As you may know after my last post, salary/compensation negotiations are always pretty difficult with a position that you really want! You don’t want to run the risk of scaring off a potential employer, but need to feel that your compensation is equivalent to your worth.
However, what about all those other nice little perks that give a position it’s silver lining? Healthcare, Profit Sharing, Retirement funds, Vacation time… etc. All these things can be added incentives that may influence one’s decision to select one job/company over another. Or do they?
Question:
While my job search continues into May, I am evaluating each potential company and job offer with extreme detail. The people, the company, the history, the values, the mission, and the purpose. If all of those things align with my own, does it ultimately come down to the fringe benefits of a job?
I tried to complete this nice little worksheet that Google provided me, but I guess I am not as smart as a 5th grader. It seems that this decision can’t be decided by a formula… hrrmph.
Shout outs to:
1. Daytime TV- for motivating me to get back in the work force, so I don’t have to watch any more of these ridiculous shows.
2. Vintage Rollover minutes- allowing me to chat it up more than usual without paying ridiculous amounts for overages.
One of the most challenging questions when searching for a job is answering the dreaded, “What are your salary requirements?” question. It’s like 3 card solitaire; it is so tricky!
You don’t want to over-shoot the mark, for fear of self elimination from a viable job candidate. However, you also want to let your interviewer know that:
You think highly enough of yourself to warrant an appropriate compensation for your skills
You understand your worth VS the job’s ROI to the organization
There may be room to grow with that number, based on performance
There is a fine, fine line between overstepping your boundaries/expectations OR selling yourself short of your worth. In a market where jobs are scarce and candidates are plentiful, do you lower your requirements for compensation? If so, should you voice that to your potential employer?
When companies are throwing around terms like “leaning out” and “domestically realigning,” this can be quite a hurdle to overcome without shooting yourself in the foot…so to speak.
After being asked this question by multiple parties at various job interviews, I continue to believe that honesty is the best policy (as usual). My answers usually oscillate between a blunt compensation number or parameters of specific compensation range. I try not to patronize the question. I tend to answer with a confident, but understanding tone.
I like to relate this delivery style to a personal trainer asking what you ate today.
You: “Well, I ate pretty good…but I had a cookie after lunch today.” Personal Trainer: (look of support, but empathy for your situation) “Ok, we can deal with that. Let’s get started because we have a lot of work to do.”
You: “Good…because I can’t take back eating that cookie and it was so delish that it was worth it!”
At least that’s how I like to picture it in my head. Now, as to how the other party/interviewer sees this scenario playing out is still TBA. I just continue to hope that after having multiple job offers, I am able to find a nice mix between compensation that reflects my worth, a passion for the organization and position, as well as a healthy verbal appreciation by my potential employer.
Question:
Shout outs to:
1. The Jimmy Buffet Bus Driver: for making me believe once again in Karma and the goodness of people. He returned my iPhone, hallelujah!
2. Mexico: for making the USA look like we are having “good times.”
3. Ryan Coffey: for continually going out of his way to help me.
Thirteen days into the job search and I am still unemployed, by choice thus far. I thought about charging for autographs on the newspaper, but then no one asked. So that option was out pretty quick.
Even my Dad wasn’t even all that pumped. I sent him the link and all I got back was a reply email saying,
“Brit good article I am impressed……….love you DAD”
Literally, that was it. No phone call or questioning. Nothing. I hope I am still in the will.
Not pumped by my "fame"...
Now my Mom on the other hand, kept calling me throughout the day to see if Good Morning America had contacted me about an interview yet. lol. She doesn’t get it, but it’s sweet. Then she asked if I could “twitter” them, to show them the article. Hey, she understands better than a lot of Marketing Depts. Redemption.
She hates this pic, but I just love it!
So I guess I should answer some questions that continue to arise:
1. How did you get that article published?!?!?
Hm.. well I wish I had that much pull. Fortunately for me, I had a couple people looking out (::cough cough:: @sterlingrafael @elizabethb) after hearing that Etan was writing an article on people losing their jobs and promoting it through social media. Enter: stage right… Moi. After some questioning and a photographer who came out to my house to snap those awful pics, I made my debut. Mind you, I had no idea that it would be a front page article…
2. Why do you have that many Facebook/Twitter “friends”?
Great question. At just under 1,300 facebook friends and 900ish twitter followers, one might wonder such a thing. Well, let me preface this answer by saying that I have been using Facebook religiously since 2003. This was back when it was only for college students and revolved mainly around posting your drunk pics from the weekend before (not that much has changed since…). Not many people (if any) fully understood the consequences of social media and being selective about who to accept as a “friend.”
Anyway, fast forward to 2009. I don’t think I have ever deleted anyone from my friend list, unless for valid reasons (see: ex-boyfriends). I would actually venture to say that I have met, in person, upwards of 85% of those who are on my friend list. Not impossible to image over the period of 5 years. You do the math.
It never struck me though, until having been through this little unemployment phase, that those friends would be so helpful/useful in finding a new dream job. (I could go on a tangent here about how there are 2 kinds of Facebook users, literal VS networker. I will save that for another post.)
Oh also, I used both Facebook and Twitter a lot for my previous job. Sounds weird, I know.
3. Do you have a job yet?!?!
No. See the first line of this post. However, I have had 2 offers and a total of 8 interviews so far, all with follow-ups. There are others in the works. Recession, what? I feel really fortunate to have the ability to be selective about where my next job will be. I think its a powerful thing when you can find a fit for both you and the company. Everyone is happy.
Finally, I think that there have been many opportunities to come out of this write up about me and my lack of a day job. I will say though, it has stirred up quite the hater groups. I never took into consideration that any publicity comes with both good and bad consequences. Silly me, I should know better.
Question:
Shout outs to:
1. Shannon: for dragging my butt to the gym tonight.
2. Parrot Heads: thanks for the awesome tailgate and concert this weekend, in advance.
3. My Aunt Renee: for being my first Gen X family member on Facebook. w00t w00t!
What'cha thinkin?