5 Considerations Before Accepting the Job (Besides Salary!)

When deciding whether or not to accept a job offer, it’s important to look at more than just dollars and cents. Money is important, and we all obviously want as much as possible, but a job can and should bring with it many other benefits that matter to us, sometimes, more than money.

If you’ve received a job offer, make sure to take the following in to consideration:

1. Traditional Benefits – What typical benefits come along with the position?  Do they offer health, dental and vision insurance? How about disability and life insurance?  401(K) or other retirement savings program? Look deeper than just whether they offer something or not.  Sure, they offer health insurance – but how much does it cost you?  Is there a high deductible? What are the co-pays?  Great they have a 401(K) – but do they contribute to it?
2. Work/Life Balance – Does the company offer flexible hours?  Does the culture of the organization recognize the needs of working parents? Are there options to telecommute from time to time? Finding a flexible work environment can be one of the greatest non-financial benefits that exists.  A company that provides flexible hours and generous time off programs, tends to trust employees and respect that they have lives outside of the office.
3. Culture – What is the culture of the office look like? Does it seem like co-workers like each other?  What’s the general aura of the office – upbeat or heads-down? It’s important to find a company culture that suits your personality, skills, and career goals.
4. Perks – What perks does the company offer?  Many company offer lots of perks like free parking, fitness facilities, discounts at retailers, onsite cafeteria, etc.  While they may seem minor, company perks can have a positive impact on your quality of life.
5. Room for Growth – Does the job and/or the company offer you the opportunity to grow professionally?  Is there a culture of promoting from within?  Does the company invest in training or tuition reimbursement?  If you find a company that is willing to invest in you – you will be able to grow your career – and your salary!

Deciding whether or not to take a job offer is a big decision, one that should not be made lightly. But salary isn’t the only thing to consider. Make sure to look at the total picture before you sign on the dotted line.

What other aspects of a job offer should be considered before accepting?

This post originally appeared on the Personal Branding Blog

No Matter the Job, You Can Build Your Brand

Some people have a tendency by some to look down upon more entry-level jobs; jobs like retail, food service, cleaning or landscaping. Most of us have held these types of jobs at some point in our careers. While these jobs are not renowned for being high paying resume builders – they do pose an opportunity for those in these jobs to build their brands.

A couple of examples…

Almost daily, I grab lunch at the Whole Foods Market near my office. Every time I go in, there’s a gentleman who bags groceries and collects the carts in the parking lot. He is always smiling, laughing and having fun with the kids who come through; joking around with them or giving them little treats. This guy obviously loves his job and many of the shoppers greet him by name. Many of the kids go looking for him specifically. While one could argue that a job bagging groceries lacks challenge and earning potential, this gentleman makes the best of it.  He shows people he interacts with that he is passionate about what he does, is great with customers, and has fun at work.

The next example is that of a landscaper I’ve hired. He’s a young guy trying to build his own business. While mowing lawns may seem like a basic service, it’s the little touches he adds that draw people to his service. He has a perfectionist mentality with a very keen attention to detail. His finished product is impeccable, so much so that neighbors stop by the house to find out who this guy is! Through his hard work, focus, and attention to detail he’s building a reputation as the kind of person you want to hire.

Regardless of the job you may be in right now, make the best of it. Through positive interactions that leave your customers impressed you will be able to build your brand, and who knows what opportunities that can lead to.

 

This post originally appeared on the Personal Branding Blog.

Job Search Tips for International Students

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According to the Institute of International Education (www.iie.org), there were almost 725,000 international students studying in the United States in 2011, a 32 percent increase compared to a decade ago.  While it can be relatively easy for international student to find a school to attend in the U.S., getting a job here is a very different story.

Each year, the U.S. government sets a cap on the number of H1-B visas it issues, the most recent cap for the 2013 fiscal year (FY) was 85,000 (65,000 regular, 20,000 advanced degree); and every year the limit is reached rather quickly, after opening the process April 1, the FY 2013 cap  was reached in early June.

Besides the limited amount of visas, international students wanting to stay and work in the U.S. face other barriers – most difficult is finding companies that are open to hiring foreign workers, given the convoluted process and additional expenses involved.

What can an international student seeking employment in the U.S. do to improve his or her chances of finding a job here?

1. Be open about your visa status upon getting an interview opportunity.  You shouldn’t include your visa status on your resume.  The best time in the process to bring it up is when you get the chance to actually talk to someone – so either during a phone screen or face-to-face interview.
2. Target companies with the reputation for hiring H1-Bs.  The website MyVisaJobs.com (www.myvisajobs.com) is a great resource for finding companies that hire H1-Bs.
3. Target global or multi-national companies.  Companies with an international footprint are going to have more experience and openness to hiring foreign workers.
4. Target global or multi-national companies that are headquartered in your home country.  The opportunity to work for the U.S. operations of a company based in your home nation can create excellent career paths for you should you want to transfer home.
5. Pay for application and legal fees. If you can afford the fees involved in the H1-B visa application process, let potential employers know that you are willing and able to pay part or all of the fees.  This will make companies with less financial resources, or less experience with this process, more willing to hire an H1-B.
6. Use Career Services.  Make your university’s career services department your new best friend.  These folks are best-positioned to help you with your job search.  They know which companies are willing to hire H1-Bs and can often connect you directly with recruiters.

Finding a job in the U.S. is not the easiest thing to do, but it’s absolutely doable.  If you target your search and utilize resources like Career Services, you’ll greatly improve your chances of finding a job here.  Good luck!

 

This post originally appeared on Personal Branding Blog.

Build Your Personal Brand Through Volunteerism

Whether you’re in between jobs, in school, or working full time, volunteering is a great way to build your personal brand. Sharing your time with non-profit organizations can help you build your network and develop your skills while doing some good for your community.

Volunteering shows you’re team oriented.  When you give your time to organizations in need, you show others that you want to make an impact in your community, in a way – team spirit.

Volunteering expands your network.  You will meet and build relationships with employees of the organization as well as like-minded members of your community who are also volunteering their time.

Volunteering sharpens your skills. Seek volunteer opportunities that draw upon your skills. If you are a web designer – look for an organization who needs a website overhaul. If you’re in marketing, you can find development or PR opportunities. I’ve personally donated my time giving harassment training to a non-profit organization staff, saving them from having to hire a consultant to perform this training.

Volunteering shows that you like to keep busy. Especially if you’re out of work, donating your time to a non-profit organization will show potential employees that you’re not satisfied sitting at home.

Volunteering says a lot about you. It shows that you are altruistic, helps you keep busy and keep your skills sharp, all while making a difference in your community.  Now that’s what we call a win-win situation.

This post originally appeared on the Personal Branding Blog

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

When it comes to personal branding, you can invest all the time and effort you want in to creating well-worded profiles, resumes, cover letters, and “About Me” websites, but if you don’t back up your written communications with constructive interactions, all of that work will be for nothing.

Your personal brand is best developed through positive experiences with people.  You need to make a good impression through the actions you take throughout the job search process. Not just in your written communications, but through the interactions you have with various stakeholders throughout the course of the application process.

Here are some tips on how to ensure you don’t let your actions sully your reputation.

Be responsive.  If you’re job searching – you should respond quickly to potential employers who are contacting you regarding your application.  Check your e-mail and voicemail every day and get back to people as soon as possible. This shows interest and energy while being unresponsive can portray you as being disinterested or a poor communicator.

Be friendly.  When you interact with people through the process, be amiable and upbeat towards the people with whom you communicate.  Make small talk, ask how people are or about their weekend plans.  Show that you can connect well with others.

Be confident.  Make good eye contact with people – that doesn’t mean you have to stare creepily into their eyes without ever breaking their gaze, but if you are constantly avoiding eye contact, it can send the message that you lack confidence. Good posture, a firm handshake, and speaking loud enough (not too loud) and clearly all will help you portray yourself as being confident.

Do what is asked of you.  If the company asks you references, send them right away (or hand them a nicely formatted list of references).  If they give you an application for employment to fill out – fill out the whole thing – never write in the blanks “see resume”.  They’ve already seen your resume and you’ll just come across as being lazy.

You have to remember that your actions during an application process send a message to the people who are considering whether or not to hire you.  If you don’t communicate well or follow directions, are slow to respond, or are unfriendly – the potential employer can easily assume that this is how you would act as an employee within their organization.

This post originally appeared on the Personal Branding Blog

Do You Have Any Questions? Preparing Questions for Interviews.

When getting ready for an interview, it is important to not only prepare yourself to answer the questions you may be asked, but also questions that you can ask the people who are interviewing you. Many job seekers get so excited about finally getting an interview opportunity that they forget that interviewing is a two-way street.  Yes – you need to make sure that this company and job are a good fit for you!  Otherwise, you’ll be going through the job search process all over again when you (or the company) realize that it just wasn’t a good fit.

But like with every other aspect of the job search process, the questions you ask during an interview can make a good or bad impression on the person with whom you are interviewing.  First and foremost, asking no questions will leave a bad impression.  Early on in the interview process, asking questions about salary, benefits, vacation time, dress code, holidays, etc., can come across as petty or self-interested.

Whenever I’ve interviewed for a position, I’ve always asked questions that enable me to connect with the interviewer by showing an interest in their personal story.  The following questions will help you both connect with your interviewers, and also give you the type of insight you need to determine if this is the job for you.

