by Angela Copeland | Jul 14, 2014 | Advice, Negotiating, Salary
I hope you had a wonderful weekend, and got the opportunity to watch a little World Cup soccer! Now that the excitement of the games and holidays are winding down, it’s time to refocus on your goal – scoring your next job.
If you’re serious about finding a new job, this is the time to kick things into high gear. Keep in mind that an average search can often take a few months — and the holidays will be here before you know it. Considering that, there’s no time to spare.
In my latest Memphis Daily News column, I discuss the power the internet has to help you to level the career playing field. Although job selection should be a fair process, it often has flaws. Research shows that certain groups of people struggle to get a fair shake. Even things you have no control over such as your name or your height can influence your job prospects.
The internet gives you the opportunity to research companies from the inside out in a way that wasn’t easily available before. On this week’s Copeland Coaching Podcast, I will be interviewing Glassdoor.com’s Career Trends Analyst, Scott Dobroski. I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow, but in the meantime, I wanted to share a few highlights with you.
Glassdoor offers many useful features I recommend to all my clients: salary data, company ratings, interview questions, and job postings. Information like salary data is reported to the website anonymously by current or past employees. It allows you to get the inside scoop, so you’ll be more prepared when you interview.
Here are a few salary examples. First, let’s look at a Manager position in Memphis, Tennessee. This isn’t with a certain company, and it’s not a certain type of Manager. It’s an average. You can see that the range is $40K to $120K, with a median of $76K. This is an enormous range.
Now, let’s drill down more closely and look at what it’s like to be a manager at the largest company in Memphis: FedEx. This particular position is for a FedEx IT Manager. The range is from $99K to $159K, with an average of $138K. Included in this number is an annual bonus of around $12K. Although this range is not as wide, it’s still a very — very wide range!
When you see this information, you may wonder where you land on this spectrum.
Sometimes the candidate who falls on the high end of the scale has more experience. They may have a better education, or more experience managing others. They may have some other special skill that makes them stand out from their competitors.
But, sometimes, the person is just a better negotiator. They are awarded more money not based upon the value they bring to the company or their hard work or long hours. They receive more because they were willing to take a risk and negotiate.
Before you begin your negotiation however, it’s important that you understand the playing field. You should know how much a particular company pays. You should understand what changes have happened at the company lately. Take a pulse on what the employees think of the company. All of these factors help you to be a more informed job seeker.
Unless you have a family member or close friend working at a particular organization, it can be hard to find this kind of data. Or I should say, it used to be hard. With the growth of websites like Glassdoor, job seekers are given the opportunity to do their homework like never before. From the comfort of your couch, you can find salaries, company ratings, and potential interview questions — for the exact company you want to work for.
That’s pretty incredible, isn’t it?
The #1 way you’re going to miss out on this information is if you don’t take the time to look it up. When you’re job searching, doing your research – like doing your homework – is critical to your success.
Tune in to the Copeland Coaching Podcast tomorrow to hear the entire interview with Scott from Glassdoor.com, and get more great insight on how to level the playing field in your job search this summer.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jul 11, 2014 | Advice, Media, Negotiating
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Leveling the Playing Field.” In it, I discuss how you can use the internet to level the playing field in your job search.
One of the biggest struggles many job seekers face is gathering enough information. It’s important to understand how much a company pays, if the environment is healthy, and how the interview process works.
In the past, the only way to learn this was to talk to friends and family. Stories were anecdotal and typically based on one person’s experience. The growth of the Internet over the past 20 years has not only changed this process but has empowered the job seeker.
Employment statistics tell us every day that various demographic factors can influence how much we make over our lifetime. For example, women are reported to make 77 cents per dollar as compared to men, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Similar statistics are available for other groups. The Journal of Applied Psychology even found that when it comes to height, for every inch above average you are, you may make $789 more per year. These small differences can really add up over the course of our careers.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Scott Dobroski, Career Trends Analyst at Glassdoor.com. During our discussion, one point was crystal clear: The Internet provides the opportunity to level the playing field. No longer do you have to know someone to get the inside scoop. Websites make average salary data available to anyone for free. You can also research employee satisfaction and common interview questions.
If you’re struggling with your search, learn how to level your playing field by reading the entire column on the Memphis Daily News site here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 8, 2014 | Advice, Podcast
Episode 7 of the Copeland Coaching Podcast is live!
This week we talk with Kristi King, Business Development Manager at recruiting firm Experis – a division of Manpower Group.
Kristi works to place top talent in positions and gives her advice on job searching, interviewing, and working with a recruiter.
Listen and learn more!
by Angela Copeland | Jul 7, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. Being back in the office today may remind you of how much you’d still like to be on vacation. Or at another job. Or anywhere else for that matter.
Unfortunately, we sometimes wait a little too long to decide to make a career change. We wait until things feel unbearable before we begin our search. And suddenly, it can feel like time has already run out.
Our patience is low. Anxiety is high. We’d do anything to just not have to go to that job one more day.
When you get into this frame of mind, you may start to search for jobs you wouldn’t normally look for. You know, jobs you could have done 10 years ago. Positions that require few skills and little of your true talents. They may even pay much less.
You know you can land one of these jobs quickly, and it will buy you time. You’ll be able to work there for a few months while you keep searching for your next real gig.
But, I bet when you interview for that easy, temporary job – you don’t tell them your plans. You can’t. They’d never hire you if they knew you weren’t planning to stick around.
If you take that temporary job, it will take a weight off your shoulders and give you time to start looking for your real dream job. But, what will you tell your next employer when you interview? Will you say that you’re only been working at your job for a month, but are looking for something new?
You could tell them how awful your last manager was and how you ran from the building when it was practically burning down. They’d understand, right? Wrong.
This entire plan has three flaws that I want you to consider before running from your job:
- It doesn’t look good to stay at a job for just a few months. It makes it harder for you to be considered for another job and it creates a story on your resume that you’ll be forced to explain time and time again in the future. And, if you decide to stay at your temporary job for a year, you’ve delayed your real job search by a year. That’s also not helpful.
- It puts you in a position to talk negatively about your previous and current employers. You’ll want to explain why your last job was so bad. Then, you’ll want to explain why this so-so job is temporary. This is never good. You don’t want to spend your time in an interview explaining what was wrong at your last (or current) job. Even if your reasoning is completely sound, it creates a poor reflection on you. This is something you want to avoid.
- It takes away your negotiating power. You want to make more money in your next job. But, if your dream job knows you’re in a helpless, dead end situation right now, they’re not going to offer you the same competitive salary. They don’t have to. They know you don’t have a lot of options. They realize you ran away from your last job, and you need them more than they need you.
I know it can be hard, but if you can, try to devote your energy to finding your dream job now rather than searching for a temporary solution. Even though a temporary job seems like a solution, it can often delay you arriving at your dream job for months or years longer than necessary.
Finding a good job is a job in itself. Set aside time each day to work on your job search. In just a few months, you could be in a better situation. You’ll find something you really enjoy more. It will use your skills, and might even pay more. In this sense, your patience will truly pay off.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jul 4, 2014 | Advice, Media
Happy 4th of July!
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Giving Your Child Independence .” In it, I discuss the challenges parents face when they want to help their children find career independence.
Parents of newly minted graduates have all heard about it: the “Boomerang Generation.” According to Pew Research Center, It’s estimated that some 45 percent of college graduates between the ages of 18 and 24 are living at home with family. If you are a parent, you may be wondering what you can do to give your children the gift of independence on this Fourth of July.
In the past, it was assumed that a college degree alone would lead to a great job. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case anymore. In our current competitive market, job seekers must be more proactive and aggressive than in generations before.
Today, some parents are working hard to help their children get the upper hand. They’d do anything to help their son or daughter get ahead. The child learns they can really count on mom or dad to help them figure things out.
If you’re struggling to help your child find their path to Independence this 4th of July, get tips on what you can do by visiting the Memphis Daily News site here.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 30, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
I hope you have a wonderful holiday week! I know I’m looking forward to spending time with friends, grilling out, and watching fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. This is also a great time to reflect on your current job situation.
Are you feeling unhappy or unfilled? If you’ve been thinking of making a change, this could be the perfect time. Finding a job can take a few months, so you still have time to get started before the winter holidays begin to approach.
Often, one of the sources of job frustration can be a lack of control. Whether you’re not doing the kind of work you enjoy, don’t like your boss, or are underpaid, you may feel helpless.
It’s this helpless feeling that can really impact you each day as you go in. It can make your day seem longer, and tasks seem harder.
Finding career independence starts with identifying what is within your radius of control. What can you impact today that will help you to gain more freedom from your current situation?
First, I recommend keeping your resume up to date at all times. On top of that, keep your LinkedIn current and connect to your coworkers. You never know when things could change.
If you’re not using your favorite skills at work, look for ways to keep your expertise up to date. Consider taking on small consulting projects, or volunteer at a non-profit. You may even want to take a class or two to keep any certifications current.
If you’d like to acquire a new skill, the same advice applies. Enroll in a class. There are many options at local colleges, and online. If you don’t have an opportunity to try your new skill at work, look for a way to volunteer your time – either on a non-profit project or at a part-time internship.
Nurture your network. Take the time to attend networking events. Get lunch and coffee with coworkers from previous jobs. Stay connected.
Re-evaluate your priorities. Often, a source of unhappiness can be tied to a shifting of what’s important to you. Early in your career, you may have been willing to work for hours on end just to make the most money possible.
As you’ve grown older, financial stability may be less important. You may now be looking for work-life balance, but are still saddled with an 80-hour per week job.
As you can see, much of the independence we crave is tied back to a self awareness of what’s important to us.
And, unlike Independence Day fireworks, career freedom rarely happens all at once. It doesn’t go off with a bang of beautiful lights. Independence at work takes time. It takes commitment. It takes a little dedication each day.
But if you’re committed, over time you will find that independence, and the happiness that comes along with it.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Have a wonderful Independence Day. Enjoy the time with your loved ones and be safe.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
