by Angela Copeland | Nov 21, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter
This week, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s an opportunity to gather together with loved ones, eat way too much good food, and watch a little football. It’s also an opportunity to express gratitude for our good fortune.
While you have a few days off this week, I encourage you to allow Thanksgiving to inspire your job search.
- Be Grateful – Focus on the positive things about your current job. Perhaps you like your boss, your team, or even the location of your office. Even in negative work environment, there are usually a few things to be thankful for. Move your attention to those items.
- Reconnect – Thanksgiving is the kickoff to an entire holiday season. Take the opportunity to reconnect with friends, coworkers, and loved ones you haven’t seen in a while. Not only is it good for your soul, it’s good for your network. When you’re looking for a job, it’s critical that you keep your network up to date.
- Networking Events – In addition to connecting with those who are truly close to you, keep an eye out for networking events. Many workplaces put on pot luck Thanksgiving lunches – and groups host “Friends-giving” events. These are other great opportunities to keep your networking moving forward during the holidays.
- Reflect – Holidays are a great time to think back about the past year, and start to make plans for the future. What went well in the last year? What would you do differently? Write these things down, along with goals for next year. When would you like to find a new job? What are the attributes you’d prefer in your next job?
- Help Others – Networking is a huge part of finding a job. Sometimes, when we’re in the middle of our own search, we forget about those around us. Remember to take the time to help those in your life who are also looking. In return, they will help you.
- Relax – Looking for a job can be a long, and at times, stressful, process. Don’t forget to take a little time for yourself. It will help you to keep moving forward in your search when you return to work.
- Thank Others – Take the time to thank those in your life who help you every day. Whether it’s a friend, coworker, or supervisor, take the time to wish them a happy Thanksgiving — and thank them for the impact they make on your life. You might even consider giving thanks in the form of a written recommendation on LinkedIn.
Try to stay upbeat. The holiday season can be a tough one if you’re looking for a job. It is a time of increased financial responsibilities and decreased opportunities.
But, staying positive will help to draw good people to you. It will help to lay the foundation for your job search, so they will think of you when they’re hiring or hear of a job.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Nov 16, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Media
I received a question that’s important for job seekers to consider: “Should I work with an external recruiter, and if so, how does it work?” If you’ve never tried it, enlisting the help of a placement firm can appear to be a confusing proposal. It can be tough to know where to find a recruiter, how to begin, and what to expect.
The good news is, working with an external recruiter (aka a “headhunter”) is not hard to do. First, you should know how they work. Typically, headhunters are paid a commission if they are able to help place a job seeker in a job. The hiring company pays this commission and they are only paid when and if a placement is made. Think of a recruiter as a matchmaker, or a salesperson, of sorts. They help source candidates that fit well within the companies they work for.
Arranging a meeting with a headhunter isn’t hard. You can find local recruiters online. Then, you can reach out to them by phone or email to request a meeting. Most placement firms are open to meeting with new candidates because it allows them to keep the pulse on the available talent in the job market. They will keep your resume and personal details in their database.
Along with your resume, you must typically disclose all your salary information right up front. This is a bit different than applying directly to a company, where you can often skirt the salary issue until the end of the interview process. In addition, you may also be asked to take exams in order to demonstrate your competency in certain subjects.
Keep in mind – headhunters meet with many candidates every day. You need to work closely with them in order for the process to be effective. It rarely works to sit back and hope the recruiter will show up with the perfect job completely on their own. Keep them up to date on your employment status, what kind of job you’re looking for, and of any changes that occur. If you stop reaching out, they’ll assume you found a job.
Although there are many positives to working with a headhunter, there are also pitfalls to consider. We often feel that because a placement firm makes a commission, they work for us, the job seeker. Although they are there to help, they ultimately must keep their client happy – the hiring manager. Additionally, they will only be paid a commission if they make a placement. If you’ve ever sold a house, you know that there are times when a real estate agent would be happy to sell a house at a lower than ideal price, in order to ensure a commission.
Placement firms can be helpful, but like other parts of the job search, they’re a tool rather than a complete solution. To maximize success, continue looking on your own. You’re your own best advocate, and after all, you’re searching on behalf of just one job seeker: you.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Nov 15, 2016 | Advice, Podcast
Episode 118 is live! This week, we talk with Cheryl Rich Heisler in Chicago, IL.
Cheryl is the President and Founder of her Chicago-based business, Lawternatives, through which she helps lawyers to negotiate career transition. As a former, large law firm practicing attorney turned Kraft Foods Associate Brand Manager, Cheryl has experienced the joy of career change first hand and went on to coach others through the process.
