You may feel like shouting a triumphant ‘yes!’ when the recruiter offers you the job, but you need to play it cool.

Accepting a job offer is a triumphant moment for any job seeker. After all the work you’ve done researching, applying to jobs on Monster, and interviewing, you’ve finally been offered the position you’ve been aiming for. Go you! You’re understandably psyched. But don’t be so quick to jump on board right away. Knowing how to accept a job offer is a key skill every job seeker must master.

When an employer makes a job offer, they’re effectively laying their cards on the table and they want you to do the same—meaning they want you to also put your cards on the table and accept the position right then and there. Do that and you’re giving up your negotiation power. Bad move.

To understand how to accept a job offer the right way, follow these steps:

1. Express Your Appreciation for the Job Offer
Whether you’re communicating in person, on the phone, or via email, thank the person who made the offer and say how excited and grateful you are before you do anything else.

Whether you’re going to come back with a negotiation or accept the offer without changes, starting off this way sets a good tone for the conversation.

Keep up the enthusiasm as you move forward. Remember that the company is vulnerable—you might not accept their offer—so make them feel less so with your interest in the role. Using words like “excited” and “thrilled” will get the point across, without saying you’re accepting the position.

2. Ask to Get the Offer in Writing
Learning how to accept a job offer means you need to know exactly what you’re saying yes to. Once you’ve thanked the employer, request to have the offer put in writing. An official job offer letter should include, at the very least, the name of the position, a start date, a salary, and details about benefits.
This step does two things:

1. It makes the offer official.
2. It gives you a chance to review the details thoroughly to make sure you completely understand what you’re being offered.

Ask how long you have to give a final answer after receiving the letter. If the employer says they need an immediate answer, that’s a bad sign. Accepting a job offer properly requires due diligence, and a company is very much aware of this. Pressuring you doesn’t give the best impression and tends to be used as a scare tactic. A responsible employer wants prospective employees to have some time to think—usually a day or two—before accepting a job offer.

But if you want to negotiate the terms, respond by saying: “I’ve considered the offer and it’s a wonderful opportunity; I would want to discuss the details more carefully. When can we set up a time to speak or meet?”

Be prepared with the right questions to ask when negotiating salary, and remember that you should take a collaborative, not confrontational, tone in your negotiation. After all, both of you want the same thing—you in that job.

3. Know What to Say When Accepting a Job Offer
When you’re through negotiating and ready to accept, reiterate all the details as you understand them in your acceptance. You can say: “It is my understanding that I will be eligible for X days of vacation, Y amount of bonus payable on Z, the company covers 75% of my health care costs and matches my 401K contributions up to the first 3% of my salary.”

This is especially important if you’ve negotiated up from the initial offer. In fact, you should also ask to get the final, official offer in writing.

If the negotiations took longer than expected, acknowledge that in your acceptance. Negotiation is stressful for both sides and expressing appreciation for your new employer’s time and effort once you finally accept an offer shows you’re ready to move forward.

Finally, ask about the next steps. For example, is there any onboarding paperwork you should get started on after accepting a job offer? Will there be an orientation? And how can you prepare for your first day? This shows your interest, which will reaffirm to the company that they made the right choice in hiring you.

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These days, phone interviews are an unavoidable part of the job interview process, and for good reason: They save everyone involved time and effort. But that doesn’t mean that phoners require zero energy on the part of the candidate. Yes, you should spend more time preparing for an in-person interview, but many companies treat phone screens as the official first round of the hiring process. That means candidates are expected to go into them prepared with as much information about the company, position, and their own skills and strengths as possible.

We asked HR pros about their top phone interview pet peeves, they had no shortage of advice to offer. Apparently, it’s quite easy to mess up your phone interview. But here’s the thing; it’s also not hard to come across well if you keep some key things in mind.

1. Never Take The Interview Somewhere Noisy
It might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised what interviewers say they can hear in the background of their phone interviews—everything from barking dogs to screaming children. “Prepare for the interview by securing a quiet space in advance, even if it means escaping to your car parked in the garage,” advises Chere Taylor, founder of Fulcrum HR Consulting. “If you can lock your home office door, by all means, do it. We’ve all been there and sometimes things just happen, but the more time spent anticipating what could go wrong, the better prepared and organized you will appear to the interviewer and the greater likelihood of success.” That doesn’t mean that if your washing machine beeps once in the background all hope is lost, but the more effort you put into being in a quiet place, the more focused you’ll be.

