Advice Archives - Page 12 of 87

Career Changes for Scientists

by Angela Copeland | May 15, 2017 | Advice, Career Fulfillment, Career Transition, Careers for Scientists, Change, Newsletter

I’ve recently received multiple letters from scientists in the research community with questions about their career transitions. Most likely, this is because of the large number of folks I meet from the medical research community. They’re developing new technologies for things from vaccines to cancer cures.

Researchers struggle with a problem workers in all sectors face: how to change industries. Most get into research with a three- to five-year contract. But this is not before completing a lengthy Ph.D. program. By the time their contract ends, the researcher may be in their 30s or early 40s.

With no experience in corporate America, and with little support about where to begin, many of these brilliant scientists struggle to decide what’s next. The most common choices are to continue in research or to take the corporate route. Often, staying on the same path is easier, but it is not always the most desirable choice.

For those interested to make a transition, one of the first steps is to ask for help. Connect to colleagues you already know, whether they were classmates, professors or co-workers. Expand your network to corporate workers. Ask these connections, new and old, how they made large career transitions. Ask what they like and dislike.

Pay close attention to how you feel when you learn about their experience. Does the idea of sitting in a cubicle all day or being held to strict deadlines make you cringe? Or does working for a big corporation excite you? If you decide that corporate is for you, there are a few places to start.

Begin by cleaning up your resume or CV, and start applying for jobs. Don’t let the minimum requirements stop you. Keep in mind that it’s rare for a company to find the perfect candidate. If you’re confident that you can do a job, apply. Let the company decide whether or not to hire you.

Make sure you have at least one nice suit for interviews. Corporate is more formal than what you may be used to. Do your best to show you can fit into the new environment.

Practice your pitch. You need to be comfortable explaining why you want to make a career change. You are your own marketer and must help others understand your desire to make a switch. Not everyone you speak with will understand your industry jargon. Try explaining your job and career goals to an aging loved one to ensure you’re communicating in a clear manner.

Interview for as many positions as you can, at least in the short term. Remember that every interview is practice for the next one. If you don’t get this job, you’ll be more prepared for the next interview. Multiple interviews will also give you a better idea of what is available in the market, differences in companies, and your overall market value.

Being persistent with these simple steps will help you to take your career in a new direction, whether it’s from research to corporate or between other industries.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Don’t forget to say thank you

by Angela Copeland | May 10, 2017 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Job Search, Media, Thank You

How many times have you heard the phrase “don’t forget to say thank you”? When we were children, adults reiterated this phrase over and over again. Yet, somehow, as adults, we are forgetting this simple lesson.

The Wall Street Journal recently cited a poll that found of employers surveyed, 75% complained that job applicants didn’t send thank you notes after an interview. In addition to the after interview thank you notes, I have seen this trend inside cover letters. We are increasingly leaving out the thank you at the bottom of our cover letters.

The crazy thing is, a thank you is essentially free to give. It doesn’t require going back to school or paying for some expensive certification. It’s a simple acknowledgement of someone’s time and consideration.

But, given that we all mean well, I have to think that this trend is not intentional. It has to be connected back to how busy we all are, and how blurry the lines have become about social rules. We focus on being the most qualified candidate rather than the easiest to get along with. Yet, we know that hiring managers are people too. And, their decisions are often based on the little things, like first impressions.

Given the importance and the simplicity of the thank you, here are a few guidelines.

First, include a thank you in your cover letter. For example, near the end, you could say, “Thank you for taking the time to review my request.” This thank you is important because the hiring manager is very possibly reviewing hundreds of applications.

Then, as you correspond with the hiring manager, the human resources representative, or anyone else from the company, be sure to close all communications with a thank you. “Thank you for your help” or a simple “thank you” at the end of emails works great.

In person, thank the hiring manager for inviting you to interview. Thank them for their time.

After the interview, do two things. First, send electronic thank you notes by email. These are short emails sent to each person you interviewed with – thanking them for meeting with you. This can be a great place to mention something specific that you discussed with the interviewer.

Then, follow up with a hand written thank you note to each person. I know it sounds old fashioned, but it works. And, it’s cheap. Include a personal message for each person, and drop in your business card. It helps to remind them about who you are.

Sending a thank you note and a thank you email after an interview may sound redundant. But, think of it this way. The hand written note is the most powerful one, but it may get lost or take a while. The e-mail is the sure fire way to ensure the hiring manager hears from you before they make a decision.

The best news is, with so few people sending thank you notes, this simple gesture will make you stand ahead of the pack.

Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.

132 | How to be a Digital Nomad – Tamara Murray, United States

by Angela Copeland | May 9, 2017 | Advice, Media, Podcast, Remote Work From Home

Episode 132 is live! This week, we talk with Tamara Murray.

Tamara is a digital nomad who runs my own one-woman communications firm, Well-Rounded Communications, while traveling full-time for the past two and a half years. Tamara is also the author of the book Awesome Supervisory Skills: Seven Lessons for Young, First Time Managers.

On today’s episode, Tamara shares what it means to be a digital nomad, the pros and cons to being a digital nomad, and the misconceptions. She also discusses the topic of remote working and work from home.

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Tamara and her company, visit her website at www.wellroundedcommunications.com. To follow her travels online, visit her travel site www.nomadswithavan.com. And, to get a copy of her book, visit Amazon here.

Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.

Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

How important is timing to my job search?

by Angela Copeland | May 8, 2017 | Advice, Job Application, Job Posting, Job Search, Newsletter

One of the quickest ways to stand out from the crowd is one of the easiest. And, unfortunately, it can make you look very good or incredibly bad. The concept I’m referring to is timing. Your timing can have a huge impact on your outcome on multiple fronts professionally.

I learned this lesson the hard way. As a senior in college, I was rapidly applying to many potential jobs. An amazing one came across my desk that was perfect. I would have been the person who designs the way a website looks – to make it user friendly.

In some job interviews, the employer will give you a test. This exam was to build an entire website from scratch. It was a huge task, but it gave them a sense for your skill set.

At the same time, I was offered the chance to be an extra in a well-known movie. I had never done anything like that before and the 21-year-old me just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I contacted the employer and asked for just a few extra days to participate. They were very understanding and agreed to extend my deadline by a few days.

When the movie was over, I worked furiously to build the perfect site. It was an instructional guide about photography and contained beautiful photos. I proudly submitted my new website by the agreed-upon date. I received a friendly note back from the hiring manager. It read something like this: “Thank you for taking the time to build this website. It looks wonderful! In fact, even better than the person we already hired.”

I could not believe it. The company didn’t even give me a chance to submit my homework by the new agreed-upon date. And, they selected a less-qualified candidate just because they had been faster.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson. When it comes to the job market, timing is everything. The first place to keep it in mind is the application. You should apply quickly when you see a job posted. Apply within 24 hours of when you find it. Companies often want to select a handful of candidates and may miss later additions.

This policy also applies to email. At a minimum, you should respond to all emails within 24 hours. Did you know that many people actually expect a response within hours if not minutes? If you don’t know the answer to a question, send an email letting the person know their email was received and that you’re following up on it.

When it comes to business meetings or interviews, being on time can also impact your success. To ensure you arrive right on time, try locating the building the night before. Build in a few minutes extra, in case of traffic. But whatever you do, don’t be too early and definitely don’t be late.

As you can imagine, timing is an important part of any job search. Paying attention to timing ensures you have the highest chances of putting your best foot forward.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

131 | Finding a Great Job – Larry Smith, Ontario, Canada

by Angela Copeland | May 2, 2017 | Advice, Career Fulfillment, Media, Podcast

Episode 131 is live! This week, we talk with Larry Smith in Ontario, Canada.

Larry is a professor of economics at the University of Waterloo in Canada where he coaches his students to find careers that they will truly love. In 2011, Larry presented a TED Talk titled “Why you will fail to have a great career” that has received over 5 million views. He also authored No Fears, No Excuses: What You Need to Do to Have a Great Career.

On today’s episode, Larry shares the secret to surviving in today’s job marketing, and to finding a truly great career. He also shares the reasons why you may fail to find yours.

Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

To learn more about Larry, visit the University of Waterloo’s website. To check out Larry’s TED Talk, visit the TED website. And, to get a copy of Larry’s book, No Fears, No Excuses, visit Amazon here.

Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!

How much money should you make?

by Angela Copeland | May 1, 2017 | Advice, Money, Negotiating, Newsletter

First and foremost, money isn’t everything. And, if it’s not your primary driver, that’s okay. You job search should be about finding an opportunity that’s a good fit and that aligns to your personal values and goals.

However, if you’re like me, you want to be paid fairly compared to your peers. And, you want to save for your future. There’s a difference between wanting to make a lot of money, and wanting to not have to worry about money every day. Don’t you agree?

So, let’s think about a decision that comes up very often during our job search. And, before I get too far – let me say this. I’m going to use some simple math that does not account for things like inflation. It’s not going to be as accurate as an estimate that you could make using Excel or another tool. But, I think this simple model will be helpful.

Okay, back to the common decision. We’re searching for a job that’s in a new field. We receive a job offer and are faced with the decision of whether or not to accept less money than we currently make.

Less money! Oh no! That’s typically not our goal when we start a job search. But, when we switch fields, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves with a lower paying job offer.

So, now what?

Well, first, let’s do some simple math. Here’s an example.

Let’s say that Jerry makes $70K today at Acme Company. Jerry is 30 years old. He plans to work until he’s 65.

Jerry landed a job offer at Baker Company that pays $60K. He plans to stay at the job for 5 years before looking for a better paying job. He wants to get some experience first. Jerry takes the job. In 5 years, Jerry applies for a new job and gets an offer at Carter Company that is a big raise — $10K more than what he is making at Baker Company. It’s for $70K.

So, for the 5 years that Jerry spent at Baker Company, he made $10K less per year than he made at Acme Company. In total, it was $50K less over the 5 years. Then, he went to Carter Company and began to make what he previously made at Acme Company.

Current Salary    New Salary          5 Years
$70K         –>         $60K         –>         $70K
          $50K less over 5 years

Now, let’s look at another example. Let’s say that Jerry makes $70K today at Acme Company. Jerry is 30 years old. He plans to work until he’s 65.

Jerry landed a job offer at Davidson Company that pays $80K. He plans to stay at the job for 5 years before looking for a better paying job. He wants to get some experience first. Jerry takes the job. In 5 years, Jerry applies for a new job and gets an offer at Edison Company that is a big raise $10K more than what is making at Davidson Company. It’s for $90K.

So, for the 5 years that Jerry spent at Davidson Company, he made $10K more per year than he made at Acme Company. In total, it was $50K more over the 5 years. Then, he went to Edison Company and began to make $20K more than he previously made at Acme Company.

Current Salary    New Salary          5 Years
$70K         –>         $80K         –>         $90K
          $50K more over 5 years

Now, let’s compare the two scenarios. In the first scenario, Jerry is making $70K at the end of 5 years. In the second scenario, Jerry is making $90K at the end of 5 years.

So, instead of a small investment, of time, Jerry has actually forfeited $20K per year beginning in year 5. Considering that future salaries are often based on past salaries, this decision could easily follow Jerry around for the lifetime of his career.

If his salary remained flat from age 35 to 65, the projected difference would be $20K per year, or $600K over the next 30 years. Wow, that’s a big difference for what seems like a small decision!

So, what should Jerry do? Should he take the first offer with Baker Company? Or, should he hold out for the job at Davidson Company?

This is where things get tough. The thing is, we don’t know anything more about Jerry’s situation here than the numbers. Here are some things we might want to keep in mind.

How much has Jerry saved for his retirement already? What’s his overall retirement savings goal and will he meet that goal with either job?

How old is Jerry? In this scenario, Jerry is 30. But, if he were younger or older, we might adjust our choices.

Is Jerry over the moon happy about the job that pays less? Is it everything he’s ever wanted, but has never had? Or, is he lukewarm about the entire situation? If Jerry plans to take a big pay cut, he should definitely like the job.

If Jerry is over the moon about the job, does it really require a pay cut? Very often, we assume that moving to a new industry requires us to start over completely from a salary perspective. Sometimes, that’s true. But, sometimes, it’s not. It’s important to fully understand Jerry’s worth in a new role before making this choice.

In summary, money isn’t everything. But, it is something. It’s an important factor to consider in our job choices. The decision we make today will have a long lasting impact on our futures.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach