I gave an interview the other day to Daryl Hannah of Diversity Inc with some advice for those negotiating a job offer.  Here’s the piece he wrote.

TAGS: Interview skills, negotiating pay, Women and Money

If you’re thinking about changing jobs, don’t jump from the frying pan into the fire.  Check out Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 best companies to work and see the percentage of women working at each. 

TAGS: Best companies to work, career change, Fortune magazine

I received a wonderfully inspiring letter from a reader that I want to share with you:

For the past two years, I’d been working for a Fortune 500 company as a demonstration coordinator.  I loved what I did and discovered a true delight in working with customers and organizing in-store events.   However, when a new store manager was promoted, things at that location rapidly went downhill.  After a few months, no matter what I did, I was criticized up one side and down the other. For a company that boasts about their ”appreciation of team members”, praise was few and far between for anyone at that location.    

• Be a role model for your daughters.  Ask yourself if you would want them to be treated the way you’re being treated at work. 
• Know when it’s time to vote with your feet.  If you’ve tried to turn around a difficult situation and it isn’t working, don’t remain a victim.  Your self-esteem and self-confidence will only suffer.
• Advertise yourself.  I love that this woman created a presentation to sell herself into a job that didn’t even exist!  Go the extra mile and potential employers will see how you add value.
• Be open, creative, and take risks.  The writer found her next job by simply talking to people at a shop she frequented.  Be alert to the opportunities around you.
• Ask.  As this writer found out, nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Don’t talk yourself out of a job before you even ask. 

TAGS: Job Search, job transitions, Leaving a bad boss or a job you hate

Maureen Dowd’s NY Times column on Sunday veered away from her usual wickedly withering political commentary  - instead, she interviewed Father Pat O’Connor, a 79 year old Catholic priest about how to recognize a potentially problematic husband before you marry him. 

It occurred to me how much of Father O’Connor’s sage advice applied to making a decision about whether to take a new job.  He notes that it is important for young people to hear his thoughts before they fall seriously in love because once they fall in love, it’s too late.  “Infatuation trumps judgment.”  So too for job seekers - do your due diligence before you get seduced by the job title, the money or the career possibilities it might lead to - by then, you’re too emotionally invested. (more…)

TAGS: career change, career derailment, careers, Job Search, Marriage, Maureen Dowd

While the food at the Chinese take-out restaurant we’ve been patronizing lately isn’t all that great, their fortune cookies are terrific.  My fortune the other night:

Doing what you like is freedom.  Liking what you do is happiness.

This bit of philosophy made me think of how very important it is to periodically reflect upon how happy you are with the work you do.  Of course, we all have bad days but, overall, you should be able to say that you enjoy the work you do - that, yes, it makes you happy.

If you can’t, perhaps it is a good time to figure out why - and then to change the situation.  Sometimes, you can negotiate for things that will increase your satisfaction, for example, a more challenging assignment or more resources to get the job done.  Or, if the problem is deeper, perhaps it’s time to make a different employment decision…

The main thing to keep in mind is that your career satisfaction matters most to you - nobody else, except perhaps your mom, cares that much.  Don’t let yourself down!

TAGS: career change, career goals, dealing with family expectations, Gratefulness, Leaving a bad boss or a job you hate, negotiation skills, personal brand building, personal development, ways to work healthy

A young woman called the other day and asked how to handle being suddenly ”laid off.”  I asked a few questions about the size of the company, how many other people were laid off, etc.  As it turns out, she was the only one let go.  Listen up, girlfriends.  When only one person is laid off it’s not a lay-off — it’s a termination.  Weak, incompetent bosses who don’t have the guts to do their jobs by giving feedback to employees for how they can improve performance often use the euphemism laid off when they really mean fired.  If you find yourself in this situation, here’s what you do:

1.  Ask yourself how you missed the clues leading up to this.  Were you given subtle feedback that you ignored?  Did you not take your boss seriously when he or she told you to do a few things differently?  Did you not take time to build relationships with people who might have been honest with you about your performance?  Being fired should never come as a surprise if you are vigilant about the verbal and nonverbal messages being conveyed all the time in the workplace.
2. Ask the boss or HR for feedback.  Without being argumentative or defensive, simply ask for feedback that would help you to avoid being in this situation in the future.  Cowardly bosses won’t be honest but with any luck you might get some good insights to work on at the next job.
3. Negotiate.  It’s easier to find a job when you have a job, so see if you can negotiate to keep your office for a finite period of time or be given a workspace from which to conduct your job search.  Ask the company  to keep you on the payroll until you’ve used up vacation time, PTO, or sick time. This way you can legitimately say you are currently employed.  Similarly, negotiate a severence package that includes extended health insurance and other benefits.  If needed, hire a good labor lawyer to help you with this. 
4. Remember that job search is a numbers game.  There’s something called the “Rule of 21″ in job search.  For every 21 contacts you make you’ll get one positive response (not necessarily an offer but perhaps an interview or request for more information).  This means you need to cast your net wide and call in any favors that might be due to you.
5. Don’t look for a good job, look for a good fit.  Many times people are let go because they don’t quite fit in.  It could have nothing to do with your capability and everything to do with the fact that you don’t go out for drinks after work with the rest of the crowd.  Interview the interviewers by asking questions that give you a feel for how good a match you are for the company and vice versa. 

TAGS: Job Search, job transitions, lay-offs, managing your career, termination

I’ve often thought it odd that people seem to be more reluctant to talk about their income than their sex lives-but that may be changing.  The NY Times reported yesterday that young people are more likely to share information about salary information (see Not-So-Personal Finance).  This trend is good news for women; the more women know about what others are making, the more likely they are to ask for what they are worth.

As you may know, the gender gap in pay affects not only older women but younger women as well.  For example, starting salaries of men with MBAs are 7.6% higher than those for women. Only 7% of women, but 57% of men asked for more money; those who negotiated increased starting salaries by 7.4%.

One of the things that makes the difference for women is good information.  So, keep up the sharing!

TAGS: differences between women and men, Fairness at work, financial planning, gaining confidence, negotiating pay, negotiation skills, Pay Disparity, Women at Work, women's equality

Cynthia Shapiro sent me a copy of her latest book, What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here? 44 Insider Secrets that Will Get You Hired. Much like her last book, Corporate Confidential, it provides practical advice to help you get the job of your dreams.  Here are just a few of her tips:

• Cover letters can cause immediate exclusion.  If they’re not well-written the hiring manager won’t even look at the resume.
• Professional references are a waste of time.  The law prevents previous bosses or employers from revealing much about you.
• There is a “type” who always gets the offer.  That type is usually someone most like the hiring manager. 

If you’re in the market for a new job I’d say this book is more than worth the $14.95 cover price (less on amazon.com)  and definitely worth taking the time to read. 

TAGS: Cynthia Shapiro, Interview skills, Job Search

Last week, I gave a talk at the Atlanta Women’s Network Women Up 2008 event. The timing was in conjunction with International Women’s Day (March 8). They asked me to provide 3 key words about
negotiation that would coordinate with their principles:

“I am able.”

For this, I suggested the word, “authenticity”.

When you negotiate with people with whom you have an ongoing relationship, be authentic.  Be real.  Be yourself.

Authenticity makes you able.

“I have the tools.”

Here, the word is “preparation”.  Successful negotiators spend time planning.  They just don’t to wing it. The right  preparation makes all the difference between success and failure.

“I will shape the future.”

For this most important principle, I offered the word “proactive” .  You must proactively negotiate for what you want; you can’t just hope for it.

You will shape the future, not only for yourself but for others as well when you negotiate what you want and deserve.

TAGS: negotiating pay, Self-trust, women and power, women leaders

Penelope Trunk advised last week that you should never answer the question, “What’s your salary range?” 

I disagree; it depends on when the question comes and who asks it. In fact, there is a lot of research that suggests “anchoring” is an effective way to begin a negotiation.

If you have already convinced the questioner that you have the skills and experience for the position, there is no harm at all in being clear about what you expect vis a vis compensation. Remember, you can’t get what you are worth if you aren’t willing to ask for it.

But you won’t know what the right range is if you haven’t done your homework.  What is the fair market value for the job?  Consider the industry, the geography and the company. 

There is a wealth of information on salaries available on the Internet (check out sites like www.thevault.com; you can learn even more through social networking sites (see www.linkedin.com, for example).

In fact, one of the best ways to assess whether the position is a good fit for you is to talk about the salary range early.  If what they are paying is too low, the job is probably not what you think it is.

TAGS: career goals, disconnects, negotiating pay