The Career Capitalist

Make Your Portfolio Stronger With A Blog...

Lots of buzz going around about a recent Wall Street Journal article suggesting that creating a blog (like this site, but customized to whatever your professional brand is about) is a great way to boost your career prospects.  Is that true?  Should you create a blog?  Can you be the Matt Drudge (pictured at right) of your functional area?

The answer is maybe.  First up, to have a blog that helps your career, you'll need to focus the blog on whatever you determine your profession is.  For functional area people (things that come to mind - Developers, Marketing Types, HR/Recruiters, etc.) a blog makes sense.  You have a deep enough functional area that you could write a couple of times a week about issues related to your profession, or what you are experiencing in your work.  That's a good idea if it is done well.

What if you are a prospect without a well defined functional area (customer service pro, administrative assistant, etc,)?   That makes developing a blog a little tougher - ask yourself upfront what the theme of your blog is going to be.  If you can't answer that question and develop a concept that gives you a professional brand, you may not have a good path to creating a blog focused on your profession/career.  Another route you may want to consider is a Slash Blog (morphing your professional identity in 2-3 different angles) to find enough content to develop a meaningful blog. 

Here's a good start if you are intrigued by the idea of having a blog - do a search at Google Blogs for your type of career and see what others are doing.  It will give you good ideas and also let you know how much work is involved in getting blog together.

If you go through all those gates, here are some golden rules of career blogging.  If you can't live to this code, move on and disregard trying to start a blog:

1.  Be prepared to write at least once a week.  If you can't commit to this, your career blog will look like an empty shell and probably be a negative to prospective employers.

2.  Be prepared to struggle with writer's block.  It doesn't always happen in 10 minutes.

3.  You can use tongue in cheek humor to show your personality, but stay positive or instructional.  No one wants to hire a negative blogger and suddenly expect they are going to be positive in the workplace.

4.  Avoid TMI (Too Much Info) on your personal life.  No one wants to hear you complaining about your significant other on your career-oriented blog.

Still interested?  Hit TypePad or Blogger and dig around on the technology a little bit.... 

First Impressions - You're On the Clock

Thinking you can take your time to get in the interviewing groove when you get in front of someone?  Think again - like a blind date, the impression are made quickly and once set, don't generally change...

From a Business and Legal Reports (BLR) survey:

Executives say ten minutes is the amount of time it takes for them to form an opinion of job seekers during interviews, according to a survey by Robert Half International.

The survey asked 150 senior executives, "How long does it typically take you to form either a positive or negative opinion of a job candidate during an initial interview?" The mean response was 10 minutes.

The survey found that executives spend a lot longer than 10 minutes with job candidates in interviews. The survey asked executives, "How many minutes, on average, do you spend meeting with a staff-level candidate during a job interview?" The mean response was 55 minutes.

Respondents also were asked, "How many minutes, on average, do you spend meeting with a management-level candidate during a job interview?" The mean response was 86 minutes.

The pressure is on to make a strong first impression.  Beyond the normal stuff like appropriate dress, etc., the biggest thing you can accomplish is developing a comfortable dialog with your interviewer.  If they want to spend 15 minutes chatting about nothing related to the job, do it - it's money in the bank if you can do it well.

The other thing that comes to mind related to strong dialog is to have your 5-Minute Resume flowing when you go in.  Inevitably, the interviewer is going to throw it to you to have you walk him/her through your resume, so be ready.  The ability to cleanly and concisely articulate your background and KSAs upon command undoubtedly impacts this first impression as well... 

Career Capitalist Phraseology - Required/Preferred

As you look at different opportunities via postings and job descriptions, phraseology is often used - words and terms that can have a lot of different meanings and context depending on your perspective.  The Career Capitalist is here to help you sort through the context and meaning....

Today's Phraseology Word From the World of Career Search:  Required/Preferred

What the Employer Wants You To Think:  Don't apply unless you have all the items that we list as Required.  Don't be surprised if who we hire as all the required and most of the preferred qualifications.

The Reality - Most hires don't even have all of the required qualifications in a posting or description.  The bottom line is that in a listing of Required/Preferred qualification, the listed components are rarely created equal.  Depending on the hiring manager's perspective, there will always be 2-3 things they think they really need, and if you have them (or more importantly can position via your resume you have them), you have a good shot at being involved in the interview process.

