Job Offers Are Like Buses

by Angela Copeland | Sep 17, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Newsletter

The title of my column today may sound a bit confusing. It comes from one of my own mentors. Years ago, when I was finishing graduate school in California, I spent a significant amount of time searching for the right job. I would go to job fairs and networking events as if it were my full-time job. I would interview for anything and everything.

Occasionally, a job would pop up that would seem almost right. It would have a great job description. The company seemed stable. The team seemed interesting. But, there was something about the hiring manager that was off – or perhaps the company wasn’t offering a competitive salary.

I would meet with my mentor to tell him about all of the jobs I was considering, and to discuss the pros and cons of each. If a job seemed like the wrong fit, he would encourage me to walk away. The thought of turning down an offer without another in hand was nerve-wracking. My mentor would then remind me, “Jobs are like buses. Just wait; another one is always coming.” The keyword here is always.

He felt it was more important to find the right fit, instead of hoping you could take every job that came along. Looking back, these were wise words. Who else in your life do you spend as much time with as your boss and co-workers? For most, the answer is your spouse. You typically don’t choose to marry your first girlfriend or boyfriend. Why would you expect that at work?

Often, we want to take every job when we’re feeling desperate. We’re miserable in our current position and we think that anything would be better – even if it were just for a short time.

The problem with this strategy is complex. First, your next job may have just as many problems are your current job, if not more. As the saying goes, sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don’t.

More importantly though, planning to take a job for a short time forces you to explain why you’re looking for a new job just after accepting one. This means that you’ll be explaining all the dirt on your old company, including the ways that you didn’t get along with your boss or co-workers.

When you choose to wait and to select the right job, you’ll find yourself there for more than just a short time. While you’re interviewing, you’ll be able to focus on the positives of what you want in the future rather than the negatives from the past. Whether it comes to interviewing or negotiating your offer, focusing on the positive puts you in a much stronger position.

When you’re having a tough day, just try to remember that jobs are like buses. Just wait. Another one is always coming, and you want to be sure you get on the right one.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

The Illegal Question in the Room

by Angela Copeland | Sep 10, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Newsletter

The title of this column is a reference to the big elephant in the room. It’s that thing that everybody knows, but nobody is talking about. I’d like to talk about it a little today: illegal job interview questions.

Did you know that in 2018, people are still being asked illegal questions in job interviews? They are. It’s happening.

I’ve wondered how this could be the case. My best guess is this. Illegal questions seem obvious from the outside. Rarely do hiring managers get trained on how to properly interview candidates. Interviewing seems like something we should all know how to do if we’re hiring. Human resources folks know the illegal questions, but the questions seem so obvious that it probably seems pointless to review the questions with hiring managers. But, sadly, it seems we really need to. Interviewing isn’t a skill we’re all born with, and as hiring managers, we may not really think about what we should or shouldn’t say.

A few of the basics we should all avoid include: religion, pregnancy status, disability, age, citizenship, race, marital status, or number of children. In certain states and cities, it’s also illegal to ask how much money someone has made at a previous job. The elimination of these questions helps everyone to avoid discrimination. It also helps us to focus in on what we’re really there for: the job search. Can this candidate do the job?

If you haven’t been asked an illegal question before, I’m glad. I have personally been asked about whether or not I’m married, if I have children, if I plan to have any children soon, and how old I am. It sounds more like I was interviewing to go on a date than to get a job. Don’t you think?

If you’re asked something along these lines, it can be hard to know what to say. If you answer, you may be discriminated against and not hired. If you make a fuss and don’t answer, you definitely won’t be hired.

One interview coach shared with me that he likes to reply with something snappy. If a candidate is asked, “Do you have children?” he suggests responding with something like, “What I think you’re trying to ask is if I can do the job – and I’m totally up for it!”

While I do agree that this technique can be effective, there’s something bigger at play. Do you really want to work for someone who would ask you illegal questions? Do you want to work with someone who is judging you in this way?

I’ll be honest. When I’m asked illegal questions, I answer them. I answer them in a kind and friendly way. Then, I make a mental note about the question and about the hiring manager. I know that anyone who asks questions like this isn’t someone that I’d want to work for. So, my answer doesn’t really matter.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Sitting In Judgement

by Angela Copeland | Sep 3, 2018 | Career Corner Column, Newsletter

If you’re looking for a new job and if you’re actively interviewing, I want to encourage you to hang in there. It’s going to work out. I’m sure of it. Job searching is like dating. It’s really tough until you find “the one.” And, it just takes one. You only need one good job to change your current situation.

But, in the meantime, it’s painful. It’s really, extra painful. I get it. I’m starting to think some hiring managers haven’t been watching the news lately. They haven’t heard that the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in seventeen years. There are no longer enough talented people to go around. The job market has shifted back to the favor of the job seeker.

Some of the questions and demands the hiring manager will ask may come across as demeaning or disrespectful. Some may even be illegal. I’ve been asked my marital status, my age, and whether or not I have children in job interviews. No kidding.

It’s hard to say that you should always keep a positive attitude when job searching – especially when you’re going through it. But, the truth is, keeping it positive is the only way you’re going to find your way to the right job opportunity.

My hope is that sometime soon, all hiring managers will wake up to the fact that the job market has changed. The job seeker is evaluating them too. And, job seekers are not just products to be bought. They’re real people with real feelings and their own opinions.

Either way, don’t let the bad hiring managers get to you. Or, try not to. Because you do want to be ready with a positive attitude when the right hiring manager comes along. You can’t let those who are rude get into your mind. You have to remember who you are and all the great things you bring to the table.

The right hiring manager won’t simply sit in judgement. They’ll ask you solid, relevant questions. They’ll talk to you with respect. They’ll be prepared. And, they’ll take into consideration that you’re evaluating them too. They’ll ask if you have questions, and they’ll give you thoughtful answers back.

The right hiring manager will value you. They’ll give you an appropriate title, and a fair amount of money. They want to hire someone good and they’re willing to pay for it. The right hiring manager will build you up, not tear you down.

The right hiring manager is out there. Pushing yourself to keep your head up will ensure that you’re in the right space when   you meet them.

And, to the hiring managers out there: The market has shifted. Talent is scarce. Treat candidates the way you’d want to be treated. Even if they aren’t the perfect fit, be respectful. You may need the job seeker one day. You may want them to work for you.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach