by Angela Copeland | Jun 25, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Negotiating, Negotiation, Newsletter, Salary, Salary Negotiation
Have you ever been asked, “How much do you make?” in a job interview? This question usually shows up during the first phone call.
You’ve applied online. The HR manager calls you. The conversation seems normal at first. They ask, “Why did you apply for this job?” and “Tell me about yourself.” The all of the sudden, bam! “How much do you make?” Or, they may try, “How much have you made in the past?”
These questions are tough, and they have more of an influence on your future than you may think. Whether you’re currently underpaid or overpaid, answering this question wrong can completely eliminate you from consideration. And, answering too low can also put you at a disadvantage.
A number of states and cities have started to reduce or eliminate this question altogether. In 2017, Delaware and New York City banned employers from asking about salary history. In January 2018, California banned questions around a candidate’s pay history. In July 2018, Massachusetts will join suit. In 2019, Oregon will ban employers from asking. New Orleans and Pittsburgh are also implementing this rule on city agencies.
It may not be clear right away what’s wrong with this question. Many companies think of it as finding out if the person fits into their budget.
But, the problem is this. If someone has ever been underpaid for any reason, including discrimination or just an unfortunate circumstance, that person will likely always be underpaid going forward. Asking the question, “How much do you make?” ensures that your future salary is based on your current salary.
But, what if you’re switching between industries and one pays much higher salaries? What if you’re switching between a higher education job and a corporate job? What if you’re moving from an inexpensive city in the middle of the country, to a pricey city on the coast?
Once you’re behind in salary negotiations, you will likely always be behind. Unless you’re protected by a rule that bans the question completely. Banning it puts the responsibility back onto the company to decide what a particular role is worth to them. It forces the company to pay employees more fairly, based on the work they produce – rather than their negotiation abilities.
If you find yourself being asked this question, do your homework. Before you’re asked how much you make, know the response you want to give. The less you need the job, the riskier you can be with your answer. I often advise job seekers to ask the company if they would feel comfortable to share their pay range with you. This allows the company to share their salary instead. Alternatively, you can offer your target range. But, base this range on data. Scour websites like Glassdoor.com for as much salary information as you can find about your job.
Pushing back on this question helps guarantee that everyone will be paid more fairly going forward.
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 19, 2018 | Happiness, Podcast, Purpose, Success
Episode 173 is live! This week, we talk with Dr. Prasad Kaipa in San Francisco, CA.
Prasad a CEO Coach and Advisor. He’s also the author of the book From Smart To Wise. His lifelong passion has been to ignite the genius within. He’s also taught executive education for academic institutions, including USC, Dartmouth, and the London Business School.
On today’s episode, Prasad shares:
- What you can do if you’re failing to reach your full potential
- How to find your noble purpose
- How changes in your personal life may impact your professional life
- Why you should stop obsessing about success and what to do instead
- Why happiness is so important and how to find it
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Prasad’s work, visit his website at http://www.prasadkaipa.com/. You can also follow him on Twitter at @pkaipa.
Thank YOU for listening! Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other listeners to find — and to get great free job search advice!
by Angela Copeland | Jun 18, 2018 | Career Corner Column, College, College Graduation, First Job, Newsletter
The summer is an exciting time for young job seekers. A new group of graduates has just been minted and are searching for their first full-time job. But, there are many pitfalls you may encounter along the way. Here are a few suggestions to help you in your search.
Don’t let your parents get involved in your job search. At the most, your parents should be providing you one-on-one guidance from the comfort of your home. Beyond that, it’s too much. Mom or dad should not be applying to jobs for you. They should not be perfecting your resume. They should not be editing your LinkedIn profile. They should not attend an interview with you. And, they definitely should not ever negotiate your salary for you. I get it. Your parents have been there and done that. But, in the professional world, getting your parents involved in a major faux pas. If you want to find a job, now is the time to talk to your parents. If an employer gets even a whiff of them through the interview process, it’s likely that you will be tossed out of the candidate pool.
Sharpen your online image. Employers will look at more than your resume. Right or wrong, they will look at your social media. Get in there and be sure you would be comfortable with the content. Reduce posts that focus on anything that might be considered controversial.
Perfect your phone skills. I can’t tell you how often a future employer has said to me, “Wow. I wish the candidate would learn how to answer their phone.” If you’re applying for jobs, you may get calls from phone numbers you don’t recognize. Answer in a polite, pleasant way that uses your name. An uncomfortable, “Hello?” is no way to begin a conversation with your future boss.
Be on time. When you’re early in your career, your real world experience is still slim. But, there’s one thing you can easily do: show up on time.
Once you’ve landed your perfect job, don’t start hinting that you want more money. The time to negotiate was before you started. Once you’re there, you’ve agreed to work for what they’re paying you. Nobody is planning to pay you more just because you’re the smartest, fastest, or best at the job you were hired to do.
Don’t expect a promotion every one to two years. I wish it worked this way, but it just doesn’t. Working your way up the ladder takes time. Promotions often happen when your level of responsibility has changed. Perhaps you’ve started to manage a team. Or, maybe your job includes a new area that it didn’t before.
Early on, your job is primarily about learning and growing. Take the time to learn as much as you can. Give back to the organization. In the long term, this will result in both a fruitful and successful journey.
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 12, 2018 | Autism, Neurodiversity, Podcast
Episode 172 is live! This week, we talk with Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham in Houston, TX.
Heidi is the CEO and Founder of Spectrum Fusion, a charitable organization dedicated to improving the possibilities of those with autism. She also collaborates with the Baker Institute School of Social Science and the Jones Business School at Rice University.
On today’s episode, Heidi shares:
- What is meant by the term “neurodiversity”
- The biggest job seeking challenge professionals on the autism spectrum face
- How parents can help their adult children who are looking for a job
- Where to get support for autism and job searching
- The strengths those with autism bring to the workplace
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Heidi’s work, visit her website at www.spectrumfusion.org. You can also follow her on Twitter at @Spectrum_Fusion.
Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts! When you subscribe, it helps to make the show easier for other listeners to find — and to get great job search advice!
by Angela Copeland | Jun 11, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Networking, Newsletter
The story I’m about to share is very common. A job seeker recently came to me with a problem. They’d been looking everywhere for the right job. Finally, they found it. It was just what they were looking for, and their skills were a perfect match. Even better, a close friend should be able to be their advocate. It seemed to be a slam dunk opportunity, but then, something went wrong. The close friend didn’t follow through. They really let the job seeker down. It was terribly confusing and disheartening.
Have you ever had this happen? It can feel surprising how unhelpful people can be when they’re the ones you really count on.
In reality, the people who will help you to land a job are rarely the ones you’d expect. People who help out are very often random people you don’t think about very much. They’re what’s called a “weak tie” or a loose connection. These are people who are different than you. They’re tapped into different social networks than you are, and they know about different opportunities.
Tanya Menon describes the concept of weak ties in her TEDx Talk. In it, she states that, “weak ties are your ticket to a whole new social world.” And, it’s true. If you think of who your close friends are, they’re often people who are very similar to you. They may be the same nationality, the same gender, and they very likely have the same political and religious views that you do.
By opening yourself up to people who are different than you, you’re unlocking a world of possibilities. You’re creating a new network that may help you to tune into new opportunities, or may happen to have a connection to the job you’re most interested in. The impact of weak ties is truly exponential.
You may wonder how you can expand your network. In all honesty, it can be tricky at first. In her talk, Menon suggests taking a different route to do common things at work, such as getting coffee. Something like this can be very simple, but it can create a big impact.
I strongly believe in this idea. So much so that I have taken it to an extreme from time to time. I once took a salsa dancing class in Stockholm, Sweden. I also attended a hackathon in Sydney, Australia. It’s a weekend when technology professionals come together to create new products.
You would be amazed at how many new connections you can make when you do something so unusual. I’m certain I met no tourists in Stockholm or Sydney. The participants were all locals and I learned so much that I would have never been exposed to.
In this time of opposing views, take a moment to get to know someone who’s a bit different than you. You may find that you have more in common than you would have imagined.
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
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