Dealing with the Salary Elimination Question

There are two phases in a job search. First, you need to get a job offer. The second is evaluating and accepting the job offer. Realize that any conversation or questions about salary before you’ve been offered a job is not the time to negotiate salary. It is time for you to get past this question on your way to getting a job offer. Once they’ve made you an offer it is time to consider it and to negotiate salary and other benefits, compensation and perks. What were are talking about here is dealing with the Salary Elimination Question.

E: Employer

C: Interviewee or Candidate

E: What kind of salary are you looking for?

C: I’m looking for a salary in line with the responsibilities of the position.

Or you could say...

C: I really like your company and all my research leads me to believe that you offer a fair and competitive salary.

E: That’s nice. I really need to have a number; what are your salary expectations?

C: Oh, I’m looking for something in the 45K range.

E: That’s a little higher that we were expecting. Would you take less?

C: I’d consider it.

---

E: What was your last salary?

Let’s say that you were making a very high salary and due to the economy or because of a career shift you are applying for a lower paying position.

C: Oh, I’m looking for something in the 75K range.

E: That’s right in the range for the position you’ve applied for, but I still need to know your previous salary

C: I am making some allowances for the economy so I’ve reduced my salary requirements. I was earning 110 thousand in my last role. But that was a much different job.

E: Okay, thank you...

The goal here is to get through this question and not to make a big deal about it. Realize that I have refrained from two different responses. First, I didn’t use the word negotiate nor the word negotiation. Negotiate can be seen as an adversarial term. This is not the time to raise eyebrows; it is a time to build rapport. I also didn’t try to take the upper hand in the interview by asking a question like, “What does the job pay?” or “What are you expecting to pay for this position?”  This is a negotiation strategy and not appropriate at this time. Second, I also didn’t say anything that could be seen as desperate for the job. “I’m open, I’ll take anything!” is an absolute no-no! Just be cool and calm, answer the question simply and to the point.

You can also visit: xtranormal to view a movie clip on how this might work.

 

Just for Laughs!!!

Dealing with Odd-Ball Interview Questions

I can remember a back in the late 1980’s and early 90’s a famous software company in the Northwestern United States was known for asking odd interview questions. One that sticks on my mind was, “If you were a tree, what kind of a tree would you be?”

At the time it seemed kinda stupid but I had an oddball question of my own that I asked, “How do you change a tire?” One of my clients mentioned in a group session that he was practicing interviewing with his family and his daughter asked him a question: “How do you make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich?” Someone else commented that they were asked once in an interview a title of a book they had read.

Someone asked, “Is this a legal question?” and someone else commented that they didn’t think it was fair asking this kind of question. The answer is yes, these are all fair and legal questions. But, why in the world would anyone ask these questions if I’m interviewing for an Administrative Assistant or an Electrical Engineer position? What do these questions have to do with the job?

The reason for the question may or may not make sense to the interviewee, but I am sure the interviewer has a reason. Maybe they just want to see how you would react to the odd question. Maybe the question leads to a discussion that helps them better know you as a person. Or maybe they are looking for something specific.

When I use to ask the changing the tire question, I had actually standardized the question within my organization. I had asked everyone working for me to seriously answer the question in writing. I was running the company’s Quality organization and it was made up of Testers, Analysts and Engineers. The tire changing question helped me understand the candidate’s attention to detail, ability to describe a process and their written or oral communication. Plus, it was a common enough life experience that most people knew or had personal experience with.

BTW, my favorite response to this was, “I’d pick up the phone, call triple A and wait by my car for the service truck.” Other answers involved bicycle tires, old fashioned inner tube patching and a manual pump. The point was that there was no one right answer and many different answers. This is the case for most odd questions that come from left field in an interview. It comes down to how you respond and not the specific detail of the response.

So I’d be an Oak tree. Why? Because an oak tree is big, beautiful and provides lots of shade. This response is what I would have answered if I had been asked the question. Why? because it is who I am. I always say that in an interview you need to be yourself, be genuine. And so I remind you, if you are asked an oddball question... think for a second and give a real answer, then smile and wait for the next question.

F. U. Interviews

Bev Rautenberg

I have a client that always reminds me that I was the first to tell her to F. U. I’m always a tad nonplussed when she says this until I remember that F. U. is not an expletive.

Following Up (F. U.) after interviews is one of the more neglected aspects of a job search. Some research have cited 60% of job seekers fail to follow up after the interview. Client’s have told me...  “They said they would be making a decision is two weeks I’ll check in then.” Other’s say, “I don’t want to look too desperate.” And still others say, “The ball’s in their court, if they want me they’ll call me.” Sitting by the phone waiting for the phone to ring is a sad and lonely task. “But the interview went very well; I thought I hit a home run. Why haven’t they called? Maybe I should call them, but it’s been too long for me to follow up now!”

Following up is sometimes scary for the job seeker. “What if they tell me that I didn’t get the job?” or “I don’t know what to say.” So what if they tell you that they decided to go a different direction! Is that really bad? Sure, it doesn’t feel good to be told you didn’t get the job, however, two things are available for the job seeker if they give you this message.

First, express your disappointment, and wish them success with their choice. Then ask if they know of anything else that could utilize someone with your skills and abilities. “Gee, I’m sorry to hear that I didn’t get the job; I wish you success with the person you selected. You and I spent enough time together that I’m wondering if you would know of any other opportunities that could utilize someone with my experience and talents?”

Second, the job seeker can continue to create networking opportunities and follow up with other job leads. Just because you have an interview doesn’t mean that you will land the job. Having several so called irons in the fire allows you to relax a little. If you get a no, you have something else to follow up on. It’s just one more no which brings you closer to the yes. The sales adage goes, you have to get through the nos to get to the yeses. “So I’ve got another no, yea!!! I’m that much closer to the job offer.” Maybe that sounds a little Pollyannaish, but that really is the right attitude to have in times like today.

Success comes out of persistence and constancy. Doing what you need to do and staying the course when you meet defeat or disappointment is the path to success. Thomas Edison once said, “Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” So even though you’ve not heard back from the interviewer or the HR rep; don’t quit and give up. Call them back with a positive expectation that you’re the right candidate... it may be that they are too busy because they don’t have you on their team.

The coach says, keep  following up (F. U.) until you get a definite yes or no.

Take Nothing Personally in Job Search

In my professional career in software development, Lee Babbitt, my friend and mentor, once advised me that I needed to slow down and not to take things personally. I thought of Sonny and Michael Corleone in the first Godfather movie, “...it’s not personal, Sonny, it’s strictly business!” Many years later, when I began my professional career in career consulting, we were told in training, “Tell your clients that it’s not personal and don’t take things said or even things not said personally.”

I hear this from clients all the time. They had a great interview and the hiring manager said they would be making a decision by the end of the week, and now it’s ten days later and they still haven’t heard anything. They begin to doubt their experience and become fearful, saying thinks like, “I must have blown the interview.” or “Why are they doing this to me?”  Then a few days later they call the hiring manager or the HR Rep and find out that something unexpected happened and now they expect to start the next steps soon, or tomorrow.

Those times when the client missed the job opportunity and wasn’t chosen--when they learn that they didn’t get the job--they are crushed. They start going over the experience looking for something they did to “blow it” in the interview process. They must have done something wrong, or they think that the interviewer just didn’t like them from the start! Often neither is the case, they just picked someone else. The job seeker didn’t do anything wrong, nothing! But, this is hard for many job seekers to accept. It’s hard for them not to take it personally and start to move on to the next opportunity.

It makes sense. Being turned down for a job hurts... but to get past the hurt, think of it this way: Say you were out looking for new shoes and you find a pair that looks great. You ask the clerk for your size and they have a pair a half of a size smaller and a half of a size bigger, but not your exact size. You try on the shoes and they don’t fit, they don’t feel right. Would you buy them anyway? Or would you go to another store? Remember there are two outcomes to an interview...

The two outcomes to an interview are: Get the job offer or get a referral. If the shoes don’t fit it’s easy to ask the clerk if they could suggest another store that sells those shoes; then you could get them in your size. The job seeker can do the same thing in the interview process: ask if they know of anything else where they could use your skills and abilities. It’s professional, proactive and takes the focus off the negative. Often the interviewer will realize the job seeker would be great in an other department and they are happy to recommend you.

So refusing to take bad news personally help to keep you in a positive frame of mind and often find an equally good opportunity.

Networking Interviews

Everyone looking for work these days keep hearing about the “Informational Interview.” Job seekers are told that they are supposed to ask for informational interviews. They are told, call up a person working at one of your target companies and ask for an informational interview. Meanwhile, the person being called is confused when the job seeker asks for an informational interview. In people’s minds, interview equals job opening and if they don’t have any openings they cannot imagine what the interview is for.

Additionally, many job seekers are confused by the term and goal of an informational interview: “The purpose of an informational interview is to get information about a field of work from someone who has some firsthand knowledge.”  This is all well and good if you are just starting out looking for your first job or if you are changing careers. But, what if you already know a great deal about your field and you’re not looking to change careers. What other information are you looking for? That’s easy: job leads or names of contacts who may have job leads.

This is why I like the term networking interviews or networking meetings. There are some other things you want to do in these meetings.

1. Communicate your skills and abilities, i.e., what you have to offer the marketplace.
2. Share your ideal position in terms of the roles and responsibilities you excel at.
3. Ask if they know anyone or anything that could utilize  your skills and abilities.
4. Show them your “Target Company" list and ask if they have any contacts that they could refer you to.
5. While showing them your “Target Company" list ask them if there are any companies that are missing from your list. Then ask if they have any contacts at that company.
6. Thanks them for the time to took with you and tell them how much you appreciate their support and referrals.
7. Then follow up the next day with a phone call thanking them again, and share any updates regarding their referral.
8. Later send an email or call the person letting them know how their connections aided your job search.

These meeting should take no more than 15 to 20 minutes so you can rest assured that you’re not being a huge disruption to the person’s day. Additionally, many of my clients have reported that these meetings turn into interviews for a hidden or posted job. So whether you call it an informational interview, a networking interview, or a courtesy interview, it’s all about presenting yourself with the goal of getting a new contacts... leading to a job offer.

Being Late: The Interview Killer

  This is a problem that has plagued humanity for millennia. The Romans had one solution--slightly impractical--although no one was ever late a second time. Beyond it being an ancient behavior, it is a killer in the interview process. Nothing communicates “Don’t hire me!” more clearly than showing up late for an interview. Sadly, for too many people being late is habitual. 

  What do people perceive when you arrive late to an interview or any meeting? Two things pop to mind:

First, it is rude and shows a lack of respect for everyone who arrived first. It is simply poor manners.
Second, when a positive impression is most important, you’re late! You’ll be late with deadlines, late with key information and late when the team needs you most. You’re not trustworthy!

  Tardiness is not allowed in job search, you need to be early to make a positive impression in the interview. When you’re shooting for a promotion or in a job search erase tardiness from your life. Wake up early and make sure you are early for everything you do. Create a mindset that being on time is for average people and you’re above average. Remove the things that set you up for being late; mitigate the risks before they result in a situation where you’ll be late.

  I know of accountability groups that sometimes deal with people being late...What if someone in your team or group is late, what can you do? Let everyone in the group know that this is not acceptable behavior. Point out that it is disrespectful to the members of the group who arrived on time, unprofessional and disruptive to the efforts/goals of the group. Remind the whole group that the purpose of the group is to help each other change habits and behaviors that are keeping them from achieving their goals and or a job offer.

  Beyond that what can you do: This is a good example when giving feedback in a group setting is acceptable since the whole group has been affected by the negative behavior. If people cannot change the behavior, invite them to leave the group; they may return when they can behave more professionally.

  One responsibility for an accountability group is to point out things that are hindering a member’s job search. If that member is being serious about a job search they need to be professional in all aspects of their life and actions speak louder than words.

  So be professional, be early and be prepared to do your very best in interviewing, networking and in every interaction you have during your day. You never know where that job offer will start from or end up.

Phone Interviewing Can be Fun

My clients tell me that I’m nuts when I say that interviewing is a blast. They shake their head when I say that interviewing over the phone is easy. Yet, both of these statements can be true with the right attitude and a little practice. We always say, be yourself and be prepared and that’s the secret to enjoying the interview process. But interviewing over the phone does have its limitations.

When we look at a pie chart that breaks down how we communicate; 55% of human communication is through body language, 38% is vocal or tonal qualities and only 7% is conveyed by the words we use. So when you’re talking on the phone you’re short 55% of the total communication package. Therefore, you need to focus extra attention on your tone of voice and the words you use.

The first tip I offer my clients is to use a quality phone and a land line if possible. If you’re down to 45% of your communication capability, phone static and a poor connection may be a killer. The next tip is to smile, because a smile can be heard over the phone. Yes, I know that sounds silly, but all the experts say it’s true. Plus,  this is a grand way to help convey your enthusiasm for the job; if you’re not smiling you’re not going to come across as very enthusiastic over the phone or in person.

The next tip I offer is to stand up and look into a mirror when you’re talking on the phone. This way you have visual feedback and can make eye contact when your talking. It helps you stay focused on your message and to be clear and concise. If you don’t have a mirror, I advise talking to a picture of a loved one or someone you’d like to be a loved one. Nicole Kidman works for me but maybe George Clooney will work for others. This actually works and my clients who have used this tip report the whole phone interview process as less intimidating. Of course it is sometimes shocking on the other end of the phone when the interviewer gets called Nicole (or George when that isn’t their name); so don’t make that mistake.


All kidding aside, these tips work; however, if you fail to be yourself and be prepared you’re going to fall flat. You cannot fake an interview or be someone you’re not. So be honest in your responses and practice those responses. There is a finite number of questions that are asked in an interview, especially a phone interview. Hire a coach or read any one of a number of different books on interview questions. Write down your responses and then rehearse over and over. Practice at job club meetings and networking coffees.

I help people everyday feel more at ease when interviewing. These tips work and with practice and a little experience you too can feel confident and enthusiastic when interviewing over the phone... Good hunting!

You interview for your job every day...

   Read How to Win Friends and Influence People. Why? Well it’s the most read book in the world next to the Bible. Also, it is loaded with wisdom about how to present yourself in almost every situation. Dale Carnegie wrote it in 1936 and it’s quoted more today than when it was first written. Finally, if you understand how to connect with people and focus on these rules you’ll not shoot yourself in the foot when it comes to moving forward in your career.


   If you don’t have a job that pays you a living wage, every moment is an opportunity to impress a potential boss. I’m often amazed how job seekers show up for different networking events and am especially blown away when I see how they dress for training, workshops and presentations. From a presenter’s  perspective, you never know who is going to be in the audience. So I dress for success. I present myself in the most positive, professional attitude possible. But when I look out into the audience, I see people who have shown up in shorts and tee shirts. 


   Career consultants and job transition counselors tell our clients that the best predictor of future behavior is past performance... guess what, if you have a job you’re being evaluated. Every day is a chance to win or lose. If you’re in transition it’s important to remember that everyday people are looking at you and judging. You never know who you’ll meet during a day of networking or whatever.


   Be positive and professional in your attitude. If you’re on the job, everyone is going to relate to you better if you have a winning attitude. Nobody wants to work with Debbie Downer. Have a friendly word to say and keep a smile on your face. What’s a smile worth? To quote the April 2007 issue of AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH:

Smiling is a significant nonverbal signal in a sales encounter between sales clerk and consumer. A sales clerk’s smile should result in more positive impressions of the clerk and his/her sales pitch, and influence the consumer’s purchasing behavior.

   Getting a job offer and/or a promotion is a result of a sales process where you are the product. Smiling isn’t the only thing necessary but all things being equal regarding capability, the person that makes the most favorable impression will most likely be the winner. 


   Also remember everyone’s favorite radio station is WIIFM (What’s in it for me.) If your focus is on the people in your life and not yourself... this will be noticed and valued. If you’re the go to person in a certain area it’s because you are approachable and competent at what someone needs done. And why do people hire people? To solve problems. If you can solve problems and you’re a pain in the butt or you send off a “negative” vibe, people will avoid you and you’ll miss out on the promotion or the job opportunity. 


   Another idea: You interview for a promotion by doing the job before you have it. If you’re doing the job with a positive attitude and being successful at it, then it’s self evident. I cannot think of a better way to show folks that you are the one for the job. Before you interview for a new job be indispensable in your current role and the new role. It shows initiative, hard work, and a willingness to put others first. Don’t forget to ask for the promotion though.

Career Changers: Consider Temp to Perm

   Career changing is difficult for those of us who have done the same thing for a long time. Recently, a friend pondered that the reason we don’t like change is because we lose the illusion that we are in control. Things are new and we don’t know our way around. This causes anxiety and stress. Changing jobs, especially careers, is indeed very stressful. Even if we hate what we are doing or have been released from our previous job, making a career change does not make most people’s top ten list of  favorite things to do.

   Put your toe in the water first before you jump into the deep end of the pool. Many companies do this. They hire people on a temporary basis and then evaluate them before offering them a full time position. The same can work for the career changer.

   As a temp, you may realize that you love the work but not the company. This is another plus for the Temp to Perm argument of career changing. You’ll quickly learn the company culture and values. If it is not a fit for you,  you’re building experience while keeping your eyes open for a better opportunity at a better company.

   The difficulty for some people is taking a lower pay as they break into a new career. Starting out as a temp can mitigate this risk. I have found that salary is more important if people don’t like or enjoy their work.  In other words, if people love what they do and who they do it with, their salary is never a problem as long as their basic expenses are covered. By starting out as a temp, the career changer can evaluate their appreciation of the job and get a feeling if they can make the salary  work in their lives.

   Finally as a temp, age, gender or other so-called limitations (excuses for not hiring a qualified candidate) go away. When employers see that your transferable skills are what make you stand out over less experienced candidates, the “limitations’ fall to the wayside. Remember that those conditions are only there because they don’t know the true value you present by looking at a resume. A real person with a positive attitude, who is producing and solving problems leaves little doubt to their ability to aid in the company’s success.

   If your pondering a change in careers think seriously about starting in a temporary job and growing from there. It’s like a long interview where you can prove yourself and evaluate the career and company at the same time. It has worked for many career changers and it can work for you.