2. Don’t Talk About Your Personal Life
…Unless you’re directly asked a question about what you like to do in your off hours. “The point of a phone interview is to focus on getting to know a candidate’s professional experience and goals,” says Mckenzie Roark, campus talent specialist at Lithko Contracting. “A recruiter is trying to qualify them to see if they are the best fit for a role, and learning about their personal life doesn’t help. For example, when asked where you see yourself in five years, we don’t want to know that you hope to be married or that you want to buy a new house. That is nice but that isn’t relative to anything professional.”

3. Resist The Urge to Multitask
It might be tempting to cross something off your to-do list while on a phone interview, but recruiters and hiring managers can easily tell if your attention is elsewhere. “My number one pet peeve is people who decide to multitask while on the phone interview,” says Dan Krupansky, Talent Acquisition Manager at PrimePay. “I have heard candidates washing dishes, making lunch in the microwave, going for walks, letting their dog out, and grocery shopping during the interview. I even had one person use the bathroom and flush the toilet while speaking with me.” Needless to say, this doesn’t reflect well on your level of interest in the position you’re interviewing for.

4. Skip The Money Conversation
To put it bluntly, it’s simply too early in the process for you to be the one who brings up salary expectations. “Chances are if a candidate is participating in a phone interview, this is the first time they have talked with the company, and the first call isn’t the appropriate time to talk about ‘what’s in it for you,’” says Justina Strnad, the Talent Acquisition Manager for Shiftgig. “Trust me, if you are a great candidate and make it to the next steps, the hiring team is going to be very transparent about what’s in it for you later on!”

5. Never Put Your Interviewer On Hold
Phone interviews don’t take that long, and there probably isn’t anything else going on that is really truly so urgent that you need to pause your interview. “Do not put me on hold to take an important call that just beeped in,” advises Jeremy Payne, head of people operations at Remote Year. “I am your important call. If you are expecting extremely urgent news (like information about a family illness), be sure to preface that in the early minutes of the interview, so the recruiter is aware of the situation and so you can work with them to reschedule if that interruption does occur,” he says.

6. Never Skip The Q&A
“After wrapping up a phone interview, it is typical that the interviewer will ask the candidate if they have any questions. I can’t stress this enough: ALWAYS ask questions,” says Roark. “If we have had a great phone interview and then we wrap up and they don’t have any questions for me, it pretty much ruins the whole interview. It tells me that the candidate is uninterested in the role, which in reality, might not be the case at all,” she notes. But surely, if you’re interested in a job, you can think of something to ask your interviewer.

7. Don’t Be Late
It seems basic, but surprisingly, many people are late to phone interviews. “About a quarter of the people with whom I schedule phone interviews aren’t on time,” says Sophie Cikovsky, who handles the U.S. recruiting for Infinite Global. “While this bothers me personally, it’s also indicative of someone who isn’t very detail-oriented,” she explains. “In order to identify this early in the hiring process, I started asking all candidates a few years ago to call me as opposed to calling them at an agreed-upon time. That way if I hear from them at 1:13 pm or 12:49 pm instead of our planned 1:00 pm interview time, I have an early indicator that they might not be a great fit.”

8. Don’t Assume Reception Is Good
“Make sure you test your headset and connection before dialing in,” recommends Payne. “There is nothing more frustrating for a recruiter who has a structured interview guide in place having to repeatedly ask the same question over and over because they could not understand your answer due to static or dropped signals.” Test call a friend beforehand or even call yourself from a landline if necessary; it will take less than a minute.

9. Never Talk Over The Interviewer
You might be eager to get your point across or talk about your experience, but interrupting the interviewer is awkward and rude when you’re speaking on the phone, even more so than in face-to-face interviews. “Interviewing can be stressful and sometimes that stress manifests itself in speaking too fast, speaking too loud, talking over the interviewer, or attempting to answer the interviewer’s question before they have actually finished asking the question,” says Taylor. “Don’t do this.” There’s a big difference between being assertive and being aggressive, and interviewers can always recognize it.

