Waiting for a job offer can be frustrating. Mostly because you are waiting with very little information about when and how the decision will be made. Your ability to influence the outcome is out of your hands once the interview process is over. You are in the waiting game.
Here is a question that I received today from a reader who is in the waiting game:
I’ve had two successful interviews with a company that I’m hoping to work for. One day after my second interview, the HR rep contacted to get my references. A week later I followed up with them …read more

When you are in the midst of a job search, even in this market, you are not at the mercy of the organization. You don’t have to take anything they offer. Negotiation is still an option when it comes to salary. By definition, negotiate means to bargain with others for an agreement.
One key for successful negotiation is to be clear about the market value of the position. What is the position worth in the current job market? Do your homework and know what other organizations are paying for a similar job. Don’t get stuck on one number. Negotiate within a …read more

I like to celebrate with job seekers who get the job offer they have been waiting for. For me, just doing a jig or a respectable shout works for increasing endorphins. I love to celebrate great news! Have you recently received a job offer? If so, before you let out that shout, consider whether it is the right offer for you.
Here are some things to consider:
1. Get the offer in writing
2. Make sure you are clear on salary and benefits
3. Take 24 hours or more to consider the offer
4. If you are uneasy about any portion of the offer, take …read more

Sometimes organizations take a long time to make a decision. Really I should say people, hiring managers sometime take a long time before making a decision. So what’s a reasonable wait time? That depends. It depends on the organization and it depends on what is going in the organization that you may not know about while you are in the midst of their hiring process. Here is a question that I received and my response regarding the wait…
I’m in the middle of that painful waiting time. For me it has lasted more than 30 days. The interview seemed to go …read more

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet with a potential coaching client. We met to discuss what was happening in her job search. My first question helped to determine the direction of our conversation. All I asked is “what is it that you want to do?” My question was an attempt to understand what type of job she was seeking. She has been in the market for a jobs for about 9 months. She has applied to about 100 job and she has had 6 or 7 interviews. That’s less than a 10% hit rate, with no job offers. Her …read more

You just endured a long hiring process and they’ve offered you a job. Should you take it? How do you know whether you should accept the offer and go to work? Let me say this, don’t be quick to jump on an offer. Even in this market. Take 24-48 hours to evaluate the offer, the organization, the hiring process you went through. Think about it. As much as you need to develop a job search strategy, you absolutely need to develop a strategy for deciding which offer to accept and which ones not to accept. Here are some things to …read more

Webinar: Monday, April 13th: Develop Your Job Search Strategy
This is a great opportunity for you to learn how to develop an “offensive plan” for your job search and interview. When you complete this call you will know how to effectively develop your job search game plan.
I will challenge you to become an expert on the most valuable product you will ever know – YOU!
I will teach you how to take a job description and use it for your preparation and planning.
If you have been “FIRED“, this webinar is for you! I want to answer questions you have about navigating through …read more

People are still getting fired every day of the week. Why? There is no one reason. Sometimes your boss doesn’t like you. Other times, you are lazy or you don’t like the job or maybe you’re tired of the job and you do something stupid and it’s over. In the blink of an eye. Given the challenges we face with employment. Now is really not a great time to lose your job. I have put together a Webinar for you called Fired Up! I will make some recommendations, share some tips and assist you with developing how you will respond …read more

If you walk into an interview and things don’t feel so good, that may be a clue that you may want to ask more questions about the culture of the organization. If you are sitting in the interview and the people around the table don’t seem to like each other, that would be another clue that the organization has some issues. If you have a friend that works in the organization and they tell you that there are issues with the hiring manager, it may be another obvious indicator that accepting an offer may mean problems for you down the …read more

Brand You, Inc. is all about you. It is about you differentiating yourself from other candidates. It’s about you as the product when you are sitting across the table from a hiring manager. Why should the hiring manager select your product – YOU, over every other product they are considering for the position. Brand You, Inc. is about differentiation.
According to Fast Company, you learn stuff, develop your skills, hone your abilities, move from project to project. And if you’re really smart, you figure out how to distinguish yourself from all the other very smart people walking around in a suit, …read more