109 | Association of IT Professionals – Interview with Bill Schankel, Executive Director of AITP, in Mt. Laurel, NJ
Episode 109 is live! This week, we talk with Bill Schankel in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Bill is the Executive Director of the Association of Information Technology Professionals where he is responsible for strategy, governance support, and financial oversight. AITP seeks to advance the IT Profession through professional development, support of IT education, and national policies on IT that improve society as a whole.
On today’s episode, Bill shares his tips on the challenges IT professionals face today, skills professionals need beyond tech, and how to stand out during a job search.
Listen and learn more!
Thank you to those who sent me questions! You can send your questions to Angela(at)CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m at @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I’m Copeland Coaching. Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review.
Featured Job: VP, Technology @ Disney
The Walt Disney Company is seeking a VP, Technology – HR Strategy Lab in Burbank, CA.
This leader will report directly to the SVP, Disney Human Resources Strategy and will have dual report to the EVP Enterprise Technology/CIO to both enable and ensure strategic technology alignment. The Strategy Lab is a new organization that leads the development, integration and activation of Disney’s companywide HR strategy. It will effectively and efficiently generate new ideas that will be implemented across the company and will lead HR’s technology, employee insights and communications strategies. The integration of strategy development and enablement/activation will be critical as HR meets the needs of Disney’s business in a faster, more efficient, more consumer-like manner.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Disney website.
Featured Job: VP @ Bank of America
Bank of America Merchant Services is seeking a VP of Implementation and Service Manager – Large Corporate in Atlanta, GA.
Bank of America Merchant Services is looking for a Large Corporate Implementation & Service Manager. The Implementation and Service Manager is responsible for serving as the point of contact for clients and Business Consultants for operational service support. In this role they are accountable for ownership of issue resolution and escalation handling within their assigned portfolios. The Implementation and Service Manager communicates any operational messages and identifies, analyzes and recommends improvements to the client’s processing environment. This role applies knowledge of stated contractual terms and commitments to ensure compliance and service level agreements are met. Additionally, the Implementation and Service Manager is responsible for implementation and project ownership. This position is responsible for, ensuring appropriate follow-up communications with internal and external stakeholders, and collaborating with others to meet the processing requirements of each client.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Bank of America website.
Is it possibly to double your salary?
I saw an article last week that really got me thinking. It was all about this concept of doubling your salary. One of the top complaints of unhappy employees is money. They want to make more. They want to be paid fairly. And, who can blame them? With the two to three percent annual raises out there today, it’s impossible to keep up!
In fact, Forbes has argued that employees who stay at a job more than two years make 50% less than those who don’t — over the lifetime of their careers. Isn’t that nuts? The sad reality is, it’s true. It’s an unusual situation when an employee is appropriately rewarded for staying with a company. Even when they receive a raise, it’s typically small compared to what it would look like if they switched companies altogether.
And, how do I know this? Because I’ve lived it. There are lots of people out there giving advice on this topic. Sometimes I wonder how many times they’ve actually negotiated their own salary increase. Honestly, it gets me fired up. But, I digress…. Rather than give some high level, fluffy advice, I’d like to provide you with a few real life examples from my own career.
I don’t typically share this information, but I want you to understand where I’m coming from. To give you an idea of the success I’ve had with my own salary negotiation, I once doubled my salary and twice, I’ve negotiated my salary up over fifty percent. Not bad, right?
So, this is how I did it. First, I was never afraid of two things: 1. Negotiation and 2. Changing Companies. You have to ask for what you want. You’ve got to do it. It’s not hard. Like anything else, it just takes practice. I know it can be scary, but it’s worth a lot of money to you and your family. You’ve probably done far scary things for much less money.
Second, you have to be willing to get over the fairy tale that one day, your company is going to recognize your value. If they don’t see your value now, there’s a good chance they won’t see it in another year or in five years or ten more years. That’s just time passing by when you could be earning more.
Now, with those things out of the way, there are three main tactics I’ve used in my own salary jumps.
