Accelerate Your Search™ Now

My three top tips for negotiating the salary you want.  At least once a month, after a workshop or speaking engagement, I am asked for salary negotiation tips.

Usually the matter is urgent, “Tomorrow is my second interview, and do you have any tips on how best to negotiate my salary?”  To negotiate the salary you are worth you must establish your value early so be prepared.

Here are my top three tips:

Believe in your value.  Your perception and your belief in your value are critical. A job loss and a long job search can bring up feelings and old beliefs like you are not good enough, not smart enough, not experienced enough. If you have allowed your self esteem to be damaged, you belief this and you are afraid you are worthless now! You will communicate that during the interview process.

Know your market value.  Do your homework, understand the market conditions, understand the company, and understand who the decision maker is and how he/she views your value. Communicate your value at every touch point. Proclaim your value and confirm that the decision maker agrees you bring value to the table. Be poised and confident in your marketing materials, and all of your communications.

Read the book. Since 1998 I have recommended and shared Jack Chapman’s book – Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute. It was a must read and is the best book on the topic.  Enjoy it.

Body language or nonverbal communication is very important to your career, your job search and your success in life.  There has been more than one candidate who lost the second interview due to his/her nonverbal communication.  Like the guy who was leading the pack of candidates until, he pounded his fist on the table as he shared a story about his leadership style.

You body language during networking or interviewing can extend your job search or help you land the job.  Be sure you understand what you do, what you want to communicate and how your communication may be viewed by the people you engage and approach. 

As you prepare for your interview, you will also need to think about your influence strategy for getting the salary you deserve.  Will your goal be increasing the attractiveness of what you offer or will your goal be reducing the decision maker’s resistance to your salary request? 

How will you know the best approach?

Will matching your nonverbal behavior with your strategy impact the outcome? 

Dr. Noah J. Goldstein in Body Language and Persuasion: A Scientific Approach shares research results that show how important it can be to match your nonverbal behaviors with whichever strategy you select.

What are your thoughts on body language and nonverbal behaviors? 

Can you recall a time when someone’s nonverbal communication impacted your decision?  

Will your nonverbal communication increase or decrease your salary?

Do you have an insight to add?   If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts & questions.  You can add your comments below.

What’s going on with your job search?  So often people find themselves in what I call a “flat spin” during career transition, especially if your job ending was unexpected.  

The “flat spin” is a combination of busy work, emotions, and not making the progress toward the job you want.  Are you doing what you think you should, what others tell you do and worrying about nothing, or everything?  Are there distractions that appear all around you?

If you are spending hours online, and you are riding an emotional roller coaster feeling great, happy and self assured, in the morning and by noon or the next day, you are concerned, worried, frustrated or feel ready to cry – heads up –  you may be in a “flat spin” or headed for one. 

A few weeks ago I attended an event for high school students who were exploring careers.  I love to attend these events and learn about the careers students are interested in and what there are thinking.  I learn so much from high school students. 

This event was different.  For the first time at one of these events I had several students share stories and concerns about their parents who were out of work.

The students that shared concerns about unemployed parents were bright and focused.  Each knew where they were going and what they wanted to do after high school.  They also knew why they were interested in the careers they were exploring that day. 

So why did they stop and talk to me?  They talked to me out of concern for someone they loved and were worried about and wanted to help.  The stories had a common theme.  Each student saw something was wrong, and knew their parent needed to do something different but did not know what to do or how to help.    Warning others often see your “flat spin” before you do.

If you are in a “flat spin” or just a little stuck, here are several questions to ask and things you may want to do different.

Where is your workspace?

Is it the kitchen table, living room in front of the TV?  Do you have a decent chair and work surface? Do you have space just for your job search?  If working at home is not for you go to a local café, sandwich shop, a local library or career center.  Many of these places have free or paid WiFi, and you can make calls from your car so you don’t bother others.

Do you have a budget?

A change in income can add stress and sometimes so much stress that you may find it hard to focus on the project at hand.  Update your budget.  If you have 35% or 50% less income reflect that in your budget.  Then talk to your family about the new budget.  You might be surprised just how much help your family can be and how much fat is in your budget that you can trim to lessen the stress.

Are you working on the right things?

Are you investing your time and energy in the job search activities that will deliver an “ROI” (Return on Investment)?  Do you spend all day surfing the web and applying to online postings? Are you emailing out a résumé that has misspellings or does not represent you in the best light?  If your search is in a “flat spin” you may need some help to get it on track.  Don’t pull away and continue to work alone.  Your family members want you to succeed will encourage you, but are rarely have the best advice.  Attend a workshop, tele-seminar, read a book.  Invest some time, energy and resources and work on the “right things”.  Doing a job search alone is much harder than it needs to be. Often just a little help gain focus, speed up your search and help you land the job your want fast and with less stress.

Do you have a question?   I can help.  Sign up and join us on the next Q & A call or post your question or what is working for you!

Has it been more than 90 days since you last updated your résumé?

If so that is a business quarter and you should update it. Why?  You always need a current résumé to help you leverage opportunities.  Take a look at your LinkedIn profile, too – does it need to be updated?

Your résumé and your LinkedIn profile are vehicles for your marketing message.  Your marketing message is your connection to the marketplace.  The marketing message you deliver needs to be clear and compelling, if it is not you will not get the results you want.

Read your résumé and your LinkedIn profile.  Then ask yourself these questions.

What does this person do and for who (the target audience)?

People read résumés that are targeted to them.  If they must stop and figure out, who you are talking to and what you can do, your résumé will be put aside.  Who is the summary speaking to?  Would the reader believe you are speaking or writing directly to her?  Does it clearly define your industry experience, what you can do and the level of work you perform?

What problems do you solve and what do you offer?

Managers hire people to solve their problems.  Be clear about the problems that you solve and be sure they are relevant to the reader of your résumé.  If you are a manager, think about the needs of the person who will hire you.  What do they need, want and what is important to them?

How do you solve the problem or meet the needs?

Do you explain or provide enough information to help someone believe you can meet the need?  Create interest and provide proof, without these elements you will not land a conversation.  What have you done and what where the results of your actions.

Why should someone read your résumé and call you?

If you are posting or sending out your résumé, it must appeal to those you will read it.  It must make them want to take action.  Most résumés don’t do this.  I suggest you never use your résumé as the first connection people have with you when you can avoid it.  When you must do this, at least add a cover letter with a call to action and your follow up action.

Your résumé is not to land you a job.  Its goal is to open a door, start a conversation or encourage someone to learn more about you and what you can do for the organization.

Is your résumé up to date and working for you?  If not, maybe it is time to take a hard look at it and update or redo your résumé.

Want less stress in your job search?  REALLY – focus your search!

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” ~ Tony Robbins

Once you discover the power of your brand and the secret of niche marketing you will wonder why you pushed back at this idea at all.  The truth is your value increases when you focus on a specific niche.

You have many skills and a wealth of experience, so you could do many jobs and do them well.  Instead of “being open” or looking at every job you could do examine your niche.

What is on brand for you? Where do your strengths fit and serve best?  What experience do you have that is in demand?  What interest or experience do you have that you want to use? What industry or company do you want to work in and why?

If  you are a comptroller or a manager you could work almost anywhere.  If you have experience in three different channels of trade or industries your possible market is very big and general.  Instead of marketing yourself to all three industries and all the companies within those industries who could use the services of a comptroller or manager – STOP. Ask the questions above.  These will help you narrow your niche.

Within an industry there are many companies, large, small, old new, socially active or not so much – get specific as you answer the questions.  Then ask again, “why do I want to work for this industry and company?”

Suppose your spouse is cardiac nurse and your father-in law in a cardiologist, you have experience in the medical device manufacturing industry. Your passions are software and gadgets.  You understand and relate to those who work in cardiac care, cardiac services and you have an interest in companies that provide products and services to cardiac patients, and those who serve those patients.

As you answered the questions you discover you want to work for a company that provides services to that are specific to providing products or services related to cardiac care or connected to that segment of the medical industry.  You have defined your niche – companies that serve or provide products or services connected to cardiac care.  That is still a large segment so you can narrow it more as needed.

When you niche to a specific segment of the population, business or industry you gain focus.  You can quickly learn more about the companies in that segment.  You can locate people in that segment to talk to and learn from.  You can find professional organizations to join.  You can focus the marketing of your skills and experience to the needs and wants of that segment.

Focus like this reduces stress, saves time and resources as you market yourself.

It has been said that in marketing you always want to enter the conversation that is already going on the prospects head.  In a job search you want to enter the conversation that is going on the hiring manager’s head.  To do that you must know who the possible hiring managers are, where to find them and how to connect and have a conversation.

The result of this type of focus is you are able to have conversations and to join the conversations that are going on about the business, the future, opportunities, and the needs.  It allows you opening to connect with hiring managers who say “this is the candidate for my next open spot”.

They buy you.   The tables turn and your role is not that of a candidate looking a job, but a professional with skills, interest, knowledge, experience  to help the hiring manager achieve the his/her goals and the goals of the organization.

Second benefit of focus, you are who you are and although you are marketing yourself to a specific segment, what you offer is the same.  When you find yourself  talking to a hiring manager in a different segment or industry, he will connect the dots, see your value, how you could solve his problems and how you could be successful in the role his has  “open”.  Do not be surprised when someone asks you if you would consider XYZ  company or changing industries.

Why focus?

Less work, less stress, and higher perceived value to the marketplace.

Let me know how focus works for you.

People searching for a new job usually fall into one of two groups.  Those who are did not elect to be in a job search but were forced into a job search and those who elected to be in a job search.  It is interesting that both groups commonly struggle to land the job they want quickly for the same reason.  

They race from the starting gate into a job search and begin doing “stuff”.  Usually without recognizing the need to think about the results they want, how to best achieve those results.

A job search is a marketing project.  With all marketing projects there is a need to determine the desired results, assess the resources at hand, organize, plan and execute the plan to achieve results.  What is the desired result?

Is the desired result sending out résumés until you get an interview? 

Or

Is it generating multiple job interviews?

Or

Is it accepting an offer for a Chief Operating Office for a 300+ unit operation on the East Coast at 17% increase in total compensation by August 1^st?

One of the most critical elements of a job search is your marketing plan.  Daily, I talk to people who need to organize, target and plan their marketing efforts.  

If you fail to ensure all your marketing efforts are going in the same direction and your efforts aren’t aligned with your needs, goals, ideals, passions, talents, and experience the job search process becomes frustrating and LONG.  The rejection rate is higher and the final outcome less desirable.

Signs your current marketing plan is extending your job search:

-          You can’t tell someone in two sentences or less about the job you want

-          You can’t state in a credible manner what differentiates you from your peers

-          You can’t describe your marketing strategy

-          You can’t list your target companies

-          You can’t state why you want to work for your target companies

-          You can’t measure your marketing activities and assess your progress

Would focus and a clear marketing plan accelerate your job search?

Do you want to dramatically increase the number of personal referrals to the job you want?

Then engage your personal advocates! Personal advocates are people who know you, like you, trust you and want the best for you and it is up to you to educate your personal advocates, and be sure they know what you’re up to, your goals, who your target companies are, what positions you are targeting and why you are a good fit for both the target position and the target companies.

When you start your job search prepare what I call an “update letter” and send it to your personal advocates. I suggest sharing what you have been up to, what you are looking forward to doing, your one-paragraph résumé, and as appropriate a personal update. Next review your contacts, network, colleagues and co-workers. Create an initial list of possible advocates. Create your plan to engage your advocates. Execute – send your “update letter” and don’t to follow up.

Accelerate your search today!

Do you have tips that have helped you engage your advocates? I would enjoy hearing about them. Feel free to share them here.

As a follow up to a recent Q & A call and your many questions about working with recruiters and if age matters, I wanted to share with you, Meg Guiseppi’s recent post on Working with Recruiters For Senior Executives Over 50.

Meg Guiseppi is a fellow Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategist who partners with top-level executives.  She nailed it, if you are targeting a good fit, wisdom and experience should add value and outweigh a age issue.

Read the post as she also shares advice from Jeff Lipschultz of A-List Solutions.

Are you wasting time?  Are you targeting and engaging your advocates?

Accelerate your search today!

There was a time when you could sit on the sidelines and not incorporate social media into your job search with little impact, however many including me believe that time has come and gone.  Social media is a now a mainstream way of connecting and conducting business online.   You do not have to like social media, but you do need to understand that it is part of business and here to stay.

Many businesses are increasing their use of social media for marketing and recruiting.  It may not be your favorite marketing choice or the way you prefer to discover opportunities nor may and you enjoy participating in social media, but it is a facet of the internet that continues to grow, and to become more and more important as a business tool and the way business is done.

Are you still holding out, hoping you will land a job without having to jump into social media or having to learn more than one social media platform?  Ok, I get it. 

But the truth is as the use of social media grows, you should at least consider how you could use it, and create a strategy to become familiar with the different social media platforms.  As you do so, you can decide if and which social media platform is best to use it to achieve your goals.

Here are a few questions to ask:

Could a step into social media to add value to your career?

Would social media create or improve the experience a potential employer would have with you?

How much time are you willing to dedicate to any a social media platform you use now and when you return to work?

Currently there are about 15 million unemployed persons in the US, and there are more than 2 billion product marketers, businesses and consumers that use the internet each and every day. To stand out among that level of competition, you need a plan to succeed. 

What is your plan?

For years I have been helping job seekers tell their story in a clear manner.  At some point almost all job seekers figure out the importance of being able to tell potential employers their story, and to respond to “tell me about yourself” in a clear and authentic manner. 

In today’s world managing your personal brand online and offline is not just a good idea, but a requirement.  If you are serious about your career, your job search and your reputation you not only need to be able to tell your story in person in a clear, consistent manner to be known, liked, trusted and hired, you must also be able to tell your story online.

Your online presence, and your online your identity will tell a story.  You can either manage your online presence and your online identity to tell your story or you can allow search engines and maybe others to cobble together information about you.

If you are still sitting on the fence, hoping those around you are wrong about all “the buzz” about social media, or if you still think social media and an online presence is just for tech savvy professionals and not for you, for those in your industry or professional – think again!

There was a time you could elect not to have an online presence, I believe that time has passed. Not having a strategy for an online presence may be very costly.  So maybe you will be lucky and find a job before you need to worry about your online profile, or online identity or maybe not. Stop making excuses and think of the benefits of offering your story.

A solid personal story communicated via your online presence offers a consistent message to help you grab the attention of your audience.  It defines who you are, and what you have to offer with the right amount of history and detail about the value and impact your can offer without choking the reader’s interest with unwanted or surplus details. 

Telling your story well helps your create an emotional connection.  It can be the first step in helping someone, get to know you, and like you.  Once someone has knowledge of you, and finds you likable, you are on your way to creating a foundation for trust.  All lasting relationships are built on a solid foundation of know, like and trust. 

You can overcome first impressions, and the cobbled together story search engines may tell about you, but at what cost?  Do you have time to do that?   Do you want to do that?

In most cases it really comes down to “pay now, or pay later”.  Do you want to invest time and energy now, to be prepared, to establish your brand, and take time to building your online presence now or later?  Do you want to set yourself up to be known, liked, and trusted?  Then spend a little time and energy each week managing your brand, and your online presence, or do you want to take your chances and invest later. 

What are the costs the missed opportunities and that you need to overcome a poor first impression?  Maybe you believe the cost will go down over time!  That has not been my experience neither the experience of most of the people I know.

Everyone has a personal brand and an online identity.  Is your story helping your online presence?  Does it help you accelerate your search?   If not, what are you doing about it?