience in portfolio management and has enhanced my communication and teamwork skills. I have also fine-tuned my research techniques to make the best stock and bond selections.
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Posted in Talent and Career
On paper, the prescription for unemployment is rather formulaic: send in résumé, go on interview, be your charming self, get hired.
The frustrating reality isn’t nearly as simple. Getting an interview alone is an exercise in persistence and patience.
Here are 10 reasons for why you’re not landing that interview and what you can do to reverse the trend.
Your résumé and cover letter are as articulate as Courtney Love’s Web blog. If your application materials contain typos, grammatical errors and irrelevant or inconsistent information, employers will take notice — in a bad way. Once you’ve looked over your résumé and cover letter to the point of dementia, take this advice from Joyce Gioia of the Herman Group: have three people, for whom English is a first language, review your résumé and cover letter before you send it.
Your cover letter is generic. Make it personal by tailoring it to the particular job and addressing it to a person, not “To Whom It May Concern.” And include a sentence or two about how you are the right fit for that particular job. If no contact is listed, take the initiative to find out who the hiring manager is by searching the company’s Web site or calling the reference desk.
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Posted in Talent and Career
The New Year – sure, it’s a time to rejoice, be merry and have some fun, but to some folks it is a time to reflect on their lives, and yes (a big sigh here) that means making the ever popular New Year’s resolutions. The most common resolutions are losing weight, paying off debt, saving money and getting a better job. Try looking beyond the recession and the “doom and gloom” of 2009, and make 2010 a bright new year by kicking your job search into high gear.
“No matter the market conditions, there are always companies looking to hire talented professionals, and those people who are prepared will be best positioned to take advantage of new career opportunities as they are uncovered,” says David Sanford, executive vice president of business development at Winter, Wyman. Sanford says that people should always be looking for a new job (hey, you never know what’s out there unless you’re looking) and that the New Year is a great time to go out and make it happen.
If you want to know how to get yourself noticed and find your dream job during the New Year, follow these 10 tips for 2010.
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Posted in Talent and Career