- Increase Your Qualifications – As you know, I never encourage you to run back to school without carefully thinking about why. But, there are times when more education will pay off. For example, my undergraduate degree is in Computer & Systems Engineering. This degree is like a combination of computer programming and electrical engineering. Partly in an effort to rebrand myself (and also in an effort to increase my knowledge), I went back to school and earned a M.B.A. One of the big salary jumps I described was after I completed my M.B.A. I was offered twice as much money to do the exact same type of job I had done before graduate school. The same job. It required no new skills, but my perception and personal brand had been elevated because I had a new degree. (Please keep in mind: There is no guarantee that an additional degree will give these results. Like I always say, think carefully before you commit to another degree program. It’s a ton of time and even more money.)
- Change Industries – We rarely think about this, but different industries pay different amounts for the same job. Yes, the same job. Project management and marketing are both good examples of this. Part of the reason is that certain industries generate much more profit than others. Another reason is that a certain position is more valuable in one industry than another. It may be closer to the money, so to speak. So, as nuts as it may sound, you could find yourself making much more and doing the same thing — just by switching industries. To really get a sense for this, check out sites like Glassdoor.com. Employees report their salary on Glassdoor and you can look up salaries by company.
- Know Your Worth – One of my biggest salary jumps came at a point in my career where I’d really honed my skills. My work was generating significant revenue and I knew it. I also knew the going rate for my industry, and I’d taken the time to give myself options. I didn’t have to work for one company or another. It gave me the ability to negotiate for more money with no fear. And, it worked!
The bottom line is this: If you want to make more money, it’s up to you to do it. Your current company is unlikely to shower you in big raises. You’ve got to release a little bit of your company loyalty, and think about being more loyal to yourself. In other words, if it no longer made financial sense for your company to have you on staff, they’d get rid of you, right? So, if it no longer makes financial sense for YOU to work at your company, why are you still there?
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.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
Featured Job: Director @ Universal Studios
Universal Studios is seeking a Director of Business Affairs – Universal Creative in Orlando, FL.
Under the general direction of the Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, Universal Creative, the Director, Business Affairs, Universal Creative is responsible for working with various third parties identified by the departments within Universal Creative with the goal of developing mutually-beneficial relationships and entering into and then managing agreements that further the strategic goals of Universal Parks & Resorts.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Universal Studios website.
Featured Job: President @ Maryland Food Bank
The Maryland Food Bank is seeking a President and Chief Executive Officer in Baltimore, MD.
The President & CEO has overall responsibility for the organization, consistent with MFB’s mission of ending hunger in Maryland. The CEO effectively plans, coordinates, implements, and evaluates the activities of the Maryland Food Bank within the policies and procedures, goals and vision, and financial budget as approved by the Board of Directors. The CEO provides leadership to MFB’s work and the achievement of the organization’s goals by articulating the problem of hunger, and MFB’s response, to its many constituencies including the Board of Directors, volunteers, staff, client agencies, donors, and the general public. The President & CEO strives to build these many groups and individuals into an effective team to work toward the elimination of hunger in Maryland.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Maryland Food Bank website.
Where does my religion fit into the interview?
A reader contacted me today with an important question for consideration. She asked when it was appropriate to wear clothing, jewelry, or other items associated with her religion to an interview or to work. Her concern was about being judged in the office for her religious affiliation.
As you can imagine, this is a very tricky and personal question. I will share my thoughts with you, but at the end of the day, it’s a very individual choice.
I often think of a job interview much like a dinner party. At a dinner party, you meet many new people who may have different viewpoints than you. Conversations tend to be high level, centered on pleasant topics, such as the weather. Etiquette experts say that the potentially taboo topics to avoid include politics, religion, and money. These hold true in an interview as well.
Unfortunately, when it comes to getting hired, studies show that managers aren’t free of biases. Those biases can influence who’s landing the job offer. Details as minor as hair and makeup can influence the interviewer’s impression of a candidate. Even a candidate’s height can make a difference.
Religion however is more personal, and much more important, than hair, makeup, or height. It can be a large part of one’s identity. In today’s climate, sharing your religious viewpoints with others can cause them to judge you, either positively or negatively. When they judge you negatively, it can potentially hurt your chances of getting hired.
A great organization to share your religious views with is one whose perspective aligns well to yours. For example, some private universities, non-profits, and corporations have a foundation that is based on specific beliefs.
A vast majority of organizations however are not based upon these views. Their employees are made up of people from around the U.S. and the world, who have a host of different affiliations. When interviewing at an organization like this, it’s important to be aware of the choice you decide to make.
