You Got the Job – Now How Do You Negotiate Salary?

Expert Recruiter Reveals Insider’s Secrets

To Getting Paid What You Want

As the job market recovers, a unique phenomenon is beginning to happen, and one expert warns it could cost you money.

 

“As people who have been looking for work a long time start to get back into the workforce, many of them are so happy just to get a job that they sometimes accept a lower salary than they have to,” said Bill Humbert, author of RecruiterGuy’s Guide to Finding a Job. “Some employers feel that they can probably get away with a lowball offer, and many job hunters will grab it just so they can have a job. The truth is there are ways to get the job and still get what you want.”

 

Humbert isn’t a career coach, but rather his expertise comes from working the opposite side of the job stream as a recruiting consultant for corporations. He knows how companies calculate salary, and how to judge their thresholds. His advice for job hunters includes:

 

• ·         Don’t Offer Salary Requirements – When you are asked to include salary requirements with your resume, that is typically a company’s first screen, and it can be used against you. I’ve seen people agonize over what to reveal, because they are afraid of pricing themselves out of a good job. My advice is to simply put “Open” in that spot. If your qualifications are on target, they’ll call you. If in the interview you’re asked what you made at your last job, reply by asking about the range for the one you are applying. You’d be surprised how managers or human resource representatives will tell you.

 

• ·         Don’t Give Away Too Much – In many job applications, an employer will ask for your salary history. It is perfectly acceptable to write “Willing to discuss at appropriate time during interview process” and leave those numbers blank. Writing down those numbers pigeonholes you, and reduces your negotiation power.

 

• ·         Don’t Negotiate Salary – That’s right. Don’t negotiate salary in the interviews. Instead, negotiate when you’ll give them your salary requirements. When they ask you for that figure, tell them you don’t know what you’d require until you have a clear picture of the job requirements and potential for advancement over the next five years. After you have that information, and you’re asked again for that number, respond by asking to go through what I call your “impacts” – areas of your job that directly impact the company’s bottom line. This discussion will allow you to demonstrate what you bring to the table. At the end of that discussion, simply tell them that you are very interested in the position, and that you’d seriously consider any offer they’d like to make.

 

• ·         Keep Networking – Once you have a job offer, it’s not a done deal until you accept it. Until that happens, keep networking and looking for jobs. It may give you valuable market-worth data about the position you’ve been offered. It may also be a safety net in case something goes awry between the time you receive an offer and the time you accept it.

 

• ·         Accepting the Offer – Once an offer is given, you have the right to ask for a clarification on it. Asking “Is there any flexibility in this offer?” may help to open a discussion of increasing the offer. If it does, don’t expect a large boost in base pay, but rather, an extra week of paid vacation, a signing bonus or other such perks.

 

“Keep in mind that salary negotiation is more art than science, so these tips may not always apply,” Humbert added. “Many hourly workers don’t have as much flexibility on pay, and some companies have policies that would require you to adjust the script a little to fit those situations. The key thing to remember is that you don’t have to give them a salary range that would jeopardize your earning potential, and that you don’t have to accept their first offer most of the time. Remember that they are interviewing you because they need to fill that position. It’s important to the company to have someone in that job, and while they are considering you, they aren’t doing you a favor. They need what you have to offer, so you should get the best offer out of them that is possible.”

 

About Bill Humbert

Bill Humbert, also known as RecruiterGuy, is a Washington, DC native and a graduate of Assumption College in Worcester, MA. He has been a professional recruiter since 1981, having worked with clients such as MCI Telecommunications, The Washington Post, Comsat Labs, USF&G Insurance, Geico Insurance, CSX Technology, Telegroup, LeFebure, Intermec Technologies, Digital Broadband Communications, Trex Company, Acciona Energy and others. He is also an AIRS trained contract recruiter consultant. He has read more than 400,000 resumes, interviewed more than 13,000 candidates over the phone or in person, and has worked with more than 3,000 hiring managers. In the past 15 years, he has helped companies hire more than 1,300 new employees nationwide from the C – Level (CEO/CFO/CIO) to college recruit.  

www.recruiterguy.com

Q: Do Your Job Applicants Love You Like This? A: Doubtful.

While reading this letter from a job candidate to a hiring manager, try to figure out to which organization the candidate was applying and also think about whether your organization has ever received a letter as complimentary as this about its hiring process.

 

Dear John:

What a pleasure it was competing for a position in your company! From the very beginning, I was blown away by the information and attention I received. A friend told me there was an opening in your company and, to be honest, I followed the link to your web site wondering who you were.

My fears were totally unfounded because in minutes I learned about your company’s growth and aspirations from an extraordinary group of passionate and engaged employees who didn’t pull any punches when they described the challenges they faced, the hours they worked and their commitment to the goals your company wants to achieve. It’s no wonder why so many professionals want to work there and why they stay.

After seeing the types of opportunities to make a difference I was hooked and then thrilled with the chance to indicate my interest without a lot of hunting and pecking. A few minutes and you seemed to be satisfied and gave me a nod to move forward for one of the positions where I was most competitive.

What really changed my thinking about the job market however was what happened over the next few days as I received updated information about my candidacy as more and more people applied. The transparency in your process – sharing where people stood was at first shocking then disconcerting and finally, fascinating and engaging. I could see where I was competitive in some areas and not in others. A couple times I just updated my profile and, in one case, I simply texted the hiring authority a question which was answered in an hour. That helped me offer an ‘equivalent’ experience and reach a reference who confirmed my abilities.

The formal interviews using video technology were great. I was immediately set at ease when the first person came on and coached me through a 30 minute practice with feedback and tips on how I was using these online tools. I really felt confident after that and, the ‘debrief’ at the end was worth its weight in gold.

I realized I wasn’t the best fit when your hiring manager sent me the video email earlier today giving me her final selection and reasoning that there were a couple candidates better suited to your opening from her point of view. Most importantly, what I learned through this week-long experience will put me in a top contender slot in just about any job I apply to in the future.

Thanks again, Jim

 

(Still trying to figure out what company Jim is talking about? It might help you to know that this was our April 1 blog post.)

– Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler
CareerXroads
The Staffing Strategy Connection
Email: mmc@careerxroads.com

Choosing Between An Inside and Outside Sales Job

Inside Sales Jobs:

In most instances, inside sales positions involve heavy volumes of cold prospecting via the telephone or via mass emailing attempts to target clients.

However, I have seen companies use this term to describe quite the opposite. Instead, they use the term “inside sales” to describe what is really pure account management. That means the position isn’t heavily focused on finding new business.

Hiring companies often list desired qualities of the ideal inside sales applicant including, “hungry,” “aggressive,” and, “not afraid to close a deal.”

These arguably unflattering adjectives apply to inside sales because selling over the phone or via mass emailing has become increasingly more challenging. This sort of inside sales job quickly turns into a scenario with no chance for any type of positive outcome.

If the jobs are pure cold-calling positions, companies will usually try to recruit younger salespeople by focusing the total compensation package, instead of an at- or below-market base salary.

This “total comp” focus is usually followed by an inflated OTE number (“on-target earnings,” the total predicted money made by the sales representative if he or she hits all the quota goals). A company that inflates OTE possibilities usually uses a “We want someone who sees the bigger picture” spiel.

Here’s a hint: only interview for inside sales jobs if you know the company or the position pays a secure base salary with full benefits.

However, seeing the term “inside sales” in a job description doesn’t always signal a trap.

Benefits of Taking an Inside Sales Job: 

• You are around a manager and can train, grow and immerse yourself into the culture of the organization.
• Due to the entry-level nature of the job, you’ll probably be around peers your own age who share a similar interest in sales.
• For the right person, the consistent prospecting via the phone and the web can quickly lead to a leadership role within the organization.

 

I’ve seen 25-year-olds earn significantly more responsibility handling both basic sales representatives and the more important clients, whose continuous business results in large commission checks for the young all-star.

Those who make it out of the trenches alive quickly morph into VPs and Regional Managers.

Is Your Manager A Leader? How Do You Know?

There is a big difference between managers and leaders. Managers are those who come to work, make sure all subordinates are getting the necessary tasks done, then leave at 5:00, never to really make a difference.

 

Managers sustain. They fail to upgrade their teams. They see no return in helping those under them grow personally or professionally.

 

Leaders are the ones who form and grow a company. Leaders try as much as possible to kill any bureaucracy and allow each member of their team to speak their mind. Leaders know that collaboration keeps employees engaged. It makes them feel important.

 

The best persuasion skill to get someone to do something is to get them to want to do it. Leaders make employees want to come to work every day. They create a sense of urgency and execution within the group, thus making them industry leaders.

 

While managers are often afraid to make their teams better, carrying a thought process that one could take their job, leaders are afraid not to better their teams, since bettering the team prevents turnovers and moves an organization forward.

 

Managers will sit in a boardroom and waste time conversing about topics that have been beaten to death. Leaders know that this is a waste of time. Leaders are busy conveying their vision to those under them and getting them to buy into it.

 

Managers are afraid to be wrong, ever clinging onto their job and hiding in between cubicles, spending the day writing emails back and forth to other managers. There is no concrete action behind these emails, only ideas that never get implemented because they could result in negative attention on the management team.

 

When something goes wrong, managers are quick to point the finger and cultivate an organization full of “It Wasn’t Me” folks. There is always an answer why something went wrong and it is never them. Leaders take responsibility for their actions. They hold their subordinates accountable for their work and they are no exception to the rule.

 

Managers micromanage, overseeing every minute detail. Leaders allow for new ideas to be implemented and feel the reward is worth the risk. When a manager attempts to train, he or she is met with skepticism, as their subordinates feel that they are only it in for themselves.

 

Subordinates trust leaders. They know that the leader has their best interest in heart.

How do you know you’re working for a leader? Under his or her guidance, you’re slowly becoming a leader yourself.

27% of Employees Report Being Bullied at Work

Apparently, the playground isn’t the only place one will encounter bullies. Twenty-seven percent of workers reported they have felt bullied in the workplace with the majority neither confronting nor reporting the bully. Comparing genders and age groups, the segments that were more likely than others to report feeling bullied were women, workers age 55 or older, and workers age 24 or younger. The study was conducted from February 21 to March 10, 2011 and included more than 5,600 full-time workers nationwide.

Women reported a higher incidence of being treated unfairly at the office. One-third (34 percent) of women said they have felt bullied in the workplace compared to 22 percent of men.

Looking at age, 29 percent of workers age 55 or older and 29 percent of workers age 24 or younger reported they had been bullied on the job, the highest among age groups. Workers age 35 to 44 were the least likely to report feeling bullied at 25 percent.

The most common culprit is typically the boss, according to the survey. Fourteen percent of workers felt bullied by their immediate supervisor while 11 percent felt bullied by a co-worker. Seven percent said the bully was not their boss, but someone else higher up in the organization while another 7 percent said the bully was their customer.

• My comments were dismissed or not acknowledged – 43 percent
• I was falsely accused of mistakes I didn’t make – 40 percent
• I was harshly criticized – 38 percent
• I was forced into doing work that really wasn’t my job – 38 percent
• Different standards and policies were used for me than other workers – 37 percent
• I was given mean looks – 31 percent
• Others gossiped about me – 27 percent
• My boss yelled at me in front of other co-workers – 24 percent
• Belittling comments were made about my work during meetings – 23 percent
• Someone else stole credit for my work – 21 percent

“Bullying is a serious offense that can disrupt the work environment, impact morale and lower productivity,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources. “If you are feeling bullied, keep track of what was said or done and who was present. The more specifics you can provide, the stronger the case you can make for yourself when confronting the bully head on or reporting the bully to a company authority.”

Confronting and Reporting the Bully

Although bullies can be intimidating, nearly half of workers (47 percent) said they confronted the bully about his/her actions. Of these workers, 43 percent said the bullying stopped, 13 percent reported the bullying became worse while 44 percent said the bullying stayed the same.

Nearly three-in-ten workers (28 percent) took their concerns to a higher authority and reported the bully to their Human Resources department. While 38 percent of these workers stated that measures were taken to investigate and resolve the situation, the majority of workers (62 percent) said no action was taken. Of those who didn’t report the bully, one-in-five (21 percent) said it was because they feared the bullying would escalate.

Common Sales Related Definitions For The Beginner

Ken Sundheim runs KAS and is a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council

 

 

B2B Selling - “B2B Selling” is an acronym commonly used to describe sales people who engage in selling their product or service to another company instead of the individual consumer.

An example of B2B selling would be commercial real estate sales professionals.

 

B2C Selling - “B2C Selling” is an acronym common used to describe sales people who engage in selling their product or service to the individual consumer instead of someone who is buying on behalf of their business’s needs.

An example of B2C selling would be retail stockbrokers who specialize in selling equity to the “Average Joe” and “Average Jane.”

 

Email Blast - An email blast is a mass email sent out by a company to leads that typically were purchased (sometimes illegally) in the hopes of reaching thousands of potential buyers, hoping to circumvent tedious, unprofitable cold-calling sales techniques.

 

Sales Cycle - A sales cycle is the time it takes from the sales professional’s first meeting meaning phone, email or in-person with a prospect until the service agreement is signed by the buying party.

Long sales cycles have been notoriously known for significantly damaging a company’s finances and available cash flow.

 

Sales into the government are very lucrative for the sales professional who can effectively do so because it takes a special patience and bureaucratic savvy to get anything done.

After 7 years of successful sales employment into municipalities, base salaries excluding commission can reach well into the $115,000 range.

 

Warm Prospect - A warm prospect is a term that signifies a potential buyer who has familiarity with the sales representative’s company as well as has shown some interest in the product or service.

If the account is not managed properly by the sales representative, a warm prospect can quickly turn cold, unresponsive and elusive to any attempted contact.

 

Cold Prospect - “Hi Stranger,” is the basic idea behind sales to what is referred to as a cold prospect.

You don’t know them, they don’t know you and to make things even more difficult, they probably don’t know your company and may not be in the market for your product.

For a sales representative, it takes a lot of skill, patience and hard work to see a cold prospect from initial contact to client.

Survey of 4,600 Employers Indicates College Grad Hiring Up 10 Percent

With the nation’s employers finally beginning to ramp up hiring, this year’s crop of nearly 1.7 million college graduates should enjoy the most welcoming entry-level job market in the last three years.  However, finding a position will by no means be easy and many spring graduates may have to settle for less money or for a job outside of their preferred career path, according to a new outlook from global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

“Entry-level hiring has not returned to pre-recession levels, but this year’s graduates should find markedly improved job-search conditions.  Colleges and universities around the country are reporting increased on-campus recruiting and surveys of employers indicate more graduate hiring, as companies rebuild their bench-strength after massive layoffs during the downturn,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

After months of tepid job creation, it appears that employers are finally beginning to accelerate hiring.  The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that in 2010, private-sector payrolls averaged net gains of 98,000 new jobs per month.  In the first three months of 2011, average monthly job gains have jumped to 188,000.  In February and March alone, private-sector employers added 470,000 new jobs, the largest two-month employment gain since 2006.

The surge in hiring could not have come at a better time for college seniors, many of whom are just a few weeks away from graduation.  A survey of 170 employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that they plan to increase hiring of new graduates across all degrees and majors by 21 percent. 

In a broader survey of 4,600 employers, the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University found that hiring for graduates with bachelor’s degrees will increase about 10 percent.  That represents the first increase in hiring for these graduates in two years, according to the Research Institute’s report.

Meanwhile, several campuses across the country are reporting increased recruiting visits by employers.  The Texas Christian University newspaper, The Daily Skiff, reported that the number of on-campus interviews at the school was up 10 percent from a year ago and that the number of employers participating in the school’s spring career expo increased from 63 in 2010 to 80 this year.  The University of Michigan reports a 47-percent increase in on-campus recruiting since fall.  Employer participation in the annual “Just in Time” job fair at the University of California – Berkeley recovered to the point that the event returned to a two-day schedule after three years of being compressed into one day.

“There definitely is pent up demand for entry-level workers.  During the recession, many companies made significant cuts to their workforce, retaining only the most talented and most experienced workers.  As companies begin to rebound, they will focus on finding and cultivating the next crop of talent,” said Challenger.

The demand for entry-level workers can be seen in Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that 20- to 24-year-olds saw the largest employment increase over the first three months of 2011.  The number of people in this age group working grew by 308,000 or 2.4 percent.  Employment among 25- to 34-year-olds and 35- to 44-year-olds each grew by less than one percent, and employment among 45- to 54-year-olds fell by 1.1 percent.

“In this hiring environment, recent graduates have two distinct advantages.  First, they presumably have the basic skills necessary to succeed in the workplace, but, as far as the employer is concerned, they are blank slates.  This is a good thing for an employer that wants the ability to mold its next generation of workers, as opposed to re-shaping someone who came from another employer with ingrained work habits, skills, and knowledge that may not fit with the company’s culture or approach to business,” said Challenger.

“Secondly, recent college graduates are extremely flexible in terms of where they work and when they work.  They are not tied down by an underwater mortgage or a family, so they can go wherever the company needs them to go.  And, because many don’t have the family commitments that many 30-something and older workers do, they are more willing to work longer and/or non-traditional hours,” he noted.

Even with the entry-level market improving, Challenger warns that finding a position will remain challenging and fiercely competitive. 

“Graduates are not only competing for jobs with their fellow classmates, but they are going head-to-head with people who graduated in 2010, 2009 and even 2008.  Some of these job seekers might already have some on-the-job experience, while others have been waiting tables or working in other non-career areas until the job market improved.  Competition will also come from people who are currently employed, who see a healthier job market as an opportunity to seek greener pastures,” said Challenger.

“The competitive nature of the job market requires an aggressive approach to the job search.  Soon-to-be graduates cannot expect to hand out a few resumes at job fairs and reply to some online postings and simply wait for the offers to come pouring in.  Make no mistake, job fairs and online job boards have their place in the job search, but to be successful a well-rounded strategy is required. 

“One of the most important elements of a successful job search, for both entry-level job seekers and their more-experienced counterparts, is networking and meeting face-to-face with people who can help advance the job search.  College graduates who believe they are too young to have an effective network are simply wrong.  Parents, professors, former internship supervisors and even college and former high school classmates can be valuable sources when it comes to building and expanding one’s network,” said Challenger.

“Finally, graduates should not confine their searches to a specific industry or occupation.  The job market is not robust enough to provide the ideal job situation for every individual.  It seldom is.  So, someone may come out of college with the plan to find a marketing position with a consumer products company.  There’s nothing wrong with having a specific goal like that, but don’t make the mistake of adhering to it so closely that you overlook opportunities in marketing for a chemical company or health care provider, for example,” he said.

It’s Better To Be Respected Than Liked

When I started University, my faculty passed out a sheet of paper to all of the students that contained a set of 10 rules for being successful in the business world. And while I have long since lost the sheet, there is one rule I remember very clearly:

    It’s better to be respected than liked.

While this made some sense to me at the time, I have only recently started to appreciate exactly what it means for your career. Now that I have been in the corporate world for a few years, it has become easier to see the link between how people view you and your career advancement.

There are many ways/reasons for people to like you. You could:

    1. Be a genuinely nice person
    2. Be social
    3. Do favors for others without any expectation of favors back
    4. Make people smile or laugh

But ultimately, being liked in itself will not advance your career. Do to this, you need to be respected. And in my opinion, there are only two ways to gain the respect of others:

    1. By making good decisions
    2. Through your ability to get the job done and done right

Without gaining the respect of others, you cannot expect to move up within an organization. The reason for this is that decisions on promotions are rarely made in a vacuum. Your boss may think that you are a nice person and want to promote you, but unless you have gained the respect of the majority of the decision makers (including your boss), it will not happen.

This is not to say that you don’t need to be liked. In fact, it is incredibly important to be both liked AND respected. Being liked can often make the difference in a competition between two well respected employees. However, without having the respect of your peers and superiors, you will never be given that opportunity.

So once you land the Entry Level Job of your dreams, remember that in order to get ahead, you need to gain the respect of those around you. You can do this with a strong work ethic and sound decision making skills. Without respect, you will find your career path more challenging.

Author: Trevor Wilson is an author and consultant who works with new graduates preparing to enter the work force. His site, Gradversity.com, provides daily advice on job hunting, networking, and resume writing tailored to the Entry Level Job seeker. His first book, Overcoming Gradversity: How to Break Into the Entry Level Job Market, was published in 2008.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

How Long Do Your College Honors Matter?

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Entry-level professionals often have a hard time trying to determine which information to include on their resumes. While you obviously want to include any education or degrees, the other stuff from college gets a little trickier. Do employers want to know that you were in the photography club? Would a hiring manager care that you were membership chair for your fraternity?

Relevance

As with many things in resume writing, the answer is: it depends. For most recent graduates who lack significant work experience, school activities can give some meat to your resume. For instance, if you’re applying for a job with a nonprofit, mentioning that you worked on your university’s Relay for Life event, which raised $30,000, will definitely make you an attractive candidate. However, if you’re applying for a position as an accountant, the hiring manager probably doesn’t care that you were inducted into the honor society for history at your school.

Leadership

Any activity you participate in that involves leadership skills is worth discussing on your resume. If you were captain of a sports team or an officer in student government, your understanding of how to manage others will be helpful throughout your career. However, loading your resume up with activities in which you were only peripherally involved will just create “noise” on the page.

Quantify

It is also helpful to include any information about activities that can be quantified; for instance, “President of 50-member chapter of Operation Smile that raised $20,000 to support medical procedures for children in the third world”. Well-recognized honors, such as being inducted into Phi Beta Kappa or giving the graduation address for your class, are also worth mentioning. However, it’s just not necessary to mention every single club or honor society in which you were a member.

GPA

There’s one more question that entry-level professionals often ask: Should I include my college GPA on my resume? Generally, this information paints you as someone who still thinks in the collegiate realm rather than in the professional one. If your GPA was impressive enough for you to graduate cum laude, then that is worth mentioning without including the number. You would want to include the actual number if you’re applying for programs—such as those in investment banking—that specifically seek out candidates with a specific GPA. Otherwise, the fact that you earned your degree is often all the hiring manager needs to know.

As you put your resume together for an entry-level position, ask yourself if the information will still matter in 5 or 10 years. If the answer is no, then it may not be worth mentioning now.

Good luck in your search.

 

Author Byline: Jessica has a true passion for the job seeker, evidenced by her desire to share everything she can with everyone she can about resume writing and interviewing.
Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Avoiding Company-Specific Lingo on Your Resume

I recently met a woman who had started a new job with a Fortune 50 company several months ago. While she enjoyed some aspects of her new position, she was having a very difficult time adjusting to the culture of her new company due to the other employees constantly using acronyms she didn’t understand. The situation is so bad that every day she writes down a list of terms that she doesn’t grasp and asks her assistant to explain them.

 

Author Info: Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter. For information visit www.greatresumesfast.com