The Job Search

Starting a Job Search

General tips to help you prepare

If you are currently employed:
- Think through the reason(s) you want to leave your position.
- Make sure you have attempted to resolve any reason(s) for wanting to leave.
- Discuss your reasons for dissatisfaction with someone you trust to make sure they are valid.
- Make sure you fully understand what you may give up in terms of seniority, flexibility or benefits.
If you are currently unemployed:
- Make sure you understand why you are out of work.
- Be prepared to describe briefly why you are out of work.
Do not use a company or school email for employment related correspondence. This is public information and IT Departments have the right to read or review.
Pick a professional email address for employment issues ex: steve.smith@gmail.com. Don’t use an email address that is shared with a friend or family member.
Set up an automatic signature with full contact information for your email program.
Make sure you have a professional voice message on your phone.
Verify your educational credentials online or with the school’s Registrar.
Google your name and do a credit check so you are aware of what is public information.
Check your social media accounts and make sure you are professionally presentable. If you haven’t done so already, set up a profile on LinkedIn and connect with professionals in your field.
Think through your strengths and weaknesses. This is an area that will always be discussed so be prepared, write them out, review, and get opinions from others you trust. Think about how to present these in a short professional manner

Compensation and Benefits

Know what you have before you start

You need to know your salary and what other components you have from your current employer.

You need to know your W-2 for the previous year and what was reflected in the figure. Salary and amount of vacation are typically the only areas open for negotiation. Bonus is paid for superior personal or company performance or both. They are usually paid after the fiscal year has closed, although some companies pay bonuses quarterly. Qualifying for a bonus is spelled out in terms of what is required and is normally a % of the individual’s yearly salary.

Profit sharing programs are a form of revenue sharing normally based on company profitability.

Stock Options are available with some companies. There is a formula by which the individual has the right to buy stock in the company at an agreed price that is usually discounted or sometimes granted at no cost. There are differences between publicly held, privately held and ESOP Corporations.

Benefits are provided by an employer such as medical, dental and life insurance, short and long term disability, vacation, tuition reimbursement , and reimbursement for money spent doing company business. Vehicle and related expenses may be included for positions that require travel.

Non-Competes and Non-Disclosures

Know what you are signing

Most companies have a non-disclosure statement that is signed prior to starting work.
Some companies have a non-compete statement that will include specific language that protects them and keeps you from joining certain companies when you leave.
Make sure you know what you have already signed with your existing company and make sure to review the new company’s documents before signing.
Always request a copy of anything you sign.

Reviews by your Superiors

Many companies have formal review programs including documentation.

Always ask for a copy of the review and or any “informal notes” your superior uses in a review.

If you are asked to sign the review, make sure you are in agreement with everything that is written. If you disagree with any items, discuss them with your supervisor and ask that they be rewritten if your superior agrees to changes. Ask that the changes be hand written on the document until such time as they can be retyped for signature. Keep a copy of the “working document” until finalized.

If you receive a negative review and the supervisor will not change their opinion, initial all items you disagree with and add a note to the review that you disagree with the initialized sections and wish to discuss the items with the next level of management. Companies do not have to honor such requests.

Resume

Word documents and PDFs are universally accepted with portals.
Resumes should be skimmable, readable, scannable and written without personal pronouns.
Two pages should work. One page if you have less than 10 years’ experience.
Include education, all employers, a summary of accomplishments or key responsibilities, using key phrases and current buzz words.
Emphasize your most recent four to seven years of experience.
Give brief job descriptions, functional responsibilities and key accomplishments.
Publications, Presentations and Patents should be a separate document.
References should be a separate document and never included on your resume.

Cover Letters

Send one cover letter with every resume. This should be sent out separate from your resume, in the body of an email or a separate word document attachment.
The letter should be brief, outlining connections between the company and job that is not on your resume. Always use a positive close by letting them know when you will follow up.

References

Provide references only when asked if you are interested in the opportunity.
Have a sheet prepared with reference names, titles, personal cell phone numbers and email addresses
Outline their relationship to you and within what company you both worked.
Have at least three references that should include one or two managers you worked for and a peer in an appropriate department.
Check on line to see if your college provides educational verification through a web site (most do), and make sure you can verify your degree(s).
Alert your references to a call from a company where you have interviewed. Tell them who the company is the type of job and the name of the person who will call if possible.

Follow Up

Send a note or email of thanks to the hiring manager and human resource manager.
Use a positive close, indicating that you will call within a specific time frame if you haven’t heard back. Make the follow up call after 5 or 6 business days.

Offer and Negotiating

Try to do this in person so that you can “read” the body language of the person making the offer.
Let them know you are strongly interested in the job (if you are) regardless of the initial salary figure.
If you have any vacation or personal time already scheduled, make sure you bring up these time frames during this part of the process so there are no surprises.
Unless the offer is everything you expected (or more) ask for time to think the offer through and ask to have the offer formalized in a letter that they can send to you.
Commit to get back within a reasonable time period after reviewing.
If the offer is everything you expected, feel free to accept but tell them you will formally accept and set a start date after you have reviewed their non-disclosure agreements, offer letter, benefit package and have fulfilled any other requirements they have.
If the offer is not acceptable tell them what you would accept and be prepared to justify what you would ask for. Make sure you know what day to start, what time to get there, who to see when you arrive and ask for the dress code.

Counter Offer

There are a number of reasons why someone should not take a counter offer from their current employer, assuming due diligence was done before starting a job search. Counter offers take place for a variety of reasons but in most cases the individual who accepts a counter offer will leave in the near future because the reasons they were looking in the first place did not change, or they will be terminated or let go when a replacement is found, or business drops off. Google counter offer and you can find a variety of articles written that will give you all the reasons why they don’t make sense from a career point-of-view.

Van Grace Associates, LLC.

Contents: