Welcome back to Handling Counter Offers! In part two of this series we will talk about the employer’s perspective on the counter offer. The new employer and your current. Counter offers are to be expected, as mentioned in Part One if you better prepare yourself for it then you will know how to handle it. The perspective of the employer is very important in how you handle the counter offer. Especially since your loyalty has now been tested on both fronts.

The Current Employer

Looking at the employer’s perspective in regards to your resignation is significant. If your employer presents a counter offer it does not serve anyone else’s interest but their own. Their job is to maintain productivity and workflow. Your employer could offer you exactly what you were looking for in a new job, but that does not mean it is a long-term solution. Often the employer will present a counter offer to buy time to find your replacement. Once you have shown them that your loyalty was put to the test it is really hard to come back from that. The employer’s opinion of your loyalty will forever change and they always think you are open to leaving at any given time. So to protect themselves, they will present a counter offer and see you as disposable as soon as the right replacement comes along.

The New Employer

Getting a job offer is very exciting for both the candidate and new employer! It is the start of a new relationship, and could mean many good things to come forward. However, what really sours new employers is when you pit them against your previous with respect to the counter offer. Some candidates may go back to the new job offer and see if they can get more out of it. Not only is this detrimental to your new relationship with this employer, they may decide to take the offer back. Simply because there was lapse in your commitment with them.

As candidates you must be aware of every aspect to your job search. This includes handling counter offers. Commit fully to your job search and realize no amount money, vacation time or improved role will really keep you long-term. Avoid putting yourself in a position where your loyalty will be tested with your new employer and current employer. Don’t take your chances, you might be out two jobs because of one counter offer.

Looking for a new job is a long and arduous process, and as candidates you must commit yourself the entire way. Once you have been through the entire process and end up at the stage of accepting an offer you must realize your current employer may present a counter offer. In Part One of Handling Counter Offers we will discuss how you can better prepare yourself to expect a counter offer.

Be Committed to your Job Search
You started your search for a reason, it could have been because you were looking to grow your career, you wanted new challenges or overall you have job dissatisfaction. Now, whatever the reason may be you have to 100% think about quitting your current job to go for another. It may seem like a simple task but you need to actually think about leaving your current place of work. Quitting is never easy and if you’re not fully committed to leaving, your current employer can sway you with their counter offer and your whole search would be for naught.

Expect the Counter Offer
Now, when commencing your job search you should expect your employer to present a counter offer when you submit your resignation. To better prepare yourself, you should think about all aspects of what your current employer may potentially present to you. If they offer you $5000 will you stay? If they offer you more money and an extra week of vacation will you stay? If they give you a promotion or new job duties will you stay? You have to expect your current employer to use whatever means to get you to stay. However, if you answered yes to those questions it is better to have a conversation with your employer to see how you can improve your current situation.

More money, more vacation, and improved role are all enticing when put into a counter offer. But as someone who initially wanted to leave their job, take a moment to think back to your initial motivation in wanting to leave. If you still feel the same way no amount of money, vacation weeks or improved role will keep you long-term. In Part Two  of Handling Counter Offers we will discuss the employer’s perspective.

The use of behavioural questions during an interview is becoming increasingly popular. This makes it extremely important as a job seeker to know how to answer them.

Companies and employers like to use behavioural questions during an interview to ascertain whether a candidate is suitable for the position. Studies have shown that a good predicator of future job performance is past job performance. 

These types of questions are very useful in helping an employer ask important questions that really dig deep. They are used to assess a candidate’s abilities, thought-patterns and behaviours.  Behavioural questions are especially good in determining a candidate’s soft skills. Successful employees all have similar qualities. Companies like to hire employees who have good teamwork capabilities, client-facing skills, leadership skills, and communication skills. Companies also like to work with employees who know how to cope with failure and other stressors.

