ResuMAYDAY

Ask an Expert   630-901-3595

By

Closing the gender-pay gap

A big hot button in this election season is the gender-based pay gap. It’s shocking to me that 2017 is right around the corner, and yet this is still a critical topic of conversation. I had the opportunity to discuss this recently with a diverse group of people at a professional conference. I was pleased that everyone (women AND men, various ages and ethnicity) who took part in this discussion group saw eye-to-eye. In general, women shouldn’t have to ‘do’ anything to close a gap that should never exist in the first place. But what about the things that can be controlled? For any position and for every reason, women have to put forth their best job search campaign (a polished, accomplishment-based resume and strong, confident interview skills). When a woman receives a job offer, she must be able to negotiate (strongly and confidently!) on her own behalf for market pay and benefits. Many women start their career at a lower-than-market salary, and then have to spend their most capable years in ‘catch-up’ mode.

Just like her male counterparts, she has to campaign for, earn and be available for management positions and then pass it on by recruiting and mentoring junior-level women. And of course, it’s not just women who have a hand in this. Men must do their part to create a diverse and inclusive environment. When seeking to become a mentor, men should make themselves available to women candidates (which is rare).

The gender-pay gap is not going to be fixed overnight; it requires a systemic overhaul of processes, attitudes and opportunities.

By

2017 Hiring Trends

I was recently asked by another career professional if there are any ‘trends’ that candidates should be aware of in this current employment market. After considering the question carefully, two things come to mind:trends

One trend that won’t be going away anytime soon is that recruiting and interviewing stages have become much more robust – and much more exhausting (for candidates). It’s expensive to bring on a new employee. Employers no longer have unlimited funds to correct a mistake. For this reason, candidates are sitting through more rounds of interviews and employers are taking extra measures to ensure the candidate will be a good fit. Some of these measures are taken before that candidate even comes in for the interview! Candidates can expect their social media accounts will be reviewed, references will be checked and more filters will be put in place. But the good news is that once you’ve been offered a job, you’ve earned bragging rights!

Another trend is that more employers now find their candidates through in-person and social networking. Employers aren’t publicly posting as many jobs like they used to (unless they are required to, by law). For the past few years it was alright if a candidate wasn’t on LinkedIn, or had a ‘skeletal’ LinkedIn profile. That’s no longer acceptable. Having a sub-par LinkedIn profile or a non-existent profile is now just as damaging as having a sub-par resume.

These are the two biggest trends in hiring that I believe are here for the long run.

By

3 Summer Job Search Tips

If you have contacted the ResuMAYDAY office in the past two years, there’s a good chance that you’ve spoken to my lovely assistant, Sz’Moyne. Her favorite part of the job is talking with job seekers and helping them solve their problems whenever and however she can. And it’s with that positive attitude that she approached me with a few ideas to share with our clients about their summer job searches. So without further ado, I’d like to introduce a new segment to the ResuMAYDAY blog: From the Desk of Sz’Moyne Arnwine…

3 Summer Job Search Tips:
Now that summer is here, most job seekers will think that it’s a good idea to place their search on hold until the fall. While it’s true that some companies don’t extend offers until the fall, keep in mind that they interview before the offers…in summer. Here are three reasons not to believe that myth that it’s a waste of time to launch a job search in the summer:

1. Going to a pool party or summer event? You never know when you will run into a hiring manager or an industry professional at a picnic or other summer event. Make sure you have perfected your elevator speech, and drop a few business cards in your beach bag. If you find yourself with some summer free time, spend a few minutes making sure your LinkedIn profile is updated with your current career goal, all the right keywords and a good-looking profile picture. Summer is also a great time to conduct informational interviews with others who also have down time. Remember to think strategically, and act opportunistically.

2. Sometimes no news is good news. We have all been there before. You apply to a position but you don’t hear anything back right away so you assume that you aren’t qualified. Guess what? All bets are off when summer schedules take over. With summer in full swing, HR may be working with a reduced staff or the decision maker may be out of the office. Expect that it’s going to take a little longer to hear from someone. Be patient and don’t assume the worst.