1. What brought you to this organization?  It’s always interesting to hear what attracted someone else to a company.  It gives you some insight into what’s important to them and how they view the company’s strengths and employment brand.
2. How would you describe the company’s culture?  The answer to this question will show you if the company is fun or stuffy; team oriented or every-man-for-himself; hardworking or laid back; creative or old school.
3. What do you like about working here? This one is pretty self-explanatory – the answer will give you insight into what’s great about working at the company – identifying its strengths as an employer.
4. What one thing would you change about the company?  I love this question – it’s a tough one – but it should provide you with an idea of what the company could stand to improve on.  You’ll get an honest answer or you’ll watch the interviewer fumble through it like a job seeker with the “greatest weaknesses” question.  Either way – you’ll walk away with insight into what the company could do better.

Using these questions will help you connect with the people you are interviewing with and get the answers you need to make your decision should you get an offer.  What other questions have you found important to ask in the interview process?

 

This post originally appeared on the Personal Branding Blog

5 Rules of Thumb for Job Search E-mail Etiquette

I’m currently recruiting for several positions, so I’ve been receiving tons of e-mails from job seekers applying for our open jobs.  It was while going through these submissions that I got the inspiration for this post.  One of the messages I received was a very brief e-mail with a resume attached.  The e-mail simply stated the following:

Salary Requirements – $50K, Thanks [Insert Person’s Name Here]

Sadly, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen something like this. Now it’s great that you’re being so upfront – after all if there’s a disconnect on the salary, it probably won’t work – but you should express yourself in a more professional way.

There seems to be some confusion out there about e-mail e-tiquette in the job search. E-mail e-tiquette is the professional and respectful way to communicate electronically. Allow me to clear things up.

1. A job search e-mail is a business letter.  In today’s age of chat acronyms and Internet slang, people tend to forget to be more formal when sending an e-mail for jobs. A job search e-mail should be addressed and signed properly.  “Dear Ms. Soandso”.  The message should be written in letter format.  Not just “Please see my attached resume. Thanks”.
2. Your cover letter is your e-mail.  There’s no need to type an introductory e-mail to your attached cover letter. In the olden days, a cover letter was mailed to introduce your resume. Now, your e-mail does that.  So treat your e-mail as your cover letter.
3. Don’t ever send a blank e-mail.  I can’t count how many times I’ve received a blank e-mail with a resume attached.  Besides being an unprofessional submission for a job, with so many computer viruses around, some people may be hesitant to open your attachment.
4. Don’t be sexist in addressing your e-mail to generic addresses.  If you don’t know the gender of the recipient of your e-mail, use a neutral salutation like “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Recruiting Team”. Sexist may or may not be the right label for people who do this – but I still get e-mails addressed to “Dear Sir” or “Dear Sirs”.  There’s about a 50% chance that the person receiving your e-mail is not a “Sir”.
5. Run your spelling and grammar check. Don’t send your e-mail with typos, misspellings, and bad grammar. This will reflect poorly on you.

We all know how important first impressions are, don’t we?  Keep in mind that if you’re applying for a job via an e-mail, that IS your first impression.  Don’t blow it!

 

This post originally appeared on the Personal Branding Blog.

Mind Your Manners: 6 Tips for Writing Thank You Notes

If your parents are anything like mine, you’ve learned to say “thank you” when people give you things. Whether it be a gift, a ride, or a compliment most of us would offer a hearty “thanks” in return for someone else’s generosity. The interview process is no different. As someone who interviews for a living, I’m surprised at how seldom I receive a “thank you” note from a candidate.

When writing thank yous, keep the following tips in mind:

1. Ask everyone with whom you interview for their card or contact information (their e-mail is enough). You need this information to send them a note! Getting their card is best because it will ensure you have the correct spelling of their name.
2. Send a thank you to everyone with whom you’ve met. Don’t leave anyone out! Everyone who interviewed you will most likely get together to talk about the candidates. You don’t want to offend someone by making them think you forgot about them.
3. E-mail is fine. In today’s day and age, sending a thank you e-mail is perfectly fine. It’s direct, it’s fast, and it can be replied to. Sending a nice card is perfectly fine – and a nice touch – but do so quickly.
4. Keep your “A” game going.  Don’t slack off on your thank you notes – mind your grammar, spelling, etc.  If you’re using e-mail – keep it professional and address the e-mail appropriately: “Dear Soandso,” with a formal signature.
5. Remind them how great you are. Use this as an opportunity to highlight why you think you’re a great fit for the position. Try to refer back to what seemed most important to them in terms of their ideal candidate.
6. Don’t send the same note to everyone. Take good notes during your interviews so that you can refer back to the specific conversations you had with each individual. Some people don’t realize that their thank you note is often forwarded on to the group of interviewers – meaning that it will quickly become obvious that you sent everyone the same note!