10. Skip Filler Words
It’s tough not to say things like “um,” “uh,” and “like” in everyday speech, but these verbal habits become much more pronounced when speaking on the phone, says Chris Dardis, a recruiting expert and HR professional with Versique Executive Search. “In face-to-face interviews, they’re not as noticeable because there are other things like your hair, suit, or body language to distract people,” he explains. But in a phone interview, the only thing you have to go on is what you say and how you say it. “That’s why it’s so important to eliminate these words from your speech when doing a phone interview.”

11. Don’t Go In Blind
Not knowing anything about the company or job you’re interviewing for is way more obvious than you’d think. “Many people think that a phone interview means they’re getting away with something, that they don’t have to put as much effort into researching the role or company,” says Steve Pritchard, HR Consultant for giffgaff. And if you have your laptop in front of you during the interview to do a few quick searches, they won’t know the difference, right? Not exactly. “Seasoned interviewers will know whether an interviewee is researching while on the phone; they will take too long to answer the question and punctuate their answers with a lot of ‘ums’ and ‘errs’ as they type. The interviewer can often even hear the typing as they ask the question,” he adds.

12. Nix Long-Winded Answers
“The key to success during a phone interview is clear and concise answers,” says Dardis. “People’s attention spans tend to be shorter over the phone. You don’t want your future employer to lose interest in the conversation.” He recommends practicing answers to questions you know will be asked ahead of time in order to be clear on what you’re going to say. That way, you can prevent rambling before it starts.

The post 12 Things to Never Do During A Phone Interview appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

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What Do Job Titles Signify?
A job title is a very helpful tool in the professional world. Your job title provides a concise encapsulation of your position as an employee. A job title, depending on the job, can actually express not only your level in the overall organization of your business but also the responsibilities that are required of you in that position.

What is a retention bonus?
A retention bonus, also known as a retention package, retention pay, or stay bonus, is a one-time lump sum a company or organization pays an employee as an incentive to remain with the company for a specified amount of time. The amount offered within a retention bonus package varies but is usually based on a percentage of the employee’s salary, their role within the company, and the time they will remain. Larger companies use retention bonuses to retain key employees and continue to benefit from their talent and experience. Organizations typically offer retention bonuses during a company transition to help maintain a solid working foundation within the company and ensure that leadership guides employees through the change.

Reasons companies offer retention bonuses
Companies may benefit from offering retention pay in the following ways:

• To establish reliability. Bonuses help keep reliable employees happy and loyal to the company for many years.
• To boost morale. Extra pay shows employees their work is valued and they feel motivated to perform well.
• To create loyal workers. Workers who are justly compensated for their time and expertise gain respect for the company and are invested in seeing it succeed.
• To provide consistency. An outsider, such as a customer, who consistently sees the same employees views the company as consistent and reliable.
• To reward performance. Although retention bonuses aren’t based on employee performance, employees who are fairly compensated have higher job satisfaction and are more likely to take pride in a job well done.
• To keep highly skilled workers. A bonus is an investment in experience. Experienced workers are often more confident, are more consistently productive, and have honed their skills throughout the years.

How does a retention bonus work?
Employee performance is usually not a determining factor in a retention bonus. Rather, a retention package is a monetary incentive offered to keep an employee and their talent at the company for an agreed amount of time. Both the employee and a supervisor or a qualified company representative sign the written terms of the agreement. The retention bonus contract states the amount of the bonus offered, a determined time period the employee agrees to remain with the company, and how the company will pay the funds. Typically, the bonus is paid in one large sum or spread out in smaller amounts throughout the duration of the contract.

How to decide if you should accept a retention bonus
If the company you work for has offered you a retention bonus, you are a valued employee and management has noted your hard work. Your contributions and both hard and soft skills are considered valuable assets and the organizational leadership determined that losing you as an employee would negatively affect the overall company productivity and profit. Carefully consider the following factors when determining whether to sign a retention agreement or begin negotiating.

1. The reasons a bonus is offered
Companies offer bonuses for different reasons. Consider the determining factors behind your offer. The company might offer a retention bonus to secure quality employees during a time of transition or to ensure continued success and keep talented employees from going to work for a competing organization. Evaluate your thoughts about the justifications behind the offer and consider whether you agree with the company’s motivating factors or if you find the tactic questionable. It is important to evaluate these factors in order to make the best decision and work with a company you trust.

2. Your opinion of the company and your experience
Review whether your own values and priorities still match those of the company you work with. Consider your experience with the organization so far and the leadership styles you’ve encountered. Positive company culture is important to job satisfaction.

3. The current job market within your industry
Research current job openings that match the qualifications and responsibilities you currently hold. You can begin by searching based on your specific job title. Determine the status of the job market and how easily you would find a position with pay and responsibilities comparable to your current position. Knowing your available options and whether your current salary is fair will inform your judgment in deciding if a retention bonus is right for you.

4. Your tax responsibility
Retention bonuses are considered taxable income. However, because they are supplemental wages, your tax responsibility may differ from that of your annual salary. Consider the tax rate when contemplating if you should accept a retention bonus. A tax professional can answer your questions regarding things like aggregate tax or percentage tax. It may be financially beneficial to request a raise over a bonus.

5. Your career path
The retention agreement will show the amount of time you will commit to the company. Think about how the decision to remain will impact your career path and ability to move up. If upward mobility is important to you, understand whether there are opportunities for you to do so within the company and how a role shift will affect your agreement.

Tips for salary negotiation
When deciding if a retention bonus will work for you, you may ask for more funds or negotiate for a shorter amount of time to commit to the company. Use the list below for help with your salary negotiations and to understand your stay bonus plan.

1. Request a copy of the contract to review.
You will want to review the terms and conditions of the agreement when you are clear-headed and relaxed. An office setting, with work obligations looming, may not be conducive to understanding the details. Ask to take home an unofficial copy. Although some companies may not allow it for privacy purposes, they may give you other options.

2. Pay close attention to the language used.
Retention bonuses are often large sums, and companies may use vague language within the contract. If there is a shift in management or another unforeseen event, you want to be sure that you and the promised incentive are protected from policy loopholes. Look for phrases such as, “actively employed” and “sole discretion.” Read the clauses carefully and ask that the contract includes specific details. Check that concrete language is used throughout and that the company clearly defines terms like “termination causes” and “conditions I cannot control.” You may also want to look at asking the company to agree to keep your role relevant during the specified retention period (or negotiate a severance package) should there be a restructuring.

3. Take your time.
Because you are potentially committing one or more years to working with a company, take your time to review the conditions and clauses. Communicate with the human resources manager or your supervisor and let them know when you will be ready to discuss the terms and conditions.

4. Consider declining.
Although monetary incentives are attractive, if you were already considering leaving the company because of a lack of culture fit or job insecurity, a quick lump sum may not be enough to satisfy you in the long term. Be sure to weigh your options carefully and be ready and able to commit to the role and job environment for the negotiated time period.

5. Request a meeting.
When you are ready, request a meeting to sit down and discuss the terms with a supervisor or individual authorized to make changes. Know what your conditions are and clearly express your needs politely.

6. Propose adjusting the time period.
You may wish to negotiate a shorter time frame, especially if there are few opportunities for advancement.

7. Contemplate asking for a raise instead.
Based on your tax rate, pay scale, and the actual amount of the offer, you may want to consider requesting a raise in salary instead. Consult with a tax professional, but it may not cost the company extra money and could decrease your income tax responsibility.

8. Be flexible and patient.
Most companies and managers are willing to make adjustments, but they may need time to consider your proposal and possibly to check with others to see if they are acceptable. Remain respectful and understanding and be aware of your options. A shorter retention period may not be workable, but perhaps they can offer extra vacation time. Negotiation is a process.

Being well-informed when discussing your agreement and stay bonus can help you feel more confident when deciding if you should accept a retention bonus. Do your research to know if remaining loyal to your current company is the right decision for your personal and professional life.

The post Know What a Retention Bonus Is to Expertly Negotiate appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

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You’ve been interviewing for a while and they’re ready to make you an offer. You really want this job, and you’re excited the interview phase is finally over and it’s time to negotiate.

You just need the details of the offer and then you’ll be ready to counter offer. So you hop on a call with the hiring manager, who describes the offer in detail.

Base salary – check.

Vacation time – check.

Signing bonus – check.

Equity – … huh? “Can you run that by me again?”

Equity – … “Um, ok. Thanks for the offer. I’d like to take a few days to think it over if you don’t mind.”

You were all set to negotiate, but this equity thing doesn’t make any sense. What’s it worth? How do you negotiate something that you won’t even get until a few years from now?

And more importantly: Can you negotiate more equity shares instead of salary?
This is a big question that will be easier to answer as three smaller questions.

Let’s walk through a simple heuristic to help you decide if negotiating for more shares makes sense in your situation.

Does your job offer include shares or other equity?
If there’s not an equity component to your job offer, then shares probably aren’t in play. If your offer includes some equity component—stock options, Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), or other equity—then you probably can negotiate for more shares.

Assuming you can negotiate more shares, let’s dig into a more interesting question: Should you negotiate more equity shares instead of salary?

Can you impute a real value on the shares they offered?
First, you need to know if you can impute any sort of objective value on what they’re offering you. Here’s the key question: “How much are these shares worth today?”

If the answer to that question is, “Well, that depends on whether we go public and how many other investors we get, and what our valuation is for our next raise, and …” then that’s another way of saying, “We have no idea.” This will often be accompanied by statements like, “If we went public today, we estimate these options would be worth [big number].” It’s important to understand that they’re guessing.

To get a better sense of what I mean by “guessing”, play with the inputs on the TLDR Stock Options calculator and you’ll see what I mean.

In this case, I don’t recommend negotiating shares in lieu of pay. You’re better off negotiating for things on which you can impute a value—salary, vacation days, signing bonus, relocation stipend, etc.

On the other hand, if you are able to impute a value on the shares, then it might be worth negotiating for more. This is generally true for publicly traded companies where you can simply look at the current stock price and do some basic math to figure out what the shares are worth right now.

The most common way I see this is with RSUs, but there are lots of other flavors of shares and equity.
Even if you know what they’re worth today, that doesn’t mean you’ll know their value tomorrow, and it’s impossible to predict what they’ll be worth in four years. But at least you can get a baseline for negotiation.

Have you exhausted your better options?
The last thing to consider—and this is an important one—is whether you’ve exhausted all of your other negotiation options.

Even if you know the value of the shares being offered, they will carry some additional risk relative to your base salary, paid vacation time, signing bonus, etc. What if the market tanks? What if they go out of business before you can sell your shares? What if they’re acquired and the shares turn out to be less than anticipated?

Of course, your actual paycheck may be susceptible to these risks in some ways, but at least you’ll probably get paid for the work you already did at the salary you negotiated. You may never get paid out for the shares you negotiate.

I recommend prioritizing the available negotiable options from “most valuable” to “least valuable”. This is purely subjective and is completely up to you. Here’s what your list might look like:

1. Base salary
2. Signing bonus
3. Paid vacation
4. Relocation stipend
5. Shares

You can pay your mortgage or car payment with base salary or a signing bonus. You can impute a real value on paid vacation time. A relocation stipend will help you cover your moving expenses if you’re relocating for this job. But shares might or might not be worth something by the time you can access them, so I recommend putting them at the bottom of your list.

To make sure you get the best result in your negotiation, I recommend focusing on the top two or three things on your list. Starting with the most valuable things and work your way down.
In our example above, if you can’t negotiate base salary, signing bonus, paid vacation, relocation stipend or anything else more valuable than the shares you were offered, then you might consider negotiating shares in lieu of pay.

I’ll wrap up by sharing the method I recommend that my coaching clients use to determine whether they should negotiate more shares in lieu of pay. If you answer “no” to any of these three questions, then you probably have better negotiation options aside from more shares:

1. Does your job offer include shares or other equity? If not, then you probably can’t negotiate for more shares. If so, you might be able to negotiate for more shares.
2. Can you impute a real value on the shares they offered? If not, then you probably shouldn’t negotiate for more share in lieu of pay. If you can, then you might want to negotiate for more shares.
3. Have you exhausted your better options like base salary and paid vacation? If not, then start with those more valuable things. If you were unable to negotiate for those other things, then you might want to negotiate for more shares in lieu of pay.

I recommend negotiating more shares in lieu of pay as a last resort for my coaching clients. That might be a good strategy for you too.

The post Can You Negotiate More Equity Shares In Lieu of Pay? appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

The most awkward networking attempt I’ve ever witnessed happened in my senior year of college. A former executive at NBC who had started his own production company came to talk to the film department at my school about entertainment careers, and I went to check it out. The speaker was great — he had plenty of insight, advice and personal anecdotes, and I stayed after to chat with him a bit (mainly about our mutual love of 30 Rock if I’m being honest).

Ahead of me in line was another woman who, rather than asking a thoughtful question, hit him with “Can you help me get an internship at your company?” Unsurprisingly, he gave her a strange look, said that she should look up the opportunities available on their careers page, and moved on. After all, why in the world would he vouch for her when he didn’t know anything about her?

I understand why you might want to ask someone to help you get a job at their company — referrals are a powerful way to get your foot in the door, and studies have shown that recruiters view referral candidates as higher quality than other sources. But if you don’t ask for one the right way, you may be doing more to hurt your application than help it. An out-of-the-blue request like the one I witnessed can come across as pushy, crass, and just plain self-serving.

To help you navigate that fine line between polite and presumptuous, we reached out to experts to hear how they suggest approaching someone for a referral — here are their tips.

When Asking Someone You Know Well

If you’re close to somebody connected to the company — be it a friend, family member, or former colleague — you’re in luck. Assuming you have a good relationship, they will probably be happy to help you out.

“Be honest with them. Tell them what it is you’re ultimately looking for, and give them an idea of how they can help you,” recommends career coach Carlota Zimmerman.

Keep in mind, though, that a request for a referral — even when asking a close friend — is not a guarantee that you’ll receive one. If somebody can’t vouch for your work quality, they may not be comfortable putting themselves on the line for you. Because of this, it’s polite to give somebody an out, says Roy Cohen, career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide.

“Build in an exit option for friends, family, and colleagues. Sometimes, and to our great surprise and disappointment, the people closest to us will act weird when these sorts of requests are made,” Cohen says. “Rather than jeopardize the relationship, let the request go if there is any waffling.”

Cohen suggests saying something like: “I wonder if I can impose on you…and it’s not an issue if you can’t. I’m trying to get a referral to [company name] and I seem to remember that you may know that person or know someone who does. It would really mean a lot to me. Let me explain why.”

If they do end up referring you, don’t take it for granted.

“Afterwards, take them out to dinner, or buy them a small thank-you present,” Zimmerman advises.

When Asking Someone You Kind of Know

Asking for a referral from an acquaintance — say, a friend of a friend or former coworker who you only talked to a handful of times — requires a little bit more finesse. One way to build goodwill and improve your odds of a response is reminding them of your connection to each other.

“It is always best if you and the acquaintance share a good mutual friend or colleague in common. That will establish your credibility as someone who is not likely to be a source of embarrassment,” Cohen says. “Send a brief note first to break the ice and to provide context as to why you are reaching out.”

Cohen suggests: “You may remember that you and I share so-and-so in common. I seem to recall that you may also have a connection to [who you want to meet or where you want to go]. I heard that there may be an opportunity there and I wanted to reach out, but I don’t know anyone at the firm. Can I impose on you? Let me tell you about my background so that you know a little bit more about me.”

This last part is key, Cohen says, as “people we barely know or know peripherally on a social basis may have little knowledge as to our backgrounds. It is always a good idea to remind them by sharing information that they may be unaware of and that may even impress them.”

This will also allow them to give hiring managers and recruiters a better idea of what you have to offer, which is key if you want to get their attention.

And just as you would with a friend, it’s nice to express your appreciation for a referral by thanking them with a phone call, note or small gift.

When Asking Someone You Don’t Know

If you don’t know somebody who works at the company you’re interested in, all hope is not lost. These days, you can easily go online to figure out who works at a company and reach out to them. It’s best to seek out a recruiter, the hiring manager for the role or someone who is on the team you’re interested in joining. Make sure that you’re not asking for too much too quickly, though, as that will turn people off of helping you.

Once you reach out to someone via LinkedIn or email, “always begin by expressing your gratitude,  and repeat that message at the very tail end of your request,” suggests Cohen.

Then, “use your interest in a position at the company they are working at as a way to get to know this person,” advises J. Kelly, author of BUILD YOUR DREAM NETWORK: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World.

Kelly suggests saying: “I know we’ve recently connected on LinkedIn through XYZ, and I recently saw the X department at your company has an open position. I’m intrigued by it. Any chance I could ask you a few questions about the company and the role?”

“Use your interest as the way to start a conversation and be open to where it leads to,” she adds.

Ask a few questions about the company culture, responsibilities of the role, what they love about working there, etc. “Then, you can begin a gentle segue into mentioning that you too would like to work for that company,” shares Sara Causey, CEO of SEC Technical, LLC.

“Have a strong pitch ready as to why you want this referral, your goals, what you bring to the table (education, experience, expertise) and crucially, why you believe this person can help you,” Zimmerman suggests. “Remember that you’re essentially asking a stranger to open doors for you, so how you present is how you’ll be perceived.”

Don’t forget to thank the person for their time, and if they do end up providing you with a referral, keep them looped in on next steps.

“In any situation where you ask for a referral and someone grants it, circle back with that person on the outcome! Nothing is worse than [being] left in the dark as to whether or not an introduction or interview came through,” Cohen says. Not to mention, “by following up, you’re also more likely to receive help from that person again in the future.”

Asking for a referral may seem intimidating, but it’s often an effective way to head to the top of the candidate list, so it’s worth the request — as long as you handle it delicately. But if you demonstrate respect for the other person, show thoughtfulness in your approach and thank them for their time, you’ll have nothing to worry about.

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Meet Sarah. She is a twenty-something who really loves her job. In fact, it is her dream job and she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. However, the commute to and from work is practically killing her. She has to leave home two hours earlier, and she gets home two hours after work. Not only is this providing her with a lot of stress, but it is also putting a strain on her relationships. Sarah feels that she can do the same job (in fact a much better job due to having a more relaxed mind and body!) by working from home, but she doesn’t know how to go about negotiating this change. She is afraid it may send a message to her employer that she is not serious about her job. It might even cost her a job!

Unfortunately, Sarah is not alone.

You can probably relate to Sarah, and there’s likely an aspect of your job that you’d love to negotiate to make life easier for you while you help your employer get better results. It isn’t easy, though, because there’s a lot at stake: the wrong move might just cost you your job.

Here’s how to negotiate an existing role, make both parties feel like a winner, and get a much better offer:

1. Come Up With The Facts (Both Internal and External)
The first step towards negotiating an existing role is to come up with facts that show that you could contribute more to the company if your role was changed to a work-at-home position. There are two types of facts you could use: “internal” and “external.” Internal facts highlight facts that you think are affecting your productivity and are as a result making your job suffer while external facts highlight research that supports the kind of concession you are demanding. I give examples below:

Internal fact: “This is my dream job, and I can’t imagine working elsewhere. However, I am not deriving enough happiness from this job, and it is affecting my ability to give you my best. I have to leave home two hours earlier, and I get home two hours late. This has seriously increased my stress levels, and it makes it difficult to put in my best effort to work with a relaxed frame of mind. If we could just take the stress away by allowing me to work from home, I would be more productive and do much better work.”

External fact: “Research shows that two-thirds of managers have found that remote employees are more productive overall.”

Highlighting these two facts quickly establishes that the status quo is hurting Sarah and that a change doesn’t have to hurt her employer.

2. Focus on the Benefits and ROI for Your Employer
While you are trying to get a better offer for yourself, it is also very important to look at how your employer can benefit from the change you are proposing. In fact, if possible, highlight more than one benefit. Prepare a list, and ensure that all the listed benefits are irresistible. When you make your offer and let them see that they will get significantly more than they are getting now, they will find it difficult to deny your request.

This can’t be overstated. According to Michael Corkery, President of Pool Guard USA, “You will most likely receive a positive response if you can establish a clear benefit and ROI to your employer. It’s critical that you provide them with information to help them make a decision. If you present your case and remain professional, you have done your best and now it’s their call.”

3. Tell Your Employer to Revert to the Status Quo After a Set Period if They Don’t Get Better ROI
A final way is to make it clear that they have nothing to lose. According to Ayodeji Onibalusi of Effective Inbound Marketing, “To close the deal if your employer has any hesitation, make it clear that you’re not just going to talk, you’re willing to deliver results. And this can best be done by telling them to simply give your suggestion a shot for a set period of time and reverse things if it doesn’t work out.”

In Sarah’s case, for example, she could say: “I’m so confident that I will give you a much better ROI when I work from home. This is because I will have more time and reduced stