by Angela Copeland | Jun 13, 2014 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Career Transitions for Scientists.” In it, I provide advice on how to transition your job between different industries.
I’ve recently received multiple letters from scientists in the research community with questions about their career transitions. Most likely, this is because of Memphis’ thriving medical research community. After all, Memphians are developing new technologies for things from vaccines to cancer cures.
Researchers struggle with a problem workers in all sectors face: how to change industries. Most get into research with a three- to five-year contract. But this is not before completing a lengthy Ph.D. program. By the time their contract ends, the researcher may be in their 30s or early 40s.
With no experience in corporate America, and with little support about where to begin, many of these brilliant scientists struggle to decide what’s next. The most common choices are to continue in research or to take the corporate route. Often, staying on the same path is easier, but it is not always the most desirable choice.
To read my entire article, and learn about how you can transition to a new industry, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.
Also, if you have a friend who is in this situation (nearing the end of their research contract), please forward a copy of my article to them. I was truly surprised to learn how many people are struggling with the issue of whether or not to leave research, and how to get into corporate.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 10, 2014 | Advice, Podcast
This week we talk with former university staff member turned corporate employee, Isaac Lake.
Isaac shares the process he used to make his shift, what helped him to switch careers, and what he learned about negotiation. Listen and learn more!
Download the interview for free on Apple Podcasts, or listen below.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 9, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
So often, I speak with people who tell me about their plan to just get their ‘foot in the door’ somewhere. They’ve decided that their skills are just not good enough to get them the job they want.
Sometimes, the person has decided to settle for a lower level position than they really want. They may be qualified to be a manager, but they’ve decided that taking an analyst position could possibly lead to a manager position in time.
Other times, they’ve decided to take less money than what’s normally paid or what’s fair. They think that if they can just get in to a company, they can show their value and the company will give them a raise.
Both of these misconceptions are just that – misconceptions. If you take a lower level position than what you’re qualified to do, you will in fact be performing a lower level position for the foreseeable future. A company is not interested to hire you at one level and turn around a few months later to give you a big promotion.
Even if your hiring manager has all the faith in the world in you, you never know how long they may be your manager. Re-organizations happen all the time, and bosses come and go.
Years ago, I accepted a great position within a large organization. On my second day, the manager who hired me (and who I had built a relationship with for over a year) announced his departure. He had received a great opportunity with another organization. It was a big shock for everyone, as he’d been with the company for years and was very well respected. I’ve always been thankful for that job – and that I didn’t plan to just ‘get my foot in the door’ when I took it.
Similarly, companies aren’t in the business of giving big raises these days. When you start out at one pay level, don’t expect to see your compensation dramatically change. Annually, even great employees only see a few percentage points added to their pay each year.
If you get promoted to a higher level position, or to a different department, you may have an opportunity to negotiate some. Unfortunately, it will be far less than an external candidate could do. You can typically expect just a slight bump for each promotion. Companies often consider internal promotions cheaper than finding an external candidate.
Think about it. When you take a job, you’re expected to stay at least 2-3 years. If you settle and just get your foot in the door, you’ve now signed up for 2-3 years of waiting for something that’s not a guarantee.
If you chose to wait a little longer to find the right opportunity now, chances are that it will take less than 2-3 years. And, when you do accept that right opportunity, you will KNOW what you’re getting into. It will be the job you want, at the pay you want. And, it will be an opportunity that you didn’t have to settle for.
As a reminder, the Copeland Coaching Podcast launched two weeks ago! This Tuesday and every Tuesday, I will interview an expert in the field of job searching – including coaches, recruiters, financial experts, and more!
You can listen to the podcast in two ways. First, it’s available for free download on Apple Podcasts. You can also listen on SoundCloud.com. So, whether you want to listen on your desktop, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet, you’re covered. Listen from wherever, whenever!
And speaking of finding a job, I’m searching for a Social Media Intern for Copeland Coaching.
This person should have extremely strong organization and time management skills, with the ability to work independently and meet deadlines. They should have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
At a minimum, they should have experience personally using social media. But, it’s not critical that they’ve used social media in business before. This will be a great learning opportunity for the right candidate.
This is a paid internship, and the intern may be located in Memphis or may work virtually.
The full job description is located here (note: this is a PDF document). Interested candidates are asked to send their resume, cover letter, and social media links to intern@CopelandCoaching.com.
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 | Jun 6, 2014 | Advice, Media
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Conquering Rumors.” In it, I provide advice on how to prepare when you hear rumors that a layoff may be coming at your job.
It seems that every week there’s another rumor. Some big corporation is going to lay off its employees. A company’s going to relocate to another city. A department is going to be restructured.
Whatever rumor you’re hearing, it can make you nervous. It can even keep you up at night. You may wonder how long it will take to find another job – or worse, if you’ll find one at all. What if you have to move? What if you can’t sell your house? Most of all, you may worry about how the situation could impact your family’s future.
If you find yourself in this boat, you’re not alone. Whether or not a layoff ever occurs, the thought can be daunting. The best thing you can do is be prepared. In fact, this even goes for when there are no rumors at all. It’s better to start early than late.
To read my entire article, and learn about how you can conquer layoff rumors, visit the Memphis Daily News site here.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 3, 2014 | Advice, Podcast
This week on the Copeland Coaching Podcast, I interview Jered Haddad, Vice President of Gateway Group Personnel.
Jered shares tips on switching careers, avoiding mistakes, and how to use temporary placement positions to your advantage. Listen and learn more!
Download the interview for free on Apple Podcasts, or listen below.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 2, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter, Salary
You would be surprised at just how quickly negotiation begins. Often, the very first phone call you receive from human resources will be to get an understanding of where you are today, and where you want to be.
It’s important to be prepared for this question. So before you embark on switching jobs, cities, or career fields all together, you need to do some research.
There are a number of places you can look for information. Here are a few ideas:
- Salary.com – Salary.com is a website that provides salary industry averages by city. It provides data points on the lowest 25%, what the middle 50% are making, and what the upper 75% are making for a particular job in a certain area. The site gives you the option to pay for extra information, but I always stick with the free report. It’s not exact, but it will get you in the ballpark. One note on this site: more than one person has told me they think the site provides over inflated salaries. I haven’t found that to be the case. If you’re finding it to the be the case, you may want to brush up on your overall negotiation skills.
- Glassdoor.com – Glassdoor is one of my favorite sites for salary research, and I’ve mentioned it in my writing before. The site allows employees to anonymously report their salary by position. So, you can search for a particular company and a certain job. For example, if you search for FedEx jobs in Memphis, you’ll find that 144 people have reported their salary for the Senior Programmer Analyst role. On average, people in this role make about $85K. They range anywhere from $69K to $96K. That’s pretty helpful information, right?
- GuideStar.com – GuideStar is a website that allows you to search for information about your favorite non-profits. If you create a free account on their site, you can download the Form 990 for most non-profit organizations. Form 990 is the annual reporting return that most non-profits must file with the IRS. It provides information about their mission, programs, and finances. In addition, it typically lists their highest paid employee’s salary. Unless you’re applying to be the CEO of a non-profit, you won’t find your salary listed. But, the CEO’s salary is still a guide. If you know that one non-profit’s top paid employee is making $40K, and another non-profit’s top paid employee is making $200K, it should give you an understanding of how lower level employees may also be compensated.
- The Company Website – Some companies list the pay grades on posted jobs for internal employees. If you’re switching jobs within the same company, be sure to check this out.
- The Recruiter – Very often, if you ask the recruiter for a salary range, they will give it to you. This is another great, and very accurate, source of information.
- Friends and Colleagues – This is probably the toughest place to look for this information. But occasionally, there’s an opportunity to share information with those who work in a similar industry or role as you. Sometimes, they can be friends who work in different cities — or at different companies. Use your best judgement but, at least consider this conversation if the opportunity arises.
When you start your job search, you want to be armed with information. For example, don’t expect that if you move to a more expensive city to work for a new company that you’ll be given a cost of living raise. You will be paid market value for that particular job in that city – and the only way to know the market value is to research it.
Once you have an idea of your value, you will want to decide what your target range is. What’s the lowest you would go? And, where would you like to be ideally? From there, you’re ready to negotiate. Check out my previous articles for tips on starting a successful negotiation, and best of luck!
As a reminder, the Copeland Coaching Podcast launched last week! This Tuesday and every Tuesday, I will interview an expert in the field of job searching – including coaches, recruiters, financial experts, and more!
You can listen to the podcast in two ways. First, it’s available for free download on Apple Podcasts. You can also listen on SoundCloud.com. So, whether you want to listen on your desktop, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet, you’re covered. Listen from wherever, whenever!
And speaking of finding a job, I’m searching for a Social Media Intern for Copeland Coaching.
This person should have extremely strong organization and time management skills, with the ability to work independently and meet deadlines. They should have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
At a minimum, they should have experience personally using social media. But, it’s not critical that they’ve used social media in business before. This will be a great learning opportunity for the right candidate.
This is a paid internship, and the intern may be located in Memphis or may work virtually.
The full job description is located here (note: this is a PDF document). Interested candidates are asked to send their resume, cover letter, and social media links to intern@CopelandCoaching.com.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