What You Should Do - Apply for positions that interest you, and customize your resume and cover letter to emphasize the listed qualifications you posses.  PS - don't fake anything in your resume - learn from the experience of resume doctoring (see George O'Leary, pictured at right, and David Edmondson as examples)

You're Hardcore But I Love You Anyway... (Talking Points when asking employers about Compensation)

We've talked elsewhere on the Career Capitalist about when to talk about comp (and the dangers of being the first one to bring it up) and how to answer questions from interviewers related to your expected salary when asked, yet you persist - you want to be proactive and ask the interviewer about compensation for the position (before they ask you)....

Is asking about compensation before an interviewer brings it up ever a good idea?  Usually not.  Most of the interviewers you run into will note this as unusual and you run the risk of being identified as driven by money.  Not a great way to start off the interview process.  Remember, when it comes to your knowledge of the target comp for a position you are pursuing, there are 3 different states you can be in as a candidate:

1.  You won't take a job below a specific minimum salary.  Period...

2.  You are unsure about what salary you can command in the marketplace, and with this in mind, don't want to establish a minimum that would eliminate you.

3.  You have a pretty good understanding of what the position might pay, which is acceptable to you.

Among these three situations, only one (#1), really presents a compelling argument for you to be bold and bring up the comp the position might yield.  After all (you say) why waste everyone's time if it is not a $$ fit for you, right?  Maybe.  The worst possible outcome is that the $$ are a fit after you ask, but the interviewer/recruiter is so turned off by the question that you will no longer be considered, whether they disclose that or not.

Here's the golden rule -  If you pro-actively ask an employer about money, ask early and very late in the process, never in the middle.  If you have to engage the employer and ask about compensation for a position, do it on the first call you get, or late in the process when the next step is a likely offer.   Most companies you would want to work for will run you through a multi-faceted interview process, so don't put off the "influencers" or the "approvers" in the process by asking about money.  Often times these folks are in the process to ensure they can simply work with you, to see if the dialog is comfortable, etc.  Ask the money question and most of them will frame you as driven by money or worse yet, selfish.

Suggested talking points - "Since we are very early in the process and attempting to determine overall fit on both ends, can you tell me what the targeted compensation range for the position is?"  Use phrases like this on the first call you get, and the odds of a misstep related to comp are minimal....

 

The First Rule of Fight Club Is....

I talk to candidates daily, some of whom are waaaaaay too open about how unhappy they are in their current situations.  Let's face it, work is tough.  Regardless of the position, there are going to be days, months, even years (for some individuals) that are off the chart with challenges and negativity.  You can't necessarily control that.  But you can control your response.  Like the new-age therapist that offers up controlled breathing exercises to help you keep it in control, the Career Capitalist is here to tell you that I (like all interviewers) want to hear about the positives you took away from that tough situation.  The learning experiences, the career growth, etc...

In an effort to share the wealth and the resources I run into, here's a great post from Pam Slim of Escape from Cubicle Nation.  Entitled "Open letter to employees across the Corporate World", its a take responsibility for yourself, bootstrap entry designed to get you out of your funk.  From Pam's entry:

"I have met you in meeting rooms, hallways, on conference calls and on the internet.  You work for large corporations which you detest.  You arrive at your cubicle every morning with a vaguely sick feeling in your stomach and begin your day of work.  You have too much to do.  Co-workers left and no one replaced them, so you have inherited their job and all the work that went with it."

When I read that, I had a flashback to watching Brad Pitt talk about materialism in Fight Club or Neo talking to the machines from the phone booth at the end of the original Matrix.  Favorite Pitt quote from Fight Club by the way - "We're the middle children of history, man...."

Before you think this is a post about talking about how bad it is, it's not.   After that intro to get you nodding your head, Pam kicks in with a list of your responsibilities to get off the floor and into the game from a career standpoint, which is sage advice.  Here are my three favorite things she offers up:

"Pay attention to who you go to lunch with.  It is therapeutic to bitch and complain about your job once you are out of earshot of your manager or coworkers.  But are you spending all your time with people who just complain and never do anything to change their life?  You are what you eat, say and who you hang out with.  If you want your life to grow in a positive direction, surround yourself with people who are eager to learn, problem-solve and support each other.  I don't mean you can never complain - just don't get stuck whining all the time.

Always have a Plan B, C and D.  Even if you have a great job right now, you should always know what your next step is if everything blows up tomorrow.  Network with people inside and outside your company to know what kinds of jobs or businesses you are interested in.  It is perfectly ethical to scan job boards even if you are happily employed (just don't do it all day on work time - a little tacky).  I know how busy you are.  That is not a viable excuse when it comes to something as important as securing your livelihood.

Don't think of your job as a paycheck, think of it as a learning opportunity.  Learning should be the primary thing on your mind at all times.  You can be in a hellacious job situation and still learn from it.  I was once on a great team inside a company that had questionable management.  When our recommendations were shot down for reasons we knew were wrong, we would discuss the implications and try to guess the outcome.  Most times we were exactly right, and would learn a lot from the experience. If you have taken the time to create a long term life plan, you should be clear what things you need to learn to get there."

Check out the rest of Pam's post here, and don't be a victim when talking to recruiters no matter how down you are - they are judging your negativity and are projecting that you will carry it into their company like a favorite paper clip holder.  Get positive and get in the game...

What Are Your Salary Requirements? Setting up the Negiotiation...

You are somewhere in the interview process - the initial phone screen, a first interview, a final interview, whatever..... And the question comes - "What are your Salary Requirements?", or it's first cousins - "What kind of money do you need?" or my personal favorite, "What's it gonna take?"....  For investments, you could turn to Jim Cramer... For personal finance, you could turn to Dave Ramsey (pictured at right)... For the job search, turn to the Career Capitalist....

-------------------------------------------------------

A question easily asked, but hard to answer.  Before you get your 30-Second message in place, you need to know what your personal reality is from a compensation standpoint.  Get in touch with your money side and identify which one of these scenarios is you...

1.  You won't take a job below a specific minimum salary.  Period...

2.  You are unsure about what salary you can command in the marketplace, and with this in mind, don't want to establish a minimum that would eliminate you.

3.  You have a pretty good understanding of what the position might pay, which is acceptable to you.  With this in mind, you aim to generate an offer as high up in the range as possible should you reach the offer stage.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK - so you know which scenario is you.  Now that you have that figured out, the question comes -  "What are your Salary Requirements?"...   The ball is in your court, and the first thing you should do is attempt to extract some information.  After all, the potential employer has asked you to talk compensation, so you should feel secure about talking money,  With this in mind, the Capitalist recommends you use the following type of conversation tree when answering the question...

Interviewer Question - "What are your Salary Requirements?"

You - "I would be looking for a salary that's in line with what you traditionally pay associates in this position with skills and experience similar to mine.  Can you tell me with associates with my skills and experience earn in this role?  Is there an established range for this position?"

Interviewer - Will respond one of four ways - 1) With actual information on what others similar to you have earned (if they are smart they will do that in the format of a range), or 2) Will say "I don't know", or 3) "That wasn't my question" (or a variation of this response), or 4) "That's none of your #$&# business" (Just joking, this rarely happens.  If it does, you probably want to move on....)

You - Respond in one of three ways, as outlined below based on your scenario...

1.  You won't take a job below a specific minimum salary.  Once given the info by the interviewer, you provide your minimum as a range (with your minimum the low end of the range), but adjust your minimum upward if the interviewer gives you data that suggests the offer would likely be more than your original minimum (this allows you not to low-ball yourself).  "I'm looking for a salary somewhere between 51K and 61K, depending on the overall opportunity provided by the position and working for your company".   

2.  You are unsure about what salary you can command in the marketplace.  If the interviewer gives you salary data on the job, you should provide a range similar to scenario #1 above with the normal salary provided as the low end of your range. That tells the interviewer they can afford you, but they might have to negotiate a little bit.  If they give you range information, you should provide a range back similar to scenario #1, but the low-end of your range should be the midpoint of the range they quoted you.  Once again, this tells them they can afford you but they may need to negotiate.  If they provide you with no information, provide a range, but make it wider than the scenario provided above, and let the interviewer know that as you learn more about the position, you should be able to narrow that down...

3.  You have a pretty good understanding of what the position should pay - This is a scenario similar to #2, but you have better market data than is present in scenario #2.   Follow the guidance listed in scenario #1.  If the interviewer doesn't provide any data, use your gut to establish a minimum you feel is fair based on your research, but be careful not to eliminate yourself from consideration.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So that's the conversation tree I recommend.  The key with this is skill practice with these talking points and being prepared for this conversation at any time in the hiring process with any employer.  You need to have your 30-second speech ready for your specific scenario, and have a specific response ready whether the interviewer gives you specific salary data, or if they choose not to.    Have fun and be in control!!