3. Set small, obtainable goals that work with your schedule. Yes, it’s summer. You’ve earned some downtime, so go for it! Just be sure that you are setting aside time to fit in a few job search activities. Set a schedule of days and times that you can commit to your search. If you don’t do this, a week off can quickly turn into a month. Before you know it, the entire season can be behind you, with no job search progress to show for it. Small, obtainable goals will help keep you on track.

In conclusion, be proactive and take advantage of the season. Summer downtime and parties provide great opportunities to network and add momentum to your search. Be prepared! You never know what’s around the corner!

Sz’Moyne Arnwine is the Client Relations Manager at ResuMAYDAY. She loves learning about job search and business strategies, and generously shares them with the ResuMAYDAY community.

By

A word or two (or 412) about Interview Techniques

Interviewing well is such an important skill. You could have a great resume but if you can’t close the deal in the interview, your resume really doesn’t matter. So I wanted to take a moment to share some insights with you.

Generally, there are two types of interview questions: Traditional and Behavioral.
Traditional = What is your 5 year plan? What are your weaknesses? Why should we hire an external candidate like you, rather than promoting from within?
Behavioral = Tell me about a time that you failed while on the job. Tell me an unpopular management decision you made and how your team handled it. Tell me about a time that you had to manage conflict between two or more colleagues.

Job seekers have a much better chance of selling their skills and talents to an employer when behavioral questions are asked. Behavioral questions enable the candidate to bring the interviewer (figuratively) into the candidate’s previous work experience to show how they handled a specific workplace event. Traditional questions prompt canned, outdated and predictable answers. This isn’t the right way for an employer to find their next superstar! My advice to employers is ask behavioral-based questions in their interviews. My advice for job seekers is when an employer asks a traditional-based question, answer in a behavioral-based manner.

Example:
Q: “Why should we hire you, an external candidate, rather than promoting from within?”
A: “Well, I think a lot of candidates at this point may say that an outside person will bring a fresh perspective. I don’t agree with that; your employees don’t exist in a vacuum or a protective bubble. So while I don’t know the internal candidates who might be campaigning for a promotion, I can tell you that I have learned everything I can about your company and that I have a strategic plan that can get this department’s sales team to break the $1MM threshold. I’ve done it before for companies who don’t have as strong as an infrastructure as you do. Here’s my plan…”

What you’re doing is bending the conversation to your advantage, without sounding condescending to the interviewer. Afterwards, the interviewer will probably pat him or herself on the back for conducting such a great interview! But you and I will know the credit really goes to you…and the job offer probably will, too.

If you’re a job seeker and you want to improve your interview techniques, give us a call and we’ll set up an interview skills session. We even offer a FREE interview skills assessment!

If you’re an employer, reach out to us to learn more about behavioral interviews and how this technique will vastly improve your hiring results.

By

How do I let recruiters know I’m looking for a job…but not my boss?

I recently answered this question on a job seekers’ discussion site:
Job Seeker: “I need to announce my availability on LinkedIn but my boss will see my status. He added me so I had no choice but to accept. What do I do?”

ResuMAYDAY: You don’t need to announce it. As a matter of fact, you shouldn’t. If you’re a great candidate, recruiters will find you and talk to you whether you’re employed or not. Recruiters don’t care about your employment status, they care about your qualifications, skills and experience. That means that it’s your responsibility to make sure that your LI profile is up-to-date and uses all the right keywords that makes you visible to the people searching for those keywords.

Recruiters know that the smartest candidates are always open to better opportunities, so seeing that you are currently employed will never be a reason that they don’t reach out to you. There’s no ‘professional courtesy’ among recruiters, employers and candidates and there’s no harm in simply reaching out to you to see if you are open other opportunities.

One other thing – I never recommend that ANYONE puts their unemployment status on LI, even if they are. The unemployed are quickly becoming one of the most discriminated-against demographic. (Some) Employers specifically tell their recruiters NOT to bring anyone into an interview who is not currently employed. If you are unemployed, make yourself available for project work through a consultancy. On LinkedIn, you are ALWAYS employed. And while you’re adding keywords to your LinkedIn profile, now is a good time to go in and update your password, in light of recent LI events.

630-901-3595

info@ResuMAYDAY.com

Serving global clients from our HQ in the Chicago suburbs.

Connect With Resumayday

ResuMAYDAY on LinkedInResuMAYDAY on FacebookResuMAYDAY on Twitter