Ask a Credible Career Coach: Can I Negotiate When the Job Description Lists a Salary? – Emily Liou

Feb 262018
 

Dear Career Coach,

Can you still negotiate compensation when the job posting explicitly lists a salary? If so, what’s the best way to approach this?

Signed,
Nervous Negotiator

Dear Nervous Negotiator,

Negotiations are often nerve-racking for candidates because they don’t want to ask for too much and have an employer withdraw an offer.

But I want to give you reassurance that as much as you fear losing out on an opportunity, companies also fear losing great talent (like you!) by coming in below expectations. That’s why companies and candidates often have an open discussion to meet somewhere in the middle.

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Networking: A How-To-Guide – Helena Pozniak

Feb 192018
 
Networking is essential for professionals but many find it difficult. Here are our expert tips from timing contact to working the room.

Like keeping fit, we all know we should network. But – also like keeping fit – although the spirit is willing the flesh is often weak. We are squeamish about using contacts, scared of working a room and shaky about building relationships.

“Cut the small talk, get real and jump in,” says Julia Hobsbawm, founder of Editorial Intelligence and visiting professor in networking at Cass Business School. “The best tool you possess is the art of conversation.” Networking is no longer purely a transactional affair colonized by sales people.

People who network are more likely to find jobs; research shows that more than 90% of UK employers now use social media to find staff and many senior positions are more likely to be filled through word of mouth. A good network is a source of inspiration, knowledge, mentors and role models, says Hobsbawm. In fact, well-networked professionals might soon be the most valued in the job market, she says.

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Did Creating Your Resume REALLY Just Get a Whole Lot Easier with Microsoft and LinkedIn? – Marie Zimenoff

Feb 122018
 

Writing your resume is hard, right? Today, LinkedIn and Microsoft announced the launch of Resume Assistant in Word. The claim is that this tool will make it easier to update your profile and your resume. Let’s explore.

The Good: Technology that provides inspiration and reminders of content/skills you might include and connects you to job announcements that might be relevant.

The Bad: Differentiation is hard. Writing specific statements about what you did is important. You’ll still have to do that work to truly stand out on your resume or LinkedIn profile.

The Ugly: Did they seriously use a resume example in their video and article where the summary includes “detail-oriented” (on every list of over-used phrases) and experience that starts with “responsible for”? Almost every resume article you read will tell you not to use “responsible for” (for good reasons that we won’t go in to here – a quick search will bring up a dozen articles that explain why).

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  •  February 12, 2018
  •  Posted by at 12:11 pm
  •   Comments Off on Did Creating Your Resume REALLY Just Get a Whole Lot Easier with Microsoft and LinkedIn? – Marie Zimenoff
  •   Career Success, Resume Tips

In Job Interviews, Credibility Comes From More Than What You Know – David G. Jensen

Feb 052018
 

What do you think makes a scientist credible? The first thing you’re likely to think of is their technical skill base. You might say that a cell biologist projecting credibility must have a fair number of publications in their area of expertise, or a very special niche that they are known for, right? To some extent, you’d be correct—but that’s only when it comes to technical credibility. In reality, your overall credibility is composed of much more than that technical skill base.

This is particularly true early in the interview process, when you must get past nonscientific interviewers such as recruiters or human resources (HR) personnel. If you have an interesting CV, the first step of the interview process is likely to be a 20 to 30 minute phone call with a recruiter or HR professional to establish mutual interest. The crucial thing to remember about these screening interviews is that, to make it to the more detailed onsite interview with the scientific experts who will respond to your technical expertise, you first have to establish a general sense of credibility.

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  •  February 5, 2018
  •  Posted by at 11:29 am
  •   Comments Off on In Job Interviews, Credibility Comes From More Than What You Know – David G. Jensen
  •   Career Success, Interviewing