How to Search for a Job

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How to Search for a Job
June 02 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Job Hunting, Job Search, Job Search Tips

In response to a recent viewer question, here are my top 8 tips for conducting your job search.

  1. Know what you want – It is important that you do the self-reflection needed to help you determine the best career path for you.  My previous blog post discusses this in detail.  As mentioned in that post, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, how will you ever know that you’ve found it?
  1. Create a Target Company List – While going through the exercise in step 1, think about which companies would have the attributes that are important to you and employ the skills and experience you have.  Having a top 10 target company list will streamline your research, networking, and job search efforts.  As a result, you will be able to make efficient use of your job search time.
  1. Company Websites & Social Media
    1. Company Website: Most companies have websites, and many companies have a career section on their website.  Be sure to visit their sites, taking note of any current openings they may have that match your background.  While going through this exercise, try to notice any trends that you might see in terms of keywords or qualifications listed in the job ads.  In many cases, company career sites will have the option for you to sign up for a ‘job search agent,’ which will notify you of relevant openings when they become available.  As a cautionary note, do not apply to too many roles within your target company – this may give the company the impression that you are not focused or are desperate.
    2. Social Media: Be sure to check out their LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter pages. LinkedIn is a wonderful resource for conducting research and identifying people within your target organizations with whom you may wish to network.  In some cases, companies may have a Twitter career page.  Be sure to follow such pages so that you are the first in the know for any roles that may come available.  As a final note, remember that employers may check your online profiles, so it is important that your online presence is updated and professional.
  2. Network – Networking is critical to any job search.  You never know who you might know who works in your target organization, or who knows someone else who works there.  Tapping into your network is a great way to find jobs the company might have available, the skills they look for, and uncover the hidden job market.  Where possibly, try to set up interest interviews with your target company.  Before tapping into your network or going on any interest interviews, be sure to have your elevator pitch ready.  For more information about crafting your elevator pitch, check out my blog post here.  Click here for a copy of my networking guide.
  1. Job Boards – There are a wide variety of job boards available to you.  The most popular job boards include Monster and Workopolis, but there are also government sponsored job boards that you can find for your province, country, or state.  In addition to these more traditional job boards, there are job aggregator boards which scrape job ads from across the internet and aggregate them onto their site.  Examples include Indeed and Eluta.  Much like the company career sites mentioned above, you can set up ‘job search agents’ on these sites so that you are notified of job postings as they become available.
  1. Industry Associations – Your company list may fall into one or more industry segments.  Search any industry associations in which your target company/companies may participate.  Such industry association websites may have their own job boards or a list of upcoming industry events.  Attending industry events is a great way to grow your professional network and potentially learn about new job opportunities.
  1. Recruitment Agencies – As mentioned in a previous blog post, recruiters in recruitment agencies are a great, mostly free, resource.  Not only will recruitment agencies have a variety of job opportunities available, recruiters are typically very knowledgeable about the latest industry and company trends.  In some cases, recruitment agencies may also have knowledge of opportunities in the hidden job market.  For more insight on working with recruiters, check out my previous blog post here.
  1. Make a Plan – While conducting your job search, it is important to keep yourself organized and to create an action plan.  Set weekly goals for the number of jobs you apply for and the number of networking contacts you are going to email.  Remember to build in time for research, interviewing, and tailoring your resume.  Not only will this keep you focused, but it will also keep you organized.

I hope you found these tips helpful.  If you have any other tips on job searching, please feel free to leave a comment below.  Also, if you would like personalized advice, please check out the services section or send me an email – I’d be happy to help!

Until next time, happy hunting!

 

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How to Conduct Company Research for your Job Search
May 15 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Interview Strategies, Job Interview Research, Job Search

Conducting company research is a critical step along your job search journey.  With a plethora of information available online, it can be an overwhelming task.  Here are my tips to help ensure that you don’t miss any key information while sifting through the volumes of information available to you.

Company Research

There are a variety of resources available so you can gather key pieces of information on your target company.

