#JOBSEARCHtweet 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job By Barbara Safani Foreword by Susan Whitcomb Copyright © 2010 by Barbara Safani All rights reserved No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author(s) assume no responsibility for errors or omissions Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein First Printing: January 12, 2010 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-61699-000-8 (1-61699-000-7) Place of Publication: Silicon Valley, California USA Paperback Library of Congress Number: 2009942907 eBook ISBN: 978-1-61699-001-5 (1-61699-001-5) Trademarks All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized Happy About® and its imprint, THINKaha™, cannot attest to the accuracy of this information Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty of fitness is implied The information provided is on an “as is” basis The authors and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book Advance Praise “Barbara Safani is a job search expert who doesn’t mince words, a critical quality when giving advice desperately needed by millions.” Alexandra Levit, @alevit, Business/Workplace Author and Speaker, Author of ‘#MILLENNIALtweet’ “Your #JobHunt will be MUCH more effective if you follow @BarbaraSafani’s excellent advice in ‘#JOBSEARCHtweet.’ She’s an expert!” Susan P Joyce, @JobHuntOrg, Editor/Publisher, Job-Hunt.org “Barbara Safani delivers! Nowhere else can you get concise, practical, and essential strategies to nail EVERY part of your job search.” Liz Lynch, @liz_lynch, Founder, Center for Networking Excellence and Author, ‘Smart Networking: Attract a Following in Person and Online,’ SmartNetworking.com “This is a terrific collection of job search tips from an acclaimed expert—every tip (tweet) is well founded and can help you make your job search more successful, and maybe even help you land faster!” Jason Alba, @jasonalba, CEO, JibberJobber.com, Author of ‘I’m on LinkedIn—Now What???’ (Second Edition) “As an experienced career professional, when Barbara asked me to review this book, I thought to myself two things: Show me something that I don’t know, and is there anything in here that hasn’t been said already? Happily, the answer is “yes” on both counts Many of the tips on job search I have subscribed to for many years I love the way Barbara puts them out I can’t wait to make the book required reading for all my clients This is hardcore stuff not just fluff Congratulations on furthering the literature on job search.” Barry Miller, Ph.D., @BARMIL, Manager, Alumni Career Programs and Services, Pace University “As an executive search firm owner and creator of the WinTheView.com interview presentation tools website, I can tell you that ‘#JOBSEARCHtweet’ is an extremely valuable and concise collection of time-saving tips to help people navigate the critical steps in today’s challenging job market What a great resource!” Ken Diamond, @wintheview, President, WinTheView.com “Nuggets of gold! With the flurry of advice on social networking sites, Barbara has found a way to fine-tune best practices for job searching and career management.” Laura Lashbrook Colby, @ClarityNY, Account Manager, Director of Training and Development, Clarity Dedication To my father, a man of few words and infinite wisdom Acknowledgments Thanks to Twitter for making me a better, more concise writer Thanks to Rajesh Setty, @UpbeatNow, for editing this book and making me even more concise Thanks to my publisher Mitchell Levy, @HappyAbout, for being my cheerleader on this book Thanks to Susan Whitcomb, @SusanWhitcomb, for writing the foreword Why Did I Write this Book? Most people are so busy working that they fail to take the time to reflect on what it is they actually achieve and how their contributions impact the companies they support Job search is often one of the few times when people step off the work treadmill to reflect on the unique value they can offer an employer ‘#JOBSEARCHtweet’ is designed to give you a quick look into the job search process and offer practical tips for promoting your value to a potential employer Barbara Safani, @barbarasafani 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job #JOBSEARCHtweet 111 123 Phone interviews are like open-book tests; keep any necessary notes handy so you can refer to them during the call 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job 124 During group interviews, ask for each person’s business card and lay the cards out in front of you to help you remember everyone’s name #JOBSEARCHtweet 113 125 While waiting for your interview, check out the surroundings Do people look frazzled or happy? These are clues into the department culture 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job #JOBSEARCHtweet 115 Section X Salary Negotiation Almost all job seekers have been in a situation where they realize after they accept a position that they could have asked for more Yet many people are not comfortable negotiating their employment package because they fear they will be perceived as aggressive and will damage the relationship they have tried so hard to build during the interview process But once there is an offer on the table, you generally have some leverage to negotiate Remember, the employer picked you over many other candidates They want the negotiation to be successful as well This section focuses on tips for getting the most out of the negotiation process and creating a win-win situation for everyone involved 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job 126 Get the offer in writing; it’s pretty hard to prove something was agreed upon over a handshake 127 Ask for what you want in terms of what is reasonable and fair; never give ultimatums #JOBSEARCHtweet 117 128 Anything is negotiable if you can prove why it is important to the job 129 Don’t feel compelled to take an offer on the spot; it is reasonable to ask for up to a week to make your decision 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job 130 When negotiating, don’t be the first one to name a salary; if you request less than they were planning to offer, they won’t offer you more #JOBSEARCHtweet 119 131 When negotiating salary, don’t base your salary expectations on a previous salary; instead base it on what the market will bear 132 Past salary is irrelevant to future salary; it only relates to what someone was willing to pay you at another time for a different job 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job 133 If asked your salary requirements, ask if you can learn more about the job first, or ask for the salary range before divulging your salary #JOBSEARCHtweet 121 134 Determine your priorities before you negotiate; knowing what you are NOT willing to give up makes it easier to decide what you will give up 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job 135 Don’t ignore job openings because of salary concerns; an initially undesirable position can become exceptionally desirable quite quickly 136 Uncover the competition; knowing how many people you are up against for a job can help you decide how hard to push in the negotiation stage #JOBSEARCHtweet 123 137 The negotiation process begins the moment you submit your resume and continues until the offer is finalized Value = Earning power Always 138 Most hiring managers not make their best offer first 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job 139 Be willing to take some risks to negotiate effectively 140 If your new job entails negotiating on behalf of the company, the employer will expect you to be able to negotiate on behalf of yourself #JOBSEARCHtweet 125 About the Author Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, http://www.careersolvers.com, has over fifteen years of experience in career management, recruiting, and executive coaching She has appeared as a career expert on CNN, ABC, FOX, and WOR News Radio Her career advice has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, AOL, MSNBC, CareerBuilder.com, Yahoo HotJobs and TheLadders.com She is also the author of ‘Happy About My Resume: 50 Tips for Building a Better Document to Secure a Brighter Future.’ Twitter handle: @barbarasafani ... #JOBSEARCHtweet 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job By Barbara Safani Foreword by Susan Whitcomb Copyright © 2010 by Barbara Safani All rights reserved... the job search process and offer practical tips for promoting your value to a potential employer Barbara Safani, @barbarasafani 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job #JOBSEARCHtweet... embarking on a job search 140 Job Search Nuggets for Landing Your Dream Job If you spend half your time on your job search, it will probably take you twice as long to find a job #JOBSEARCHtweet 15