On today’s episode, Cheryl shares her own experience transitioning from law to a corporate position and what you can do to make a big transition.
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Cheryl, check out her website at http://lawternatives.com/.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching. Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
by Angela Copeland | Nov 14, 2016 | Advice, Negotiating, Newsletter
You know by now, my biggest pet peeve is pay. You should be paid fairly. Period.
You should be paid fairly for your industry. You should be paid fairly for your tenure. You should be paid fairly compared to your peers.
Keep in mind that fairly doesn’t mean “the most money ever.” It means equitably. For example, a non-profit may not be able to support the same high salaries that a big corporations provides. But, they ought to be paying their employees similar amounts within their organization (for similar roles).
Don’t you agree?
I’m going to be honest. I think we’re probably all on the same page here. Everyone wants to be paid fairly, right? Everyone wants to be paid based on their results, and their experience — not some other irrelevant detail.
Well, one of the GREAT perks the internet brings is data. And, not just any data — salary data. The internet is cracking open salary information every day. It’s creating an environment that’s more transparent.
It’s giving you, the job seeker, more power! It’s increasing the likelihood that you will be compensated fairly. Yay!
There are a handful of sites with salary data you can use to better understand this worth (and to negotiate for more money!). But, there’s one taking the lead. One that you should pay attention to:
Glassdoor.com!
Glassdoor recently released a new salary tool. It’s called the “Know Your Worth” tool and it’s tagline is “Are you paid fairly?”
How much better does it get than that! (Can you hear how excited I am??)
If you want to try the tool, visit Glassdoor.com here.
You’ll be asked to provide your employer name, employer location, job title, number of years experience, salary, education level, university, and major. But, don’t worry — Glassdoor is sensitive with your data. Their site says, “Glassdoor is committed to your privacy. Your market value is only shared with you.”
To figure out if you’re being paid fairly, Glassdoor compares your salary to others in your city, and to those of open jobs in your area.
Below is a sample salary I tested out for a project manager. In this example, the employee is being paid about $13K less than market value, or -16.6%.
How amazing is that? It gives you data to support your request for more money — and a fair salary! I am so excited to share this tool with you!
Please know that I’m not compensated in any way to share the Know Your Worth tool — I just think it’s that great.
Please check it out! And, if you learn something interesting about your salary, I want to hear from you! Let me know what you find out.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Nov 9, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Media
There are few groups I have more respect for than our US Military. These honorable men and women are on the front lines of our country each day. In fact, they spend many of their most employable years in service.
At the end of that service, they must begin a new career. This often occurs somewhere between the age of forty and forty five – a time when many professionals are just peaking in careers they have been developing for twenty years.
Starting over can be a daunting and humbling task, but there are a few things that can make the transition a bit easier.
First, plan ahead. Finding a new job can take a year or longer, especially when you’re changing your career path. Start looking before you have left the military. Create an emergency fund for yourself that could be used to pay your bills if you were out of work during the transition.
Seek outside help. Many former military personal rely on military resources to find their next job. Use those resources, but don’t stop there. Reach out to friends and family for help. Begin looking for opportunities to meet new people within the community, so your professional network will expand beyond the military.
Revise your resume and LinkedIn profile. Your future employer will be very impressed with your military career – but, only if they understand it. Ask a few civilian friends to proofread your resume for you. Get them to share what was confusing, and make adjustments. And, if you were managing hundreds of people, be sure to spell that out. Although this may seem normal in the military, it is both unusual and impressive in the civilian work world.
Learn as much as you can about how the corporate interview process works. Getting a civilian job is often about knowing the right people. It’s about going around the online process. It’s about bending the rules a bit. This goes counter to much of the military structure you may be used to.
Identify your strengths. What is it that makes you good at your military job that you could bring with you into the corporate world? Perhaps you are an outstanding communicator or a great manager. In order to land a job in the civilian world, you have to know what makes you stand out.
Select a target job (or jobs) and target companies. Narrow your search down as much as possible. If you keep your options too broad, friends and family won’t know how to help you. But, if you know exactly what you’re looking for, it empowers them to act.
Last but not least, remember that finding a job isn’t easy – for anyone. If you struggle to find something right away, keep trying. It’s often a numbers game. Try not to fall into the trap of believing that nobody understands your background. Assume that you just haven’t met the right company yet and keep looking.
Good luck with your transition, and thank you for your military service!
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
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