Wednesday, June 11, 2008
So you want to be a consultant ...?
Sometimes I find something so good that the best way to deal with it is simply to link to. The attached article is well written and full of good advice. So you want to be a consultant ... ? Forwarned, it is longer than most blog posts.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Retirement?
A friend of mine says you are ready for retirement when the perks are no longer a critical part of your consideration about a new job. I think he has a point.
Two perks drop out early. One is vacations unless you have a very generous vacation allowance. If you are going to do the kind of travel most of us plan for our retirement, a couple of weeks just isn't enough. It takes almost that long to get over jet lag. We have a lot of flexibility about when we travel and frankly the "off seasons" are cheaper and you get better service. We learned that when the kids went off to school. We want to be away longer when we retire. The other class of perks that falls off the negotiating table is anything that requires some sort of continuous employment before you can connect.
Some training makes sense but most of it will not provide a significant return to you our your employer for long enough to make a difference. And at some point you may qualify for Medicare and some health insurance would be nice but it is no longer the perk it was.
My experience suggests that as difficult as it is for us to consider the changes that will be required by retirement, the HR department is finding it even more difficult to think about. Part of the reason I am writing this blog is to network to explore some of these issues for myself and others. Please feel free to leave a comment in the space below.
Two perks drop out early. One is vacations unless you have a very generous vacation allowance. If you are going to do the kind of travel most of us plan for our retirement, a couple of weeks just isn't enough. It takes almost that long to get over jet lag. We have a lot of flexibility about when we travel and frankly the "off seasons" are cheaper and you get better service. We learned that when the kids went off to school. We want to be away longer when we retire. The other class of perks that falls off the negotiating table is anything that requires some sort of continuous employment before you can connect.
Some training makes sense but most of it will not provide a significant return to you our your employer for long enough to make a difference. And at some point you may qualify for Medicare and some health insurance would be nice but it is no longer the perk it was.
My experience suggests that as difficult as it is for us to consider the changes that will be required by retirement, the HR department is finding it even more difficult to think about. Part of the reason I am writing this blog is to network to explore some of these issues for myself and others. Please feel free to leave a comment in the space below.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Recruiters
If you have a good contact in a company you may be ushered in through the front door. Otherwise you will encounter an outside recruiter or an in-house recruiter. Sometimes the outside recruiter will screen you and hand you off to an in-house recruiter. You need these people, treat them well.
Remember their first loyalty is to the hiring company. That is who will pay them, either a commission, retainer or salary. Their obligation is to deliver a select few final candidates. They do not work for you. That doesn't mean you can't get them to give you extra attention.
When you find a job get as much information as you can. If the job description has a list of must have skills or experience, be sure those are included in your resume if you have them. If there is a list of preferred skills and experience try to include them or point out that you have similar skills and experience, perhaps with a similar tool.
My resume has an introductory paragraph. If I need to add or highlight something, I add a second paragraph with and Italic title embedded in the first line of the first paragraph: Specific to this assignment: My experience is that most recruiters do not forward covering letters. Partly, because they remove most of your identifying information to maintain control. I assume my resume has to stand on its own. It doesn't take any longer to embedd an additional paragraph in a resume than it does to put it in a cover letter.
Add a cover letter that will help the recruiter. This is where I put my availability. I usually express it as, "Recently completed an assignment and available immediately." US citizen (If you are.) If you know where the job is and it is a good commute for you, add that. Anything positive you can say shows greater interest on your part. If you want them to call you at some range of times, add that, e.g., Tuesday through Thursday mornings is the best time to call.
Always answer the phone with a positive tone of voice. You never get a second change to make a good first impression. It may surprise your friends, but they will get over it. If it is a recruiter it lets them know you are open for communication. If this is not a good time, quickly make other arrangements to call them or have them call you.
Conversations with recruiters are a two way sales job. You want to assure the recruiter that you are the best person for this job. The recruiter wants you to be excited about this job or, if you are not, to say so. They have lots of work to do and do not want to spend much time selling you. On the other hand, if you are a good fit, they want to get you into the client as quickly as they can. Be straight. If you get in front of the client and are not qualified, both of you will look incompetent. Any good recruiter has more than one job now or in the near future. If the client says, "We really liked this guy but the other candidate had a stronger skill, etc.," the recruiter knows they will have another chance with that client. Help them, they will help you.
Offer to help them. Ask if there is any more information you can provide. Offer to rewrite part of your resume if there is something they think will make it stronger. They see more resumes and more client reactions than you do. Call them occasionally. Don't be a pest, but show that you are interested. Ask if there is anything you can do every time you call.
If they arrange a telephone or in person interview do everything you can to make yourself available. Be a little early to an interview. Be ready a few minutes early for a phone interview. There is lots of advice on interview techniques. Be prepared and be calm -- no matter how badly you want the job.
Remember their first loyalty is to the hiring company. That is who will pay them, either a commission, retainer or salary. Their obligation is to deliver a select few final candidates. They do not work for you. That doesn't mean you can't get them to give you extra attention.
When you find a job get as much information as you can. If the job description has a list of must have skills or experience, be sure those are included in your resume if you have them. If there is a list of preferred skills and experience try to include them or point out that you have similar skills and experience, perhaps with a similar tool.
My resume has an introductory paragraph. If I need to add or highlight something, I add a second paragraph with and Italic title embedded in the first line of the first paragraph: Specific to this assignment: My experience is that most recruiters do not forward covering letters. Partly, because they remove most of your identifying information to maintain control. I assume my resume has to stand on its own. It doesn't take any longer to embedd an additional paragraph in a resume than it does to put it in a cover letter.
Add a cover letter that will help the recruiter. This is where I put my availability. I usually express it as, "Recently completed an assignment and available immediately." US citizen (If you are.) If you know where the job is and it is a good commute for you, add that. Anything positive you can say shows greater interest on your part. If you want them to call you at some range of times, add that, e.g., Tuesday through Thursday mornings is the best time to call.
Always answer the phone with a positive tone of voice. You never get a second change to make a good first impression. It may surprise your friends, but they will get over it. If it is a recruiter it lets them know you are open for communication. If this is not a good time, quickly make other arrangements to call them or have them call you.
Conversations with recruiters are a two way sales job. You want to assure the recruiter that you are the best person for this job. The recruiter wants you to be excited about this job or, if you are not, to say so. They have lots of work to do and do not want to spend much time selling you. On the other hand, if you are a good fit, they want to get you into the client as quickly as they can. Be straight. If you get in front of the client and are not qualified, both of you will look incompetent. Any good recruiter has more than one job now or in the near future. If the client says, "We really liked this guy but the other candidate had a stronger skill, etc.," the recruiter knows they will have another chance with that client. Help them, they will help you.
Offer to help them. Ask if there is any more information you can provide. Offer to rewrite part of your resume if there is something they think will make it stronger. They see more resumes and more client reactions than you do. Call them occasionally. Don't be a pest, but show that you are interested. Ask if there is anything you can do every time you call.
If they arrange a telephone or in person interview do everything you can to make yourself available. Be a little early to an interview. Be ready a few minutes early for a phone interview. There is lots of advice on interview techniques. Be prepared and be calm -- no matter how badly you want the job.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