Writing a thank you note is another component of the job search process and just like a cover letter, while it may sometimes seem optional, it is always best to always send one!  A well-written thank you might be the “cherry on top” giving you an edge in being selected for the position.

 

This post originally appeared on Personal Branding Blog.

What’s Up with the One Page Resume Rule?

There’s a bit of conventional wisdom out there about how long a resume should be.  Many career advisers, resume writing books and websites, and even some blogs suggest that people should keep their resume to one single page.  Job seekers shrink their font sizes, decrease their margins, and use other tricks to try and force their resume to meet this rule. In my humble, yet professional, opinion – it is okay to have a two or three page resume.  It’s what you do with that resume that really counts.

Picture graciously borrowed from talknerdy2me.org

 

There is a real benefit to a one-page resume.  You see, when we post a job opening, chances are we will get dozens and dozens of resumes – big companies in metro areas may get hundreds and hundreds!  This leaves those of us screening resumes very little time to invest in deeply reading each applicant’s resume. When we screen resumes, we do what comes natural – start at the top and work our way down.  Now, if we get half way through page one and find nothing of interest – we’ll probably stop looking at that particular resume and will move on to the next one.  The more concise your resume is, the more likely the aspects of your resume that you want to stand out will.

So, is it okay to have a two or three page resume?  Yes, but make sure on page one, and early on page one for that matter, you highlight the most pertinent information for the job for which you are applying.  One way to do this is to include a “summary of qualifications” or a “summary of achievements” as one of the first sections of your resume.  If all the good stuff is buried on page two, I can assure you it will never get read if there is nothing to excite the person reviewing your resume on page one.

 

This post originally appeared on the Personal Branding Blog (www.personalbrandingblog.com)

Looking for a Job? Leave No Stone Unturned

We are creatures of habit – we get comfortable with certain TV channels, websites, and magazines, and we tend to stick with them.  When it comes to looking for a job, we tend to take the same approach, and most of us go with what we know and stick to it.  You can increase your chances of finding a great job if you expand your horizons and use more and different tools.

General Job Boards

We’re all familiar with the big ones – Monster and Careerbuilder, and you should check these often but there are other general job boards out there that are worth checking.  Indeed.com is the largest job search site that aggregates jobs from all over the web, displaying jobs from both Monster and Careerbuilder, but also niche sites and corporate careers pages.  SimplyHired is another job search aggregator and good resource to check out.  Craigslist is popular for all sorts of classifieds, and jobs are no different.  It’s cheap or free for employers to post.  America’s Job Exchange replaced the Department of Labor’s America’s Job Bank a few years back and has become a popular site for non executive positions.  Snagajob.com specializes in hourly jobs.  There are also many regional/geographical job boards – many can be found through your local newspaper’s website or through Jobing.com.

Social Media

LinkedIn’s focus on one’s professional network made it a natural place to start a job board – and LinkedIn did just that several years ago.  It was on LinkedIn that I found my current job!  Even better – you can usually see who posted the job and check to see if you have any connections in common.  Twitter has also become a popular way to look for jobs.  You can use hashtags like #hiring #jobs, etc to find open jobs.  Many companies are tweeting out there jobs!

Niche Sites

Chances are you may be looking for a job in a particular field.  Dice.com specializes in IT and tech jobs. FINS.com specializes in finance and is owned by the Wall Street Journal.  Idealist.org focuses on jobs in not-for-profit organizations. Ecoemploy.com looks like a hokey website – but is a great resource for environmental jobs. Biospace lists jobs in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and life sciences fields.  If you’re in a niche – chances are there is a job board out there that specifically focuses on you!

Professional Associations

Many professional associations also have a job board component to their website.  If there is a leading organization within your field – you should definitely be checking out their job board.  The American Marketing Association posts jobs on their Marketing Power website. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has a job board, and so does the New England HR Association (NEHRA) both chock full of HR jobs right up my alley!  Don’t just look at national association websites – but also regional, state, and local!

Diversity

Many companies are working to make their work force more diverse and are doing so through targeted job posting using websites that are marketed towards specific groups.  Latpro.com and HispanicDiversity.com target Latino/a job seekers. AMightyRiver.com and BlackPerspective.com focus on helping African Americans find work.  LGBTCareerLink.com is Out & Equal’s job board for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered job seekers.

Recruiters have just as many choices as job seekers do. Some companies have large budgets with the ability to plaster their openings all over the place.  Other companies may have very limited budgets and will only post on websites that they hope will bring the highest number of viable candidates possible.  The tough thing is that you never know where you will find your perfect job – so it’s important that you look everywhere you can and leave no stone unturned.

 

This post original appeared on the Personal Branding Blog (www.personalbrandingblog.com)