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More Work Means a Fair Process

Have you ever had to do extra work in a job interview? One of my most intense interviews ever was at Target. I interviewed there after graduate school for a project management role. The process was unlike one I had ever seen up to then.

Target flew me into Minneapolis one evening, with a day of interviews to follow. The day itself is a blur now. So much happened in a relatively tiny amount of time.

I had multiple individual interviews. They happened back to back in a small room. One person would come in and interview me. They’d leave and then another person would come in. This happened around four times in a row. It was back to back with no real breaks.

Then, the human resources manager took me to lunch. It was right next door. And, it wasn’t any kind of lunch. It was a lunch interview. I had to be on my game.

After lunch, I was taken to another business nearby. There, I took an IQ test that was very much like the SAT you might have taken to get into college. There was a math portion and a verbal portion. It was a lot do to after five interviews.

But, the fun didn’t end there. Next, I was met by a psychologist. The psychologist administered a psychological exam.

After it was over, I remember stretching out in the back seat of a cab on my way back to the airport. I was exhausted. I’d never had such an intense interview.

This sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. But, do you know what else it is? It’s an attempt at a fairer interview process.

No interview is unbiased. Some people perform better in an in person interview. Others do better on a test. Allowing the candidate to be tested in multiple ways is a good way to reduce the likelihood of an unfair process.

In fact, my favorite interviews are the ones with the most work. I like it when you write a proposal for the manager, to show them what you will bring to the table. I feel like it gives you a chance to sell yourself. It gives the manager a chance to truly measure your abilities. And, it reduces your risk of a mismatch.

The next time you’re put through a long and difficult interview process, remember this. The process is likely more fair than if the hiring manager met you and quickly decided. If you get the job, it’s more likely to be a better fit for you.

You may also be wondering whatever happened at Target. I got the job offer and the company was so nice that they sent me flowers to congratulate me. Target was a truly amazing company. I didn’t end up taking the job, but I took away the importance of a thorough interview process.

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 iTunes or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

 

How to use the Glassdoor “Know Your Worth Tool”

I hope you’re having a great week! I’m writing with an update. My recent tutorial about how to use LinkedIn’s new referral feature was well received. If you missed the LinkedIn referral tutorial, you can find it on YouTube here.

Because it went over so well, I wanted to share another tutorial for you. In this tutorial, I’m going to share with you — how to use the Glassdoor “Know Your Worth Tool.”

The Glassdoor.com Know Your Worth Tool helps you to estimate your current market value — where you live, for your job, and for the amount of experience you have. It helps you to know if you’re being paid fairly, and if not, what alternatives might exist for you in your area.

I hope you enjoy this how to use the Glassdoor “Know Your Worth Tool” tutorial!

 

167 | Sexism at Work | Erika Gable, Executive Director, Women’s Small Business Accelerator, Columbus, OH

Episode 167 is live! This week, we talk with Erika Gable in Columbus, Ohio.

Erika is the Executive Director of the Women’s Small Business Accelerator. She brings over 17 years of experience with nonprofits and social enterprises.

Today, we’re going to cover a sensitive topic that we don’t usually cover on this show: sexism at work. Our goal with this conversation is to both enlighten and empower both men and women on this important issue that impacts everyone.

Erika Gable - Sexism at Work

On today’s episode, Erika shares:

  • The biggest misconception about sexism at work
  • Why people don’t speak up more about sexism
  • What we can all do to treat everyone more equally
  • How to handle sexist behavior if it’s happening to you

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Erika, visit her website at http://wsbaohio.org/.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send me 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!

My Choice to Go to Graduate School


A very difficult decision we often face as professionals is whether or not to pursue a MBA, PhD, or some other terminal degree. I hear from professionals each week that are wading through this important choice. One of the things that makes this decision tough is that many graduate programs prefer that you have work experience. That means that by the time you’re thinking of going to graduate school, you might have a good paying job, a spouse, a mortgage, and kids.

I want to share a little with you today about how I decided to go to graduate school. My hope is that the thought process may help you to sort through your own complex decision making process.

For starters, I suspected in undergraduate school that I wanted to pursue a MBA. The thing is, my major in college was computer and systems engineering, with a concentration in manufacturing. My degree was like a combination of computer programming, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

The problem was, I started to think I might want to pursue a career in another field, like marketing. This was especially tough because hiring managers rarely thought of me for anything outside of technology back then. I remember being invited to interview for an engineering management role with Motorola. I agreed to the interview, if they would also allow me to interview with the marketing managers. But, my interest in marketing alone really wasn’t enough. I needed more credentials.

I considered the idea of going to business school right after college. But, I did a little research. When I spoke to other professionals, I learned that having business experience under my belt would give me a better foundation for my MBA studies. It would give me experience to pull from during class discussions. And honestly, it would give me a few years to confirm that business school was the right route for me (before investing time and money into it).