Behavioural questions are different from situational questions in that they focus on what has been done in the past. As an interviewee, it is important for you to be careful when answering these questions. Employers want to hear about specific examples of your work. They do not want to hear what you would hypothetically do in such a situation. A good rule of thumb when answering behavioural type questions is to use the S-A-R method. This method stands for Situation, Action, Result and is a good tool in helping formulate your answer.

Communication

Since communication is an integral skill to have for pretty much any job, employers need to make sure that their employees can communicate effectively with coworkers and clients. One type of communication-based, behavioral question could be: Give me an example of a time when you had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated client. How did you handle this delicate situation?

Teamwork

Employers like to know that all members of their company get along. A team that works well together also leads to increased productivity. One type of teamwork question might be something like: Describe a time when you struggled to build a relationship with someone important. How did you eventually overcome the problem? For these types of questions, you want to describe a good story where there was some sort of team conflict and clashing personalities.

Customer Service

Many roles are customer service oriented,  so if your role is one in which you are helping people and selling a service you can expect to get asked some behavioural questions. One such example of a client facing behavioural question can be: When you’re working with a large number of customers, it’s tricky to deliver excellent service to them all. How do you go about prioritizing your customers needs?

Leadership

Being an effective leader requires a lot of soft skills that cannot necessarily be taught. If applying for a leadership role, then you can definitely expect to be asked a behavioural question. An example of a leadership based behavioural question could be something like: Tell me about a time that you took the lead on a difficult project? Leaders and Managers at work are expected to upkeep morale and help with encouraging and motivating employees.

Perseverance

Failing and being disappointed is inevitable. Bad things happen to everyone, and they also happen at work. Employers prefer to hire people who are better at handling disappointment and who don’t get discouraged easily. One example of a question an employer can ask is: What was your biggest mistake and what did you learn from it?

How to make the successful transition from school to your first career job?

Tips for Success in your First Career Job:

• Be on time.
• Put away your phone – you are not in school anymore, you are at work.
• Get organized – use a calendar to schedule your day.
• Respect deadlines.
• Be truthful – your boss is not your Mom, Dad or Teacher – it is time to grow up.
• You have lots to learn – don’t assume after 2 weeks you know everything.
• Success takes hard work – it takes years of hard work!
• You will not enjoy everything you do.
• You can learn a lot from others – be observant, be a good listener, and ask thoughtful questions.
• Learn all you can about your industry, field of work, and your company.
• Invest in your career – take courses, read, network, and continue to learn.
• Don’t assume someone else is managing your career or growth.
• If someone helps you, be grateful and say thank you.
• Don’t be afraid – to ask for help, to ask for an assignment, to ask a question, to suggest a new way to do things…
• Be open minded and make up your own mind about others.
• Avoid gossip and negative influencers.
• Smile and have some fun!
• At the end of the day, think about your contribution …if you owned the company, would you be impressed by your attitude and work?

Good luck! Fusion Career Services posts Career Planning Advice each Monday.

Searching for a job is hard work!  It can be a real challenge especially in today’s competitive job market to stay positive. Manage job search frustrations with these helpful tips.

Constant disappointment and rejection can become increasingly frustrating and only adds to the stress of searching for a job.  Here are some ways you can remain positive and deal with the frustrations caused by the job search.

Write Down your Goals

Take advantage of this time to make a list of your goals, big and small.  Actually putting them on paper will force you to think about what you want to achieve, and will motivate you to reach them.  It’s almost like a to-do list for your career; it will be very cathartic to check things off your list, which will in turn motivate you throughout your job search.  Writing down your goals can also help you to find links between certain interests which may give you some other ideas on careers options you may not have considered before.     

Stay Organized

Use a notebook or spreadsheet to keep track of all of your applications.  Often times when you are searching for a job, it can almost feel like you are sending out resume after resume into the abyss, especially when you don’t receive any response back.  Staying organized will help you keep track and physically see which positions you have applied to.  Be sure to customize each resume and cover letter for each specific job, and ensure you follow up with each application, unless the job posting says otherwise.  Your spreadsheet can include information such as: job title, company & contact, date you applied, date to follow up, and outcome. 

Don’t be too Hard on Yourself

It is often easy to adopt a negative attitude and become frustrated when searching for a job.  It’s common to start thinking that you’re unemployable, which only adds to the stress of the search.  Try to focus on the positive aspects of the job search even if you have not secured an interview.  You may be building a great network, and learning more about what careers specifically interest you.  Just because you have not secured a job, or an interview yet, does not mean no one wants to hire you.  Focus on your strongest qualities and skills and how you can make these stand out to employers.

Take Days Off

It can be frustrating and emotionally exhausting to be checking job boards and sending out resumes every day.  To manage job search frustrations, you need to take some time to yourself, and take a break from the stress of job searching.  If you don’t you run the risk of burning yourself out, which will only add to your frustrations and negative feelings.  It can also cause you to lose sight of your main objective, which is to find a job that is the right fit, not just to find any ‘job.’  Have scheduled days off – ‘free days’ – where you don’t think about resumes or interviews.  Taking a few days off here and there can help you to refocus and come back fresh and ready to continue your search. 

It’s important to be able to recognize your frustrations and try to work through them.  By following these tips to manage job search frustrations, you’ll be able to handle the stress of the job search and persevere to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Welcome back to Part Two of Doing your Homework – Job Search Interviewer Research ! Today we will discuss interviewer research and why it is imperative to do this before your interview.

In Part One we explored company research. There are many different questions you can expect to be asked during an interview. You might be asked why you are interested in working for this company? The information is right in front of you and as a candidate you need to do your due diligence. Adding to this note, there is interviewer research. This is where you take the time to research the interviewer and give yourself a sense of who you are meeting with before the interview. Below is a guideline on how and why job search interviewer research should be part of your interview prep…

Before an interview you are often given information on who you will be meeting with. You may be given just a name, or name and a title. A title makes your job in researching much simpler. However, sometimes it is not that easy and this is when we commission the help of the internet! There are many different ways of finding out information on your interviewer, below are a few ways you can search the internet and conduct job search interviewer research:

• LinkedIn – By now you should have a LinkedIn account! Search for the interviewer’s name in LinkedIn with the company name. If you are lucky you will have a first and a last name. If you only have a first name, not to worry, adding the company name should narrow down the search. LinkedIn is the best way to find out who you are interviewing with. Typically the hiring manager will have a summary of themselves on LinkedIn where you can learn a bit about their background and role. If you are unable to locate the interviewer on LinkedIn there are other options to find them.
• Company Website – Depending on the size of the organization you may be able to find information about your interviewer on the company website. You may find a profile of the hiring manager that offers a bit of insight on how they contribute to the organization. However, if the organization is large it may not be possible to find them on the website.
• Search Engine – If you are unable to locate the interviewer on LinkedIn or the company website you can attempt to find the them with an internet search of their name and company. If the interviewer contributes to a company blog, charities or has a company profile set up somewhere else the search engine will pick it up.
• Your Network – Don’t forget to use your network of people you know. You may have a friend, or friend of a friend who works for the company. Use your network to find out information about the hiring manager.

You may be wondering why you should conduct job search interviewer research? When you take a moment to learn more about who you are meeting with you are offering yourself a sense of ease. It’s almost like a blind date except it’s a blind interview, you don’t know what to expect. If you do your due diligence you will learn things like what position the interviewer holds and how does the interviewer contribute to the organization? You can also find out interesting facts about your interviewer, such as if they participate in charity events or they went to the same post-graduate school as you. Alternatively, you could end up face to face with the President of the company during an interview. Take the opportunity to research your interviewer so you can walk in knowing who you are meeting with, what they do and how significant they are to the organization. Your preparation will not only impress your potential employer but will give you a better chance at landing the opportunity.

Read more about Doing Your Homework – Job Search in part one of this blog on Company Research.