February 4, 2019

Job Search Tips: Networking 101

Searching for a new job can be intimidating, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve been in the market. I often hear about how overwhelming it can be, and it is hard to know where to even begin! One approach the job search like any other internet search – type some keywords into Indeed or LinkedIn and see what happens. From there, you can spend hours studying job descriptions until finding the perfect job or applying to everything that maybe, possibly, potentially could fit, and seeing what happens.

While applying online can work, we know networking leads to faster job placement, higher wages, and longer employment duration (Source). So, if networking is so great, why aren’t more people doing it? In a lot of cases, people don’t know how, or where to start. Anxiety and imposter syndrome can also sneak in and make it difficult for people to reach out. Sometimes, clients are afraid to ask for ‘favors’ from others.

Imposter Syndrome

As in, “I’ve been successful in my career, but most of that has been a result of being in the right place at the right time. Someday they’re going to find out I’m not as good as they think I am.” If you’ve ever thought something along these lines, you might be suffering from Imposter Syndrome. It can be tough to recognize the potential that others see in you and own it. The hard part about networking and job seeking, in general, is that if you aren’t confident that you can do the work, employers won’t be convinced either. Don’t let your fear get in the way of a new job. It might seem silly, but power poses and having a mantra to repeat can help build confidence. Check your body language: shoulders back, head up, take a deep breath and go! Remember, you’ve got this. You could be the perfect person to take on that stretch job.

Asking for Help

Repeat after me: “Asking for help is not a weakness.” Asking for help can build a stronger bond with you and another person. When you ask someone for help, that person feels useful, and that you trust them. Asking for help can be a powerful tool to strengthen all kinds of different relationships, so spread the love around. It’s always better to get a warm introduction to a possible employer than reaching out blindly. Here’s the catch. When you ask someone for help, be willing to return the favor. Try not to rely on the same person consistently, our you might burn them out. Also, be sure to thank them for the connection, even if nothing comes of it. A simple handwritten note or even freshly baked cookies can go a long way in building those relationships.

Getting Started

So now that we’ve overcome a couple of common obstacles to networking, where the heck do you start?! There are a few ways you can get started. First, find out who you know. You can use social media or look through your phonebook. One underutilized method of networking is to send out an email to your contacts just letting them know you’re in the job market. Be selective about who you’re sending this to, especially if your employer doesn’t know you’re looking for a new opportunity.

If that’s not quite your style, help recruiters find you on LinkedIn by setting up your job notifications. This tool will help recruiters find you more easily and match you to potential positions that fit within your expectations. You can set preferences about the types of work you’re interested in, company size, industry and more. Don’t forget to double-check that your profile is up to date and reflects your most recent positions.

Creating your Top 10 list

Need more help narrowing it down? When you build a targeted list of companies you want to work at, you can see progress as your search progresses. First, do your research – what is it about the company that makes you want to work there? Awesome culture? Cool products? Stability and benefits? Great! Check out this spreadsheet to start brainstorming (hint: download a copy so you can make edits). If you feel like you’re stuck in your job search, this is a great tool to help you get unstuck.

Each week pick 3-4 companies and do something to build a network there. It could be setting up job notifications on their website, engaging with their social media pages, setting up informational interviews or even contacting a recruiter. Then, write it down and give yourself credit for the work you’ve done. By tracking your progress, you can see what strategies work as your networking progresses.

If you’re overwhelmed with where to start and need some help building a networking strategy or getting your job search kicked off, let us know. We can help with your resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter reviews, and overall job search strategy.

April 24, 2018

How to Negotiate Salary

Here are some of our favorite tips on how to negotiate salary. Negotiations are one of the trickiest parts of the hiring process. Even if the offer you receive is enticing, it’s always a good idea to have these conversations with a new company. In a lot of cases, it is much harder to negotiate salary increases when you are moving around within a company.

Research the company & understand the market

Before you even begin to have salary discussions know what the market pays for that type of position in your area. You’ll want to research the company as well. Organizations fall into three categories when it comes to salaries: market leaders, at market and below market. Google and Amazon tend to pay as market leaders, whereas non-profit organizations tend to pay below market. Glassdoor and PayScale are great resources to start doing some research. If you’re considering a job in a different location, be sure to use a cost of living calculator as well to get an understanding of the local area and ensure you’re able to maintain your current lifestyle.

Know your value and bottom line

If you’ve been in your current job for a long time and have been receiving a standard cost of living raises annually (between 1% and 5%), chances are you might be underpaid. During your salary negotiations, remember to mention additional training, certifications or education that you’ve gained while being employed. Employers often won’t increase your salary when you obtain certificates or complete a degree, but an outside company usually will take it into account.

Be confident & professional

The salary negotiation is not a win-lose proposition. These conversations need to be collaborative. Ultimately, both parties are trying to achieve the same goal; you as an employee. Work together to find a solution but keep emotions and feelings out of the discussions. Always assume positive intentions from the other side, but be assertive enough to know you’re boundaries. Sometimes it’s helpful to practice your negotiation tactics. Sound Interview Professionals can help with salary negotiation tactics during our interview coaching sessions.

Build a case

As you have these discussions, you need to be able to articulate precisely why you deserve more. I’ve seen negotiations go poorly when the applicant hasn’t provided a convincing case. Tell me about the value you add to the company and quantify it. There have been candidates in the past who try to negotiate based on their expenses, and while we can sympathize, I’m not going to give you a higher salary because you have a large student loan payment.

Provide a range (if asked)

More and more places are making it illegal to ask about past earnings during the hiring process. Instead, recruiters are asking about salary expectations. This tends to come early on in the process, sometimes even before the interview. They are trying to make sure that your expectations are within their approved range for the position. If you’re asked what your salary requirements are, it’s best to provide a range. If you’re asked to provide your salary expectations, always give a range. At the bottom of the range should be at least 5-10% more than you’re currently making and add 10-20% to get the top number. For example, if you’re bottom is $100,000, the top should be around $115,000. At the offer stage, you can then negotiate salary within the range that you’ve provided.

Start with the base

It’s in your best interest to negotiate salary before talking about signing bonuses or other allowances. Companies might try to offer a one-time signing bonus to bump up to your salary expectations. The base is significant because it makes everything else more valuable. It’s also the most difficult thing to move on. While signing bonuses are nice, they don’t compound year over year, and they don’t affect your retirement contributions. A higher base will lead to increased total compensation.

Salary Negotiation Comparison

Negotiate other benefits

Sometimes hiring managers aren’t able to move as much as you’d like on the salary due to budget constraints. Be sure to ask for information on healthcare benefits, vacation, sick time, paid holidays, and other benefits before you make a decision. Our clients are often surprised to learn that vacation time is negotiable. Organizations usually have policies that outline a set number of paid vacation days based on service, but if you are mid-career, chances are you can negotiate additional days. Make sure you know about all of the perks that the company offers including modified work schedules, telecommuting, paid parking, on-site gym or childcare, employee discounts, etc. before making your final decision. Take all of those things into consideration when you make your decision.

Be prepared to walk away

This one is hard. Sometimes you aren’t able to agree in the negotiations, and you have to walk away. Before you begin, know what your limits are and stick with them. If both parties can’t agree, then the job is not the best fit. Walking away from a job offer is challenging, and you might feel guilty, but you need to make the best decision for your situation. Stay positive and be sure not to burn any bridges with the company.

November 14, 2017November 13, 2017

Building Rapport: Making Small Talk Work for You

Every interview starts with a casual conversation; maybe it is about the weather, sports, or even traffic. The hiring manager wants to put you at ease and avoid any awkward silence before the interview officially starts. It’s pretty well-known that small talk is an essential factor in building rapport for a long time, but a Harvard Business Review article lays out exactly how important.

The researchers did a study of 163 applicants and interviewers to see how much a first impression influences the interview. Half of the interviewers spent 2-3 minutes making small talk with the candidates. The other half watched a recorded video of the interviews and provided ratings. The interviewers who made small talk wrote down their initial impressions before moving on to the interview phase. When researchers reviewed the notes about the first impression, they found that they were directly related to job-related attributes. The hiring managers are judging your ability to perform the job the moment you walk in the door.

The researchers also found that the first impressions had the most significant impact on the first few questions. Interviewers rated applicants higher than deserved if they made an excellent first impression, and lower than justified if they made a poor impression.

It only takes 5 seconds for someone to have a first impression of your personality, trustworthiness, and intelligence, and you never know who is providing feedback on your behaviors. Hiring managers may very well ask the admins or other staff for input on how applicants treated them. There are a few things you can do to build rapport and increase your chances of getting hired.

Strategies to Build Rapport

For some, building rapport comes easy — **For some lucky people, building rapport comes easy.**

Physical Communication

There are a lot of bad handshakes out there, so find a partner and practice. Match the pressure of the other person; your handshake should be firm, but not a bone-crusher. On the other side, if you don’t apply enough pressure, you’ll also make a poor impression. Do your best to make sure your palm is perpendicular to the ground. If you turn your palm up you’re indicating submissiveness; downwards communicates dominance.

Be aware of your body and the messages you’re sending. Crossing your arms tells the interviewer that you’re closed off. On the other hand, be mindful of the space you are taking up and avoid spreading out or slouching. Since the first impression happens so quickly so be sure you’re practicing this while you’re waiting. How you use your head can also help make a positive impact. An article by PsychMechanics explains that tilting and nodding your head slowly conveys that you are interested and agree with what’s being said.

Mirroring

An article by PsychologyToday recommends mirroring the other person to build a stronger connection. When you’re mirroring, you are subtly reflecting behaviors. This includes the language they use, their tone, body language, and energy level. If the interviewer is using a quiet voice and not making a lot of hand gestures, you would do the same. When you’re nervous, mirroring can be a tough task to master. Practice mirroring with your friends and notice your how your behaviors change when you are around other people. By working on it beforehand, it will come more natural to you at the interview.

Verbal Communication

Topics are relevant. When you are trying building rapport, you should be looking for common ground and asking open-ended questions. Do your research on the hiring manager beforehand. Scope out them out on social media and see if you can find any common ground. Then, when you’re making small talk, look for opportunities to bring it up, but not in the “I-stalked-you-on-the-internet,-how-was-your-cooking-class-last-night” kind of way. Stay away from controversial topics like politics and religion, even if you think they’ll agree with you. Bringing up sensitive issues at the interview is always a bad idea.

Open-ended questions are another excellent way to get them talking. Asking questions that begin with how, what, and why can get the interviewer talking. The next step is to be a good listener. Don’t think about what you’re going to say next, just focus on what they are telling you. Do your best to be friendly and comfortable in the conversation, but remember this person could be your boss, so don’t forget to stay professional.

Practice through Networking

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Building rapport is a skill, and you will get better at it with practice. Every time you meet someone new, you have the opportunity to develop your skills further and build a bigger network. I know that for the introverts out there, this can be a daunting task but it will pay off dividends if it helps you get the job. You never know, the next person you meet could have an incredible job opportunity for you.

November 21, 2016November 21, 2016

Lessons from Seattle Startup Week

Last week I was lucky enough to attend Seattle Startup Week. Determined to make the most in the time that I had, I attended 17 sessions over 4 days. Seattle Startup week pulled together amazing presenters and fantastic networking opportunities. I learned SO much and by the time the conference ended I was exhausted. Once it was all over, my notebook was filled with pages and pages of thoughts, ideas, and takeaways. You could feel the rooms buzz with creativity and electricity throughout the conference. This week I’m sharing a few of my key learnings from the sessions.

Key Take Aways

Networking is like Rolling a Dice

cube-689617_1280 Everyone has different opinions on networking and how effective it is. But when it comes down to it, Networking is ultimately just getting to know new people. Now, at these events there are a LOT of people, at one point I heard that 3400 people had gone through the 150+ sessions and one of the key benefits that Seattle Startup week offered was the opportunity to meet like-minded people.

So, how is networking like rolling a dice? For one thing, you’ve got about a one in six chance you are going to connect with someone and have relevant, meaningful conversation. These are gold. Maximize these connections and follow-up with the people later. Meet them for coffee and do your best to continue the conversation later.

Now, on the other hand, you also have about a one in six chance of getting stuck in a conversation that’s not going anywhere. Maybe you got cornered and can’t escape a conversation, or maybe the person is really passionate about a topic you’re not even the tiniest bit interested in. Knowing how to politely excuse yourself from a conversation is a skill any seasoned networker should perfect.

Building Networks versus Building Relationships

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Most networking conversations started with a handshake, a quick introduction and the “What brings you here?” or “What do you do?” questions. These are great but tend to be really superficial. Building relationships is a lot harder. I’d say I probably spoke to over 200 people while I was at startup week, but there’s probably about 10 people who I made really strong connections with. I actually spent 2 1/2 hours sitting at a tiny table with one person. Of all the connections I made, that was probably the best. My new friend and I just seemed to vibe really well. The conversation flowed really easy and it was pretty obvious that we’d built a relationship. And just in case he comes across this, Hi George!

The next big takeaway was the idea that you should give first. Think about your relationships with others like a bank account. When you start building a relationship, you should make deposits into your checking account. Do that by giving, helping, and advising. Maintain relationships with your network so that when the time comes that you need help or a favor, you’ve built up a big enough balance that you can make a withdrawal. Focusing on building your network before you actually need it, so that when you do need a favor, you know who to ask.

Working at Startups

I spe Startup office nt a lot of my time on the “Talent” track so I could learn more about what Startups look for when hiring employees. While startups and smaller companies aren’t usually able to compete with the Amazons, Microsofts, and Googles of the world, they have a lot to offer. The rooms buzzed with energy. Everyone I talked to was passionate about their work and you could see eyes light up when they talked about the business. There’s so much opportunity to build skills and influence change at a smaller company. They’re more nimble and flexible than bigger organizations.

Startups and small companies have to work hard to recruit the right people, and those employees become irreplaceable. If you decide that you want to work for a startup, chances are, your benefits and paycheck aren’t going to be as competitive. You’re going to work a lot of hours. The office might be a co-working space or someone’s basement, but it’s probably not going to start out being super sexy. On the plus side, you’re going to learn a lot. You get the opportunity to really stretch your skills and have multiple roles. They’re usually a lot more flexible with vacation, but you’re definitely going to earn it. Your team is going to be really close & you will build some amazing relationships with your coworkers.

Tell Good Stories

Throughout the week, there were some amazing stories. Stories are incredibly powerful tools to connect with people. Whether you’re giving a presentation, having a casual conversation with someone or even interviewing, stories help people understand you. We are all storytellers and the more you practice telling your stories the more powerful they can become. Think about how you use them in your day to connect, communicate and share. Be conscience of the message you send with your stories and how they’re perceived, especially if you are in a position of power. Think about a leader who talks about the importance of work-life balance but contradicts that with stories about consistently working late or never taking a vacation. The leader’s personal stories and behaviors will make the bigger impact on how the team works and manages their own time.

It’s Okay to be Vulnerable

hands-1044882_1920 One of the common threads during the week was the power in vulnerability. I went to a session called “The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship” where five leaders told their stories about failure, self-doubt, and depression. It was probably one of the most impactful sessions for me. Being vulnerable helps people connect and relate to you. Have the ability and self-awareness to admit when you made a mistake or need help on a project.

At another session, Jenn Briggs talked about focusing on 80% instead of 150%. You can’t do 150% well, but if you keep a little bit of time for yourself, you’ll end up happier and more productive. I’m a wife, a mother, and a business owner. Most days it’s pretty difficult to balance everything. It was really helpful to hear that it’s impossible to be good at everything at the same time. There are days when I am going to be an amazing business owner and not a great wife or vice versa. The key is to have balance and most of the time we know when we need to make adjustments.

Next Steps

Over the next few weeks, I’m focusing on applying some the key takeaways to work. My focus this week is on spending time reviewing my notes and working through my list of action items from Seattle Startup Week. I’ve committed to taking at least one day off and reconnecting with one person in my network each week. What are you focusing on?

November 30, 2016July 2, 2016

Interview Body Language & Confidence

Interviews are high-stress situations. We spend a lot of time talking with clients on how to manage stress and be confident. One of the most common pieces of feedback we give to people is “Don’t be afraid to brag.” You will be far more successful at an interview if the hiring manager believes that you are confident and qualified for the job. As a coach, part of our job is to help you build that confidence. You have to believe in your ability to do the job to convince someone to hire you. Remember that your interview body language matters. The hiring manager will notice how you are carrying yourself and it will have an impact on the outcome of your interview.

Interview Math

When you apply for a job, there are anywhere from 50 to 500 people who are also applying. Applications are screened and ranked, either by an individual or a computer program. Interviews cost a lot of money. Companies have to pull people away from their regular job and want to interview the fewest number of individuals to find the best fit. This typically means they’ll interview around five people for each open position. So already, you are at a minimum in the top 10% of the applicant pool. From here, just based on statistics, you have a 20% chance of beating out the other candidates to get the job.

If you make it to the interview phase, you are already one of the top applicants for the position. Someone reviewed your application and was confident that you had the skills to do the job. Otherwise, they wouldn’t waste their time interviewing you. The next step is to show them that you are the best hire for the job, and to do that, you have to believe it too.

Nonverbal communication:

Non-verbal behav Superhero pose ior sends messages to the interviewers about your potential. They also have a real effect on your confidence and impact your hormones. Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist who studied body language and the impact. She found that people who assume a power pose (think, Superhero) for two minutes saw a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol. Testosterone is a hormone that is responsible for making you feel more confident and assertive, while cortisol is a stress hormone. These changes in hormones leave people feeling more confident and less likely to be affected by a stressful situation, like a job interview.

I challenge you to spend two minutes somewhere in private in a superhero pose before your next stressful situation. Put your hands on your hips, take a wide stance, and puff out your chest. You might feel silly, but no one else should be there to see you. Afterward, be sure to sit up straight, take up some space, and put your cell phone away! Practice your interview body language in the days leading up to it. The more you project confidence, the more confident you will become. And remember, you are already in the top 10%!

If you can spare an extra 20 minutes, I strongly recommend checking out the TedTalk. There is a lot of great information that is useful for any situation where you need a little confidence boost.