So, then what? Well, I needed to decide where to go – and what kind of program I was interested in.

When it comes to the type of program, there are a few options. Some programs allow you to study online while others allow you to go in person. When it comes to business school, a big part of the value you gain is through the real life connections you make. And, at least for me, in person learning is typically better than online. So, I knew I wanted to be in an in person program.

Then, I had to decide if I wanted to study part-time, or go back to school full-time. Going back full-time typically requires you to quit your job to focus on school. For me, this was the best option. I wanted to focus completely on my studies. And, I wanted to finish my program in a reasonable amount of time. Studying full-time allowed me to complete my MBA in 15-months. If I had been a part-time student, this may have taken years.

Next, I decided what sort of concentration I wanted to have. I decided that I wanted a concentration in entrepreneurial management. I also wanted a program that was heavy in marketing options. And, I wanted a program that values giving back to the community. On top of these requirements, I was interested to go to a school that was near where technology related things were happening – in California. I was going through this process around 2003, so this list quickly narrowed my choices down. Entrepreneurial management in particular was hard to come by back then because it was still a new discipline for business schools.

Once I had my list of schools ready, I started to look up data on their programs. It’s almost like looking up reliability statistics on a car before you buy it. Long story short, not every MBA is worth the same amount of money. I looked at the rankings in US News & World Report. I looked up a report that’s called the ‘post-graduation report.’ Most schools publish these reports on their career site. They share how much money their graduates are making.

Then, I did an ROI calculation. Yes, you heard me right. A return on investment calculation. Business school is an investment. I compared the amount of salary I would give up (by quitting my job), along with the cost of school and living expenses – to the amount I would make after completing business school (or at least a decent estimate). I was only willing to pay a high tuition if I would end up making a high paycheck after graduation.

Alright, so that really narrowed down the schools. I ended up selecting Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

Well, the last piece is this. How was I going to pay for the program? This was a tall order. I was in my early 20s and the thought of dropping over fifty thousand dollars on an additional degree was a big decision.

I worked for three years before going to graduate school. I lived cheaply, and was able to save around $1,000 per month for school. I stashed the money in a savings account. By the time I quit my job to go to school, I had saved over $30,000. To make up the extra money I needed for tuition and rent, I did two things. I asked the school for a scholarship, and I took out student loans.

Student loans are a hot topic these days. I won’t dive into all the pros and cons here. But, in my case, with a lot of research, they worked for me. They were low interest, and they allowed me to put myself through school.

So, what happened? Well, I graduated with my MBA in 15 months. Companies started to consider me for jobs outside of computer programming (like marketing). And, I was able to land job offers that were twice what I was making before graduate school.

Hooray!

For me, the decision to get my MBA was a good one. But, as I mentioned before… not every degree is created equal. The only way to make the right decision for you is to do lots of research. Calculate the return on investment. Talk to people. And, time it right. Don’t go too soon, or too late.

I know — it’s a lot to think about. But, it’s a big decision. Best of luck as you make yours. 🙂

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.

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 iTunes 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 iTunes or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

 

155 | Career Rebranding – Isaac Lake, Hilton

Episode 155 is live! This week, we talk with Isaac Lake in Memphis, TN. Isaac is a Manager of Brand Performance Support at Hilton. Previously, Isaac worked at the University of Memphis where he was the Manager of Facilities and Programs at the University Center. This is Isaac’s second time on the Copeland Coaching Podcast. He’s a former client and a friend. On this episode, we check back in with Isaac after 3.5 years at Hilton.

On today’s episode, Isaac shares:

  • The biggest differences between working in a corporate environment and at a university
  • Which transferable skills (and side hustles) helped him to transition into corporate
  • The role of networking in the job search
  • Advice for others looking to make a major career shift

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Isaac, you can find him on LinkedIn.

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!

154 | Making Meaning of Work – Amy Wrzesniewski, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Yale University

Episode 154 is live! This week, we talk with Amy Wrzesniewski in New Haven, CT. Amy is a professor of organizational behavior at the School of Management at Yale University. Her research interests focus on how people make meaning of their work in difficult contexts, including stigmatized occupations, virtual work, and the absence of work. She also researches the experience of work as a job, career, or calling. Her current research involves studying how employees shape their interactions and relationships with others in the workplace to change both their work identity and the meaning of the job. She teaches both on managing groups and teams, and global virtual teams.

On today’s episode, Amy shares:

  • The tie between purpose and meaning in work
  • How closely our career is tied to our identity
  • Why we may regret our occupational choices mid-career
  • Whether or not having purpose at work can increase your success
  • A common mistake job seekers make
  • The impact of unemployment on our identity

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Amy, find her on the Yale website and on YouTube.

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!