  1. Company Website – Most organizations have a dedicated company website and it is a great place to start with your research. Here are a few pages you should review:
    1. About Us – in this section, many companies will provide information about their history, Mission, Vison, and Values. Similarly, this information may also be found on a company’s careers section.
    2. News – this page is typically dedicated for recent (and archived) news articles with highlight key company milestones and accomplishments.  Companies tend to showcase those news articles that they themselves deem particularly important.
    3. Investor Relations – if the company is publicly traded, they will likely have an Investor Relations page where you will be able to find information on company financials as well as their annual and quarterly reports. It is a good idea to browse through these reports, not only to gather any key financial insight, but also to glean information on key company investments and developments.
    4. Our Team – In this section, you will likely find information about the leaders within an organization, such as the CEO, executive team, and possibly the board of directors. It is usually a good idea to know who the CEO of an organization is before going into an interview.
  2. Social Media – you can gain many key insights on an organization based on their social media presence. Here are a few places you should turn to for this part of your research:
    1. Twitter – take note of the types of tweets a company sends out as well as the tweets from its key people, such as the CEO or executive team.
    2. Facebook – another resource to see what information the organization is sharing with its fans.
    3. LinkedIn – be sure to follow the company on LinkedIn to receive updates on various postings they feel is important enough to share on this platform.
  3. Network – while researching LinkedIn, be sure to look up any key people within the organization as well as the people with whom you will be interviewing. See if you have any connections in common and be sure to reach out to those people for any insights they may be able to share with you.  In addition, you can search your LinkedIn connections to see if there is anyone you know who is a current or former employee of your target company.
  4. Review Sites – Sites such as GlassDoor.com provides candidate and employee reviews of a variety of companies. In addition, forums on job boards and Salary.com may also have similar employee or interviewee reviews.  Take this information with a grain of salt as sometimes there are far more negative reviews than positive reviews.  That said, it is a good idea to take note of any potential “red flags.”
  5. Google – especially Google News. Set alerts to ensure you are receiving up to date information on the organization.
  6. Job Interview – your research doesn’t stop the minute you go to an interview, in fact, the job interview is a perfect opportunity to conduct research on the corporate culture. Take note of how you are greeted upon arrival as well as how the employees interact with each other.  Is the overall atmosphere cordial, formal, friendly, or a combination of these?  Finally, is this the type of organization in which you can see yourself?

Other Research

  1. Competitors – by quickly reviewing competitor’s websites, take note of how they position themselves in the competitive landscape, taking note of any key competitor developments and investments.
  2. Industry Research – researching an industry can take a lot of time, but it could be worth it. This is especially true if you are targeting several organizations within a particular industry.  Here are a few resources for conducting industry research:
    1. Association sites – a quick web search for the industry in question will likely return a number of industry association websites. These are great resources for information on industry trends and overall competitive landscape.
    2. Government sites – most government websites will have industry statistic data and data on various industries based on NOC (National Occupation Code) data.
    3. Mergent Online database – most post-secondary institutions will provide access to the Mergent Online database via the university or college library. In other cases, your local library may provide access to this database as well.  The Mergent Online database has a wealth of information on various organizations and industries.
    4. MarketResearch.com – This is another great website with a volume of industry, company and country information.

Pulling it all Together

Now that you have all of this information, it is important to organize it in a way that you can analyze the target company, maintaining a balanced view.  One of my favorite tools to do this is a SWOT analysis.  SWOT is an acronym that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  The figure below illustrates how a SWOT Analysis works.

SWOT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, another great resource is SlideShare.com.  Not only could SlideShare.com be a great resource for company research, you might also find completed SWOT analysis on your target company, their competitors, and possibly industry analysis.  Keep in mind, these analyses may not encompass all of the research you would have conducted, but it may be a good starting point.

Final Thoughts

As much as you might want to highlight all of your hard work and research, it is important to stay positive in your interview.  As an example, if the company in question has recently sold off one of their divisions, instead of saying: “I noticed that you have sold ABC division.  What’s up with that?”  You may want to say: “I noticed that you have recently sold ABC division. This is intriguing to me.  Can you tell me how you came to that decision?”  The first approach would immediately put the interviewer on the defensive, whereas the second approach is a great way to showcase your research and your interest in the organization.

Finally, be sure not to sound overly keen to demonstrate the research you would have conducted on the interviewers.  Doing so may make you come across as desperate and potentially intrusive.

The interview is your prime opportunity to showcase the best version of you.  Conducting company research and staying positive and respectful in your interview will go a long way in doing just that!

If you have any other recommended research resources, please feel free to leave them in the comments below.  If you have any questions, video ideas, or would like to collaborate, please feel free to contact me directly.

In the meantime: Happy Hunting!

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How to Negotiate your Job Offer
April 24 2016 nfougere Job Screening 0 comments Tags: Bag the Job, Job Hunt, Job Offer, Job Search, Negotiations

There are 2 key elements in negotiating a job offer: what you are looking for, and what the organization is willing to pay.  Like most stages of your job search journey, it is vital to prepare for negotiating a job offer by doing your research!  Not only should you research the market salaries, but you should also take the time to think through what you would be looking for in terms of salary, benefits, and other contingencies.

There are a number of excellent resources online to help you with your research.  Here are a few that should help:

When thinking through what you are looking for, you should think about what your bottom line offer would be – after all, regardless of how enticing an opportunity may be, you still need to pay your bills.  Other factors to consider include benefits, vacation, bonus/commissions, percent of travel, flexible work arrangements, etc.  For all of these factors, think about the worst case, best case, and middle ground offers, and be sure to rank order each of the factors you are considering by importance.  For instance, if you are considering a role that requires travel, perhaps you would be willing to reduce your salary expectations if the amount of travel were reduced.  Going through this exercise will enable you to discuss multiple line items in the offer during your negotiation.

Timing – Initial Salary Discussion

Another aspect of negotiation is timing.  Sometimes the recruiter or hiring manager will ask about your salary expectations early on in the recruitment process.  This is a good time to make sure that your expectations are aligned to the role.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, but at least in the same ballpark.  It is always better to provide the recruiter or hiring manager with some sort of salary range, otherwise, they may question your preparedness and your business acumen if you are elusive in your expectations.  After all, negotiation can be an element in the role for which you are interviewing.

Sometimes recruiters will ask you what you earned in your last role (or what you are currently making), but that isn’t necessarily relevant, nor is it always an appropriate question.  A perfectly reasonable answer to this question, however, is to say that based on the role as you understand it, you would be expecting between $X and $Y (fill in the blanks).  Keep in mind: if you are elusive in your answer about your salary expectations, the recruiter may need to resort to asking about your previous salary.  As such, this question becomes increasingly relevant and appropriate for keeping the conversation moving forward.

If the salary discussion hasn’t been brought up by the hiring company by the time you finish your 1st round of in-person interviews, it is ok for you to broach the topic with the recruiter or hiring manager after the interview.  It is typically not appropriate to ask in the job interview itself, however.  Having a salary conversation in advance of a job offer can help you determine whether or not the role is a good fit for you, and it is also your opportunity to use the negotiation tactic of ‘anchoring’ – a cognitive bias whereby decisions are made based on the first piece of information that is revealed in a negotiation.

Timing – Job Offer

When you do receive a job offer, if you’ve done your research and thought through your needs, you should be prepared to talk about several line items in the one negotiation.  Although salary is an important factor, it’s usually not the only or even most important factor to consider.  Being able to look at the big picture in the overall offer should help you to better assess if there are areas where each side could potentially be flexible.  In addition, if there isn’t a lot of “wiggle room” on the employer’s side, you could suggest things like a signing bonus to help close any gaps in the offer.  In doing so, you will be able to demonstrate your reasonableness, flexibility, and creativity.  On the other hand, if you settle one item and go back to the employer later with other requests, you will appear to be indecisive, or even greedy.

Multiple Offers & Counter Offers

In the event that you have multiple job offers, and/or your current employer extends a counter offer – Congratulations!  It is important to remember that you must be honest in your negotiations with your current and prospective employers.  Disclosing that you have other offers or a counter offer on the table is valuable information to the prospective employer, but be careful not to use this as a “hardball tactic” in your negotiation.

Another important consideration is that you must be honest about your other offers.  Lying about a salary package is not only unethical, but you will also run the risk of breaching contract laws – thereby increasing the potential of having your job offer revoked or being terminated after you start.

Final Thoughts

Remember that you are negotiating with people.  Companies don’t negotiate, people do.  As such, it is important that you see things from the employer’s perspective.  They see value in you and are showing that by offering you the opportunity to join their team.  By being fair and reasonable in your negotiation tactics, you will be confirming with the employer that they are making the right decision in offering the job to YOU!  On the other hand, if the employer’s offer is insulting, then perhaps you would want to re-consider this organization as a potential employer.

Every step along the recruitment journey there are signs that indicate whether or not the organization you are entertaining is the right fit for you.  The negotiation is another way to screen a company in or out, just as much as it is a way for the company to screen a candidate in or out.  As such, the negotiation stage is just as important as every other step in the recruitment life cycle.  It’s important that each party is treated fairly and are happy with the end result.

If you have any other insights on successfully negotiating your job offer, please feel free to leave a comment below!

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The Pros & Cons of Contracting
April 17 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Contracting, Job Search, Job Search Tips, Pros & Cons

With more and more organizations augmenting their staff with contract employees, it is becoming more important than ever for people to consider the pros and cons of contract employment before they even apply. Here are my top pros & cons, along with a few additional considerations that you can use when deciding if contracting is right for you.

Pros of Contracting:

  1. Generate Income – taking on a contract opportunity is a great way to generate income while you are pursuing other options, such as permanent employment, schooling, or even starting your own business.
  2. Try Before Buy – while working on a contract you have the opportunity to conduct deeper research on the organization for which you are contracting. This is a great chance for you to determine whether or not you enjoy the company culture, team, and role before you make any decisions to pursue permanent opportunities within the organization.
  3. Foot in the Door – In some cases, contract opportunities turn into permanent roles. Starting off as a contractor gives you the chance to showcase your skills and talents, likely increasing the likelihood of you gaining a permanent role.
  4. Keep Experience – contracting is a key way for you to keep your skills current and relevant for your next role.
  5. Add Experience – if you are looking to make a career change, or if you are new to a country, contracting is a great strategy for you to gain the experience you need to move towards your ideal career.
  6. May Pay More – typically, employers will pay a higher wage to their contract employees to compensate them for a lack of benefits. What you lose in benefits, you could gain in increased salary.
  7. Grow Network – working with any employer, even on a temporary basis, you will meet new co-workers and hence, expand your network.
  8. More Employable – As the adage goes, it’s easier to find a job when you already have one. Working on a contract basis still counts!
  9. Less Competition – given that contract opportunities are a less desirable proposition, there could be fewer people competing for these roles. With less competition, your chances of getting the interview and even landing the job will increase.

Cons of Contracting:

  1. Uncertainty – the uncertainty that comes with not knowing when the job may come to an end is the primary reason that people find contracting an undesirable proposition.
  2. Keep Searching – due to the uncertainty (above), your job search never really ends. This becomes increasingly important as the contract opportunity comes to an end. Let’s face it, looking for a job is a full-time job, and it’s a lot of hard work.
  3. Lack of Benefits – as mentioned in Pro #6, there are typically fewer benefits available for contract employees. This makes long term planning (i.e. retirement, vacations, etc.) challenging.
  4. Hours Worked = Hours Paid – As a contractor, you only get paid for the hours you work. So, if you need to take a personal day or time for vacation, then this could be an expensive plan because you won’t get paid if you don’t actually work.

Other Considerations:

  1. Employer Support in your Job Search – given that you may need to look for another opportunity as your current contract comes to an end, it is important to know whether the contract employer will provide you with the flexibility you may need for conducting a job search. Special consideration may be needed for time off for interviews or network meetings.
  2. Childcare – although this only impacts parents, childcare issues may be a prohibitive factor when considering contract opportunities. I recommend you research child care options to see if there are options available to you with the flexibility you will need to accommodate a potentially inconsistent work schedule.
  3. Self-Employment Options – For those who are interested in embarking on a contracting lifestyle, it would be worth considering setting yourself up as a self-employed entity. In Canada, the options would include setting up a sole proprietorship or becoming incorporated, and in the US, it would be the difference between being a ‘W2’ or a ‘1099.’ Most countries have systems in place that cater to self-employed people, and these systems typically involve better tax implications for the self-employed.

Final Thoughts:

Many contract opportunities will present themselves via recruitment agencies. As mentioned in a previous blog post, recruiters are a fantastic resource in helping you determine if contracting is the right move for you.

If you are considering contract opportunities, I hope this post helps, and if you have other helpful hints and tips, please feel free to share in the comment section below!

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How to Optimize your Resume for Recruitment Systems
March 31 2016 nfougere Resume Writing 0 comments Tags: How to write a resume, Job Search, recruitment systems, resume screening, resume writing, Resume Writing Tips

Recruitment systems – also known as Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS – are the databases that recruiters use to post jobs and receive resumes.  They are relational databases, which means that they are able to recognize relationships between sets of data.  In this case, an ATS is able to detect relationships between the job ad and your resume.

Let’s walk through how this works:

test2

 

It is also important to note that ATS systems are computer systems after all.  As such, your resume format must be readable.  Here are a few tips for writing your resume to ensure that it doesn’t get immediately rejected by the ATS:

  1. Use the Keywords from the job ad throughout your resume.
  2. Use proper spelling and grammar.
  3. Don’t put your contact details in the header – most ATS systems cannot read information in the header of a document.
  4. Don’t use graphs, charts, or images – the ATS won’t be able to read this information and will assume it is “garbage.”
  5. Don’t use fancy fonts – again, we need to ensure the ATS can read your resume.
  6. Use standard resume formatting – this makes your resume much more readable to an ATS.

Given that over 90% of large companies, and 60% of medium companies use Applicant Tracking Systems, it is more important than ever that you ensure that your resume is ATS friendly.

For help on writing an ATS-friendly resume, check out our Resume Writing services by clicking here.

 

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