IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO HOLIDAY SEASON...SHOULD I STOP MY SEARCH?
As we move further into 4th quarter; many job seekers become stressed about landing their new job before the year is out.
Historically, the job market slows considerably a week or so after Thanksgiving and remains that way until the end of the year. There are several reasons for decrease in new opportunities offered by employers during this time:
1- Many times, annual budgets have already been exhausted - leaving the Hiring Manager to ask that money be allocated in the 2011 budget for a "new hire"
2-Most job seekers that currently hold positions that offer a "year-end review" or "annual bonus" will remain in their position through the end of the year...so their vacancies won't become opportunities for others until mid-January
3- In general, people associate "change" with calendar year benchmarks - both employers and job seekers get lost mentally during the "holiday season" - as a result, many with the best of intentions...do not take action until the new year
That being said; we've got another 6 weeks or so to hit the ground running!
DOLLARS & SENSE
The biggest misconception that job seekers have pertains to compensation and their own "perceived market value". It is very important to do your research on the industry/company you wish to work for by speaking to professionals in the industry you are targeting. 9 out of 10 job seekers that I meet begin by telling me they "really want to be in a more creative environment". Immediately, I follow up with the question- what do you need to earn in your next position? Inevitably, their answer is based on information from a MENTOR or some type of mystical SALARY REPORT that they read online. As a result, their salary expectation is generally 10-15K more than what the market may bear... at present.
There are dozens of qualified people you are competing against that are willing to make less than many of their peers for the "opportunity" to work at the same organization you are coveting.
The flip-side of this is also extremely important to keep in mind! Most of you have another 20-30 years of work ahead of you - their is no monetary value that someone can place on your HAPPINESS. Wanting to get up and go to work everyday is a blessing. So if you are passionate about a particular career path; you should pursue it despite any disparity in current compensation.
SELLING YOURSELF
This is the area where the majority of you fall short! Treating every meeting, conversation, correspondence you have regarding your search for a new job as an opportunity to SELL YOURSELF is invaluable. This begins with any recruiter you enlist to assist you in your search. The perception that meeting a recruiter is "not a real interview" impacts how effective an agent that person will be. I can't tell you how often I hear "I've met with a million recruiters and none of them have done anything for me." It's something I almost expect...and I can pick out the ones who feel that way.
These people are generally:
-not responsive... when after receiving their resume, I immediately call to schedule an interview
-late for their appointment to me
-have a bad attitude - seem irritated - are rude to my reception staff
-have typos or grammatical errors in their resume...that they do not appreciate me pointing out
-do not make eye contact during the interview
-have a weak "dead fish" handshake when greeting people I assume that this is the way they will interact with my clients.
The process of getting someone excited about hiring you begins in the early stages of your search. I will work much harder on behalf of the candidate with the "average educational background" and "solid work history" than I will for the candidate coming out of a "superior school" and "prestigious" organization when they:
-respond quickly for an interview or to any request for information-present a stellar resume-have a "presence" or energy about them
-appear happy and excited about working with me
-are dressed appropriately
-can tell me what distinguishes them from their competition
-don't blame bad recruiters or horrible HR people for the fact that they have been on 30 interviews over a 6 month period and are still looking
It is all about selling yourself...getting people excited about being around you.
If you have the ability to clearly articulate how you are different/special...demonstrate how you have impacted the work environments you have come from...show the proper balance of professionalism and personality...you can not help but be successful in your search/interview campaign. Very often, employers are paying for "potential"...and that is a hard thing to quantify.
90% of the time it comes down to "chemistry".
-Can these people see you "fitting in" with the group?
-Do you have similar priorities and interests?
-Do you work at the same pace that they do?
-Is your "communication style similar to theirs?
Bottom line...will they themselves or members of their group want to be in very close proximity to you for 8-10 hours a day...M-F based on what they saw in your interview?
In closing:
*BE PREPARED
*BRING ENERGY & EXCITEMENT TO YOUR INTERVIEWS
*DO NOT PLACE ANY LESS VALUE ON ONE PERSON AS OPPOSED TO ANOTHER IN YOUR INTERVIEW PROCESS
*CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE HOW YOU ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE COMPETITION...WITH EXAMPLES
*POSSES A POWERFUL COMBINATION OF CONFIDENCE & HUMILITY...MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE AN INTERVIEW THERE IS NO DOUBT IN THE INTERVIEWER'S MIND THAT YOU NOT ONLY WANT THE JOB...BUT YOU ARE THE MOST QUALIFIED AS WELL!!!"
"YOU CAN LEARN LITTLE FROM VICTORY...YOU CAN LEARN EVERYTHING FROM DEFEAT" CHRISTY MATHEWSON - HALL OF FAME BASEBALL PLAYER
Historically, the job market slows considerably a week or so after Thanksgiving and remains that way until the end of the year. There are several reasons for decrease in new opportunities offered by employers during this time:
1- Many times, annual budgets have already been exhausted - leaving the Hiring Manager to ask that money be allocated in the 2011 budget for a "new hire"
2-Most job seekers that currently hold positions that offer a "year-end review" or "annual bonus" will remain in their position through the end of the year...so their vacancies won't become opportunities for others until mid-January
3- In general, people associate "change" with calendar year benchmarks - both employers and job seekers get lost mentally during the "holiday season" - as a result, many with the best of intentions...do not take action until the new year
That being said; we've got another 6 weeks or so to hit the ground running!
DOLLARS & SENSE
The biggest misconception that job seekers have pertains to compensation and their own "perceived market value". It is very important to do your research on the industry/company you wish to work for by speaking to professionals in the industry you are targeting. 9 out of 10 job seekers that I meet begin by telling me they "really want to be in a more creative environment". Immediately, I follow up with the question- what do you need to earn in your next position? Inevitably, their answer is based on information from a MENTOR or some type of mystical SALARY REPORT that they read online. As a result, their salary expectation is generally 10-15K more than what the market may bear... at present.
There are dozens of qualified people you are competing against that are willing to make less than many of their peers for the "opportunity" to work at the same organization you are coveting.
The flip-side of this is also extremely important to keep in mind! Most of you have another 20-30 years of work ahead of you - their is no monetary value that someone can place on your HAPPINESS. Wanting to get up and go to work everyday is a blessing. So if you are passionate about a particular career path; you should pursue it despite any disparity in current compensation.
SELLING YOURSELF
This is the area where the majority of you fall short! Treating every meeting, conversation, correspondence you have regarding your search for a new job as an opportunity to SELL YOURSELF is invaluable. This begins with any recruiter you enlist to assist you in your search. The perception that meeting a recruiter is "not a real interview" impacts how effective an agent that person will be. I can't tell you how often I hear "I've met with a million recruiters and none of them have done anything for me." It's something I almost expect...and I can pick out the ones who feel that way.
These people are generally:
-not responsive... when after receiving their resume, I immediately call to schedule an interview
-late for their appointment to me
-have a bad attitude - seem irritated - are rude to my reception staff
-have typos or grammatical errors in their resume...that they do not appreciate me pointing out
-do not make eye contact during the interview
-have a weak "dead fish" handshake when greeting people I assume that this is the way they will interact with my clients.
The process of getting someone excited about hiring you begins in the early stages of your search. I will work much harder on behalf of the candidate with the "average educational background" and "solid work history" than I will for the candidate coming out of a "superior school" and "prestigious" organization when they:
-respond quickly for an interview or to any request for information-present a stellar resume-have a "presence" or energy about them
-appear happy and excited about working with me
-are dressed appropriately
-can tell me what distinguishes them from their competition
-don't blame bad recruiters or horrible HR people for the fact that they have been on 30 interviews over a 6 month period and are still looking
It is all about selling yourself...getting people excited about being around you.
If you have the ability to clearly articulate how you are different/special...demonstrate how you have impacted the work environments you have come from...show the proper balance of professionalism and personality...you can not help but be successful in your search/interview campaign. Very often, employers are paying for "potential"...and that is a hard thing to quantify.
90% of the time it comes down to "chemistry".
-Can these people see you "fitting in" with the group?
-Do you have similar priorities and interests?
-Do you work at the same pace that they do?
-Is your "communication style similar to theirs?
Bottom line...will they themselves or members of their group want to be in very close proximity to you for 8-10 hours a day...M-F based on what they saw in your interview?
In closing:
*BE PREPARED
*BRING ENERGY & EXCITEMENT TO YOUR INTERVIEWS
*DO NOT PLACE ANY LESS VALUE ON ONE PERSON AS OPPOSED TO ANOTHER IN YOUR INTERVIEW PROCESS
*CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE HOW YOU ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE COMPETITION...WITH EXAMPLES
*POSSES A POWERFUL COMBINATION OF CONFIDENCE & HUMILITY...MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE AN INTERVIEW THERE IS NO DOUBT IN THE INTERVIEWER'S MIND THAT YOU NOT ONLY WANT THE JOB...BUT YOU ARE THE MOST QUALIFIED AS WELL!!!"
"YOU CAN LEARN LITTLE FROM VICTORY...YOU CAN LEARN EVERYTHING FROM DEFEAT" CHRISTY MATHEWSON - HALL OF FAME BASEBALL PLAYER