If you want to minimize the likelihood that someone may unfairly judge you, think of all of the places you may send out cues to others about your views. Check the volunteer opportunities on your resume. Look at the organizations you follow on LinkedIn. Check your Facebook privacy settings. And, consider the pieces of your interview outfit that may signal an interviewer.
As I mentioned in the beginning of the column, this is a personal choice. I’m not here to influence you in one direction or another, or to discourage you from holding true to your beliefs. But, it is wise to consider the positive and negative implications of your decision – and to make it consciously based upon what you feel most comfortable with.
After you’ve landed a job, you have a new choice to make – whether or not you want to share your views with your new coworkers. While it’s important to be yourself, remember that your story is one to be earned over time through trust.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
108 | Austin Baker – President and Chairman of HRO Partners
Episode 108 is live! This week, we talk with Austin Baker in Memphis, TN.
Austin is the President and Chairman of the Board at his company, HRO Partners. HRO Partners is a human resource consulting and outsourcing company. They become the HR department for companies that don’t have one and provide more horsepower to companies that do.
On today’s episode, Austin shares his tips on getting into Human Resources and an insider’s perspective on successful job searching and negotiation — for all job seekers. He also shares information about Human Resources networking group SHRM.
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it for free on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the program, subscribe today to the Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher to ensure you don’t miss an episode!
To learn more about Austin’s company, visit his website at HRO-Partners.com. You can also find HRO Partners on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Thank you to those who sent me questions! You can send your questions to Angela(at)CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m at @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I’m Copeland Coaching. Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review.
Speak up & ask for what you want!
For better or worse, as a child, you were probably taught not to brag. It’s rude. You may have also been taught to be a good child and wait your turn for things. If you deserve to have them, they will happen.
Ever wonder how everyone else keeps getting promotions? Opportunities don’t fall from the sky. The reason your colleagues get promoted is because they’ve decided to be their own advocate. They’re not waiting on someone else to tell them they can do something. They’re doing it.
And, they’re doing it by being willing to speak up and share about themselves. They may share where they went to school, where they worked previously, or what they’re good at. In other words, they’re comfortable giving their elevator pitch to anyone and everyone.
And, they ask for what they want. If they’d like to have an informational interview with someone, they ask for it. If they want a promotion, they say it. If they want to be considered for a job, they put themselves out there.
They do not wait for others to “allow” them to move forward in their life and career. They do it.
As I write this newsletter, I realize it may be time to take some of my own medicine! Did you know that I host a podcast? Yes, I do! I recently learned that some of my newsletter readers didn’t realize it — probably because I haven’t been talking about the podcast much in my newsletter. I tend to assume that people already know about it, and that if they want to listen, they will. Well, lesson learned… here are the details.
My podcast is called the Copeland Coaching Podcast. It’s a career improvement podcast that’s focused on job searching. I interview a different industry expert each week to talk about topics ranging from switching careers to what to wear in an interview. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
And, here’s the thing. I recently learned that there’s not just one thing that’s important to getting your podcast found in Apple Podcasts. There are three! And, I need your help with these!
- Subscribe to the Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts. It turns out that the number of subscriptions actually impacts your ranking within Apple Podcasts. So, please subscribe here.
- Listen to the podcast! I think you’ll really enjoy it. I’ve been recording the podcast for over two years and have built up over 100 episodes of free content and tips for job seekers. Listen here.
- Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. I almost never ask for reviews because it always seems to be too much. But, you have to ask for what you need, right? And, I need more reviews. These also impact my show’s ranking on Apple Podcasts. You can leave a review here.
Here are a few episodes I think you might really like. Check them out by clicking on their links below.
As I started out this newsletter, it’s important to speak up and ask for what you want. Please keep this in mind with your job search (even when it’s tough to do). And, thanks in advance for your support of my podcast. I appreciate you helping me out, even though it’s tough to ask!
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.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
Featured Job: Director @ National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is seeking a Regional Director in Los Angeles, CA.
This is a Career-Reserved position and therefore must be filled by a career appointee. Candidates are not required to have previous SES career service before applying. The selected candidate executive/managerial qualifications must be certified by the Office of Personnel Management prior to an initial SES career appointment. Positions in the SES are ungraded.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the National Labor Relations Board website.
You must be logged in to post a comment.