 

The Money Trap - When to Talk Comp...

Talking compensation in the interview process is a minefield.  Appear too proactive on the money front, and you'll be DOA in the process, since many of the folks who are involved in the interview process are much more uncomfortable than you (the candidate) taking about the projected salaries... Ask too late (or not at all) and you risk blowing 3-6 hours of your life on an interview process that ultimately delivered an offer that is 70% of your minimum acceptable salary.  What do you do?  Hope for the best?  Hire Bob Sugar (see picture at right) to do the dirty work so you don't have to?

Here's a couple of regular flavors you'll deal with as you talk to companies about money:

A.  The target company will use technology to secure your salary needs - and never talk about it again.

B.  The target company will use tech to secure your salary needs - and engage you on it early in the process (perfect!)

C.  The target company waits until the interview process to ask you about money - then asks you for your needs early, in the middle, or late in the process (or a combination of points).

D.  The target company never asks you about money or shares compensation info on the job.  You're on your own skippy, if you want to know, you'll have to ask (worst case scenario for you, the candidate).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a couple of thoughts about when to talk compensation to make sure you don't blow it on the money front:

1.  Use the application process and technology to tell your target company what you need - Many companies now have online application processes that include questions about your current and required compensation.   Figure out your position on the money issue, and communicate it via this channel.  It's a safe bet to assume companies which ask for this info are reviewing it before they call you - they don't want to waste their time any more than you want to waste yours.

2.  Be ready to answer the money question at any point in the process.  We talk about your 30 second message related to compensation elsewhere on The Career Capitalist, so get your talking points organized and be ready to communicate the message at anytime in a consistent, non-threatening manner.   It's one of several "elevator speeches" you need to have down cold to effectively move forward in any career search mode.

3.  If you pro-actively ask an employer about money, ask early and very late in the process, never in the middle.  If you have to engage the employer and ask about compensation for a position, do it on the first call you get, or late in the process when the next step is a likely offer.   Most companies you would want to work for will run you through a multi-faceted interview process, so don't put off the "influencers" or the "approvers" in the process by asking about money.  Often times these folks are in the process to ensure they can simply work with you, to see if the dialog is comfortable, etc.  Ask the money question and most of them will frame you as driven by money or worse yet, selfish.

 

What's a Slash Career?

Tip of the hat to Deb at 8 Hours and Lunch for making me aware of Marci Alboher's One Person/Multiple Careers, referring to what she calls "slash careers".   Marci's take is that many professionals currently working the single job grind can gain fuller career satisfaction by weaving multiple careers together.  As Deb puts it, the "I'm a training consultant/teacher/writer/photographer" or "I'm a training consultant/Broadway singer".

By putting together these types of Slash Careers, the theory is that you can make a living, but be more satisfied since you will be doing the things that really motivate you from a content standpoint.  I'm going to buy the book, as I think everyone with more than one primary interest in life often thinks of this type of arrangement, which I have also heard framed as the "portfolio career". 

Of course you still have to pay the bills.  With this in mind, there is never a better time to start a slash career than when you are fully employed.  Doing the side gig allows you to experiment with limited risk, and also allows you the freedom to volunteer your services in the targeted slash area to build a portfolio and gain experience in the area.

Check out the blog for the book here, and keep the concept in mind - their are a million possibilities and combinations - you just have to find the right one for you....

Remainder of Mark Cuban Series - Success and Motivation

Here's the rest of the Mark Cuban series - if you haven't read these before on BlogMaverick, they are worth your time, trust me...

Success & Motivation Part 2   Mark's first job in Dallas, lessons learned and teaching himself how to use a PC

Success & Motivation Part 3   Fired - and ready to start MicroSolutions

Success & Motivation Part 4   Some early lessons learned

Getting Started In Your Career - Mark Cuban Style...

An oldie, but a goodie - Mark Cuban remembers getting started in his career - which ultimately resulted in him selling Broadcast.com for 4 Billion (that's Billion, not Million) Dollars.....

http://www.blogmaverick.com/2004/04/23/success-and-motivation-part-1/