by Angela Copeland | Jul 21, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
I hope you had a wonderful weekend! The weather in much of the country has been beautiful the past few days. I hope you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy it.
If you missed my newsletter last week, please be sure to check it out here. I tried making a few adjustments to the that may have prevented you from receiving it. In it, I covered summer job search strategies and discussed my recent interview with job website Glassdoor.com’s Career Trends Analyst, Scott Dobroski. In particular, I show you how to research company salaries on Glassdoor.
This week, I want to know – What’s your exit strategy?
With the unstable economy we’ve been experiencing for years now, keeping an exit strategy in mind is a must. Do you have yours nailed down? If your exit strategy is dependent on hope and crossed fingers, it’s time to rethink things.
Ideally, you shouldn’t wait until signs of trouble to plan your next career move. But, at a minimum, when those signs appear, it’s time to move. In some industries, you may experience what’s known as a RPE – a “resume producing event.” It could come in the form of an intense company meeting, or other warning signs that your organization could be in trouble.
If you ignore these signs and wait, you become a sitting duck. You lose your power of negotiation because when you look for a new job, you have no choice but to find one. You’ve given up all your leverage.
Getting ahead of the game gives you increased negotiating power and the time to wait for the right opportunity.
Here are a few tips to create your very own exit strategy:
- Always keep your resume up to date – You never know when the right opportunity could come along. Even if your job is great, wouldn’t you consider a job that offered twice the pay? You always want to be prepared because you never know what might happen. The other advantage is you don’t have to go back and remember important facts later. Keep track of them as they’re happening!
- Always participate in LinkedIn – If you only update your LinkedIn profile when you’re looking for a job, it’s a dead give away that something’s up. Keeping your LinkedIn profile continuously fresh can help to quiet suspicions.
- Keep it quiet – It can be so tempting to share that you’re looking for another job. Your best friend at work is sitting right next to you and they’re equally frustrated. You don’t want to leave your awesome boss in the lurch. Although you have good intentions, they can backfire. Even a manager who considers you to be a friend often feels obligated to tell their supervisor. Worst case scenario, you can be walked out of the building when your news leaks. This takes your power away and reduces your timeline, so keep your lips sealed.
- Stay connected with your old coworkers – When you start searching, you’ll need references from your previous employers. It’s important to keep in touch with your former managers, coworkers, and employees, so you’ll have a bank of folks to offer when it’s time to do a background check.
- Keep your certifications up to date – Don’t rely on your current employer to keep your education up to date. Attend courses, take webinars, and look for other opportunities to continue your learning. It will benefit you when you are interviewing for your next big opportunity.
- Keep working and follow the rules – Keep delivering the same high quality of work you do every day. Follow company guidelines and rules. Although you may want to run from the building, this is the not the time to slack off. Show that you will produce the same high quality of work, regardless of the situation.
- Take personal items home – Slowly and quietly, take some of your personal belongings home. The last thing you’ll want on your last day is to carry out boxes and boxes of things that have piled up at your desk over the years.
- Research your company’s vacation policy – Many employers will reimburse you for the time you don’t take. Find out in advance what vacation you’ll be reimbursed for, if any.
- Taken inventory of your finances – If worst came to worst, would you be prepared to be unemployed for six months? For many job seekers, this timeline is a reality. Look closely at your finances to ensure you’ll be able to survive if you had to.
- Leave on good terms – When you do finally leave, do it in a positive way. Give at least two weeks notice and keep your word. Think very carefully before you bash your boss in an exit interview. Put in your best work until your very last day.
Leaving can be a tough process. Many people look at changing jobs like a breakup or divorce. Do your best to be prepared, so you can walk toward a better situation rather than just running from a bad one. It will help you keep your peace of mind and it will give you negotiating power in your interview process.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jul 7, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. Being back in the office today may remind you of how much you’d still like to be on vacation. Or at another job. Or anywhere else for that matter.
Unfortunately, we sometimes wait a little too long to decide to make a career change. We wait until things feel unbearable before we begin our search. And suddenly, it can feel like time has already run out.
Our patience is low. Anxiety is high. We’d do anything to just not have to go to that job one more day.
When you get into this frame of mind, you may start to search for jobs you wouldn’t normally look for. You know, jobs you could have done 10 years ago. Positions that require few skills and little of your true talents. They may even pay much less.
You know you can land one of these jobs quickly, and it will buy you time. You’ll be able to work there for a few months while you keep searching for your next real gig.
But, I bet when you interview for that easy, temporary job – you don’t tell them your plans. You can’t. They’d never hire you if they knew you weren’t planning to stick around.
If you take that temporary job, it will take a weight off your shoulders and give you time to start looking for your real dream job. But, what will you tell your next employer when you interview? Will you say that you’re only been working at your job for a month, but are looking for something new?
You could tell them how awful your last manager was and how you ran from the building when it was practically burning down. They’d understand, right? Wrong.
This entire plan has three flaws that I want you to consider before running from your job:
- It doesn’t look good to stay at a job for just a few months. It makes it harder for you to be considered for another job and it creates a story on your resume that you’ll be forced to explain time and time again in the future. And, if you decide to stay at your temporary job for a year, you’ve delayed your real job search by a year. That’s also not helpful.
- It puts you in a position to talk negatively about your previous and current employers. You’ll want to explain why your last job was so bad. Then, you’ll want to explain why this so-so job is temporary. This is never good. You don’t want to spend your time in an interview explaining what was wrong at your last (or current) job. Even if your reasoning is completely sound, it creates a poor reflection on you. This is something you want to avoid.
- It takes away your negotiating power. You want to make more money in your next job. But, if your dream job knows you’re in a helpless, dead end situation right now, they’re not going to offer you the same competitive salary. They don’t have to. They know you don’t have a lot of options. They realize you ran away from your last job, and you need them more than they need you.
I know it can be hard, but if you can, try to devote your energy to finding your dream job now rather than searching for a temporary solution. Even though a temporary job seems like a solution, it can often delay you arriving at your dream job for months or years longer than necessary.
Finding a good job is a job in itself. Set aside time each day to work on your job search. In just a few months, you could be in a better situation. You’ll find something you really enjoy more. It will use your skills, and might even pay more. In this sense, your patience will truly pay off.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jun 30, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
I hope you have a wonderful holiday week! I know I’m looking forward to spending time with friends, grilling out, and watching fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. This is also a great time to reflect on your current job situation.
Are you feeling unhappy or unfilled? If you’ve been thinking of making a change, this could be the perfect time. Finding a job can take a few months, so you still have time to get started before the winter holidays begin to approach.
Often, one of the sources of job frustration can be a lack of control. Whether you’re not doing the kind of work you enjoy, don’t like your boss, or are underpaid, you may feel helpless.
It’s this helpless feeling that can really impact you each day as you go in. It can make your day seem longer, and tasks seem harder.
Finding career independence starts with identifying what is within your radius of control. What can you impact today that will help you to gain more freedom from your current situation?
First, I recommend keeping your resume up to date at all times. On top of that, keep your LinkedIn current and connect to your coworkers. You never know when things could change.
If you’re not using your favorite skills at work, look for ways to keep your expertise up to date. Consider taking on small consulting projects, or volunteer at a non-profit. You may even want to take a class or two to keep any certifications current.
If you’d like to acquire a new skill, the same advice applies. Enroll in a class. There are many options at local colleges, and online. If you don’t have an opportunity to try your new skill at work, look for a way to volunteer your time – either on a non-profit project or at a part-time internship.
Nurture your network. Take the time to attend networking events. Get lunch and coffee with coworkers from previous jobs. Stay connected.
Re-evaluate your priorities. Often, a source of unhappiness can be tied to a shifting of what’s important to you. Early in your career, you may have been willing to work for hours on end just to make the most money possible.
As you’ve grown older, financial stability may be less important. You may now be looking for work-life balance, but are still saddled with an 80-hour per week job.
As you can see, much of the independence we crave is tied back to a self awareness of what’s important to us.
And, unlike Independence Day fireworks, career freedom rarely happens all at once. It doesn’t go off with a bang of beautiful lights. Independence at work takes time. It takes commitment. It takes a little dedication each day.
But if you’re committed, over time you will find that independence, and the happiness that comes along with it.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Have a wonderful Independence Day. Enjoy the time with your loved ones and be safe.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jun 23, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
For job seekers interested in working for a non-profit, it can seem like a tough road. You wonder if a non-profit will pay the bills. How many people really work at a particular non-profit? What do the non-profit’s employees think about their jobs?
When you ask around, you hear mixed reviews. One person talks about how they love helping children. Another talks about their disastrous Executive Director. Many talk about sacrificing their salaries for their job. Some talk about their great work life balance. Others talk about working all weekend at events.
This is a lot to think about. Below are three resources to help you narrow your choice down.
- Book of Lists – If you aren’t sure where to begin, pick up a copy of your local Book of Lists. The Business Journal in your city produces these books annually. They contain a list of the top non-profits in your region. You can easily scan their annual revenue, number of employees, and other pertinent information.
- GuideStar.com – GuideStar.com is a website that provides data about non-profits. If you sign-up for a free account, you can download copies of most non-profits’ 990 Forms. These tax reporting documents often allow you to view the company’s revenue and expenses. It also allows you to learn the highest paid employee’s salary. That salary can vary from $30K per year to $300K per year, so pay close attention to this important piece of information. It will give you a sense for how much other funding the organization has available.
- Glassdoor.com – Glassdoor.com allows employees to anonymously provide information about their employer. You can often find the number of employees at an organization, reviews of the environment, and salary ranges for various positions.
If you take the time to go through these three simple steps, you’ll have a better idea of where to begin. In fact, you may find that a few of your favorite non-profits actually pay just as well as your current for-profit job.
Once you have a list of your top 5 non-profits, start reaching out to find out more. Talk to your friends who work there. Setup informational interviews. Volunteer your time. Look for ways to get the truly inside scoop. This information, paired up with the data you’ve gathered will give you the best idea of where to begin.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jun 16, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
Over the past few months, I’ve received multiple thoughtful letters from those working in the scientific research community. I (like you may be) was very surprised to be receiving questions from this group of extremely smart professionals.
Most likely, it’s because I’m located in Memphis, near St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other medical research institutions. Scientists and engineers here are learning about (and developing cutting edge technology for) everything from orthopedic implants to new vaccines to cancer cures.
I debated about whether or not to share this feedback with the broad audience of my newsletter, but it applies to more than just researchers. Regardless of which industry you start in, and which one you transition into, the challenges are very similar.
Before I jump into my thoughts, lets start with the issue. Many PhD scientists have 3-5 year research contracts with their research institution (like St. Jude). At the end of the contract, they have to decide what they want to do next. They could either stay in research or transition to corporate. Or, some even consider starting their own business.
Often times, when a researcher gets to this crossroad, they are in their late 30s or early 40s. Although they have a lot of scientific knowledge, they have never worked in a corporate environment. That challenge would be intimidating to anyone!
In part because of this, and few resources available for making a career transition to corporate, many choose to stay in research. I’m sure you can relate to this in your own career. You may choose to stay in your current field because you’re unsure of how to begin a transition to a new field.
If you are in a similar situation, here’s a little advice to help you get started.
- Don’t focus too much on minimum requirements – Job descriptions are often packed full of minimum requirements. “Must have 3 years of experience managing employees.” “Must have 2 years of experience managing vendor relationships.” Whatever the requirements, don’t let them keep you from applying. If you’re confident that you can perform the role, apply. Companies rarely find the perfect candidate who meets all the requirements.
- Network – Get out in the field you want to work in, and meet new people. Ask for one-on-one meetings to learn more about what they do. Find out how they made the transition from research to corporate.
- Use LinkedIn – Connect to your school colleagues, professors, fellow researchers, and corporate contacts through LinkedIn. Use the site to showcase your skills, expertise, and accomplishments.
- Practice and be persistent – Even if you find interviews difficult, keep applying and keep interviewing. Every interview you don’t land is practice for the next one. You will get better!
- Don’t give up – You just need one hiring manager to take a chance on you. Once you’ve made the transition, you’re a corporate employee – and getting future corporate jobs will be easier.
And at the end of the day, it’s okay to ask for help. If your university has a career resources department, call them. Ask friends and colleagues to help you. And, if I can be of assistance during your transition, please feel free to reach out to me. I would love to help you with your career change.
As a reminder, the Copeland Coaching Podcast launched three weeks ago! This Tuesday and every Tuesday, I will interview an expert in the field of job searching – including coaches, recruiters, financial experts, and more!
You can listen to the podcast in two ways. First, it’s available for free download on Apple Podcasts. You can also listen on SoundCloud.com. So, whether you want to listen on your desktop, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet, you’re covered. Listen from wherever, whenever!
And speaking of finding a job, I’m searching for a Social Media Intern for Copeland Coaching.
This person should have extremely strong organization and time management skills, with the ability to work independently and meet deadlines. They should have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
At a minimum, they should have experience personally using social media. But, it’s not critical that they’ve used social media in business before. This will be a great learning opportunity for the right candidate.
This is a paid internship, and the intern may be located in Memphis or may work virtually.
The full job description is located here (note: this is a PDF document). Interested candidates are asked to send their resume, cover letter, and social media links to intern@CopelandCoaching.com.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jun 9, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
So often, I speak with people who tell me about their plan to just get their ‘foot in the door’ somewhere. They’ve decided that their skills are just not good enough to get them the job they want.
Sometimes, the person has decided to settle for a lower level position than they really want. They may be qualified to be a manager, but they’ve decided that taking an analyst position could possibly lead to a manager position in time.
Other times, they’ve decided to take less money than what’s normally paid or what’s fair. They think that if they can just get in to a company, they can show their value and the company will give them a raise.
Both of these misconceptions are just that – misconceptions. If you take a lower level position than what you’re qualified to do, you will in fact be performing a lower level position for the foreseeable future. A company is not interested to hire you at one level and turn around a few months later to give you a big promotion.
Even if your hiring manager has all the faith in the world in you, you never know how long they may be your manager. Re-organizations happen all the time, and bosses come and go.
Years ago, I accepted a great position within a large organization. On my second day, the manager who hired me (and who I had built a relationship with for over a year) announced his departure. He had received a great opportunity with another organization. It was a big shock for everyone, as he’d been with the company for years and was very well respected. I’ve always been thankful for that job – and that I didn’t plan to just ‘get my foot in the door’ when I took it.
Similarly, companies aren’t in the business of giving big raises these days. When you start out at one pay level, don’t expect to see your compensation dramatically change. Annually, even great employees only see a few percentage points added to their pay each year.
If you get promoted to a higher level position, or to a different department, you may have an opportunity to negotiate some. Unfortunately, it will be far less than an external candidate could do. You can typically expect just a slight bump for each promotion. Companies often consider internal promotions cheaper than finding an external candidate.
Think about it. When you take a job, you’re expected to stay at least 2-3 years. If you settle and just get your foot in the door, you’ve now signed up for 2-3 years of waiting for something that’s not a guarantee.
If you chose to wait a little longer to find the right opportunity now, chances are that it will take less than 2-3 years. And, when you do accept that right opportunity, you will KNOW what you’re getting into. It will be the job you want, at the pay you want. And, it will be an opportunity that you didn’t have to settle for.
As a reminder, the Copeland Coaching Podcast launched two weeks ago! This Tuesday and every Tuesday, I will interview an expert in the field of job searching – including coaches, recruiters, financial experts, and more!
You can listen to the podcast in two ways. First, it’s available for free download on Apple Podcasts. You can also listen on SoundCloud.com. So, whether you want to listen on your desktop, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet, you’re covered. Listen from wherever, whenever!
And speaking of finding a job, I’m searching for a Social Media Intern for Copeland Coaching.
This person should have extremely strong organization and time management skills, with the ability to work independently and meet deadlines. They should have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
At a minimum, they should have experience personally using social media. But, it’s not critical that they’ve used social media in business before. This will be a great learning opportunity for the right candidate.
This is a paid internship, and the intern may be located in Memphis or may work virtually.
The full job description is located here (note: this is a PDF document). Interested candidates are asked to send their resume, cover letter, and social media links to intern@CopelandCoaching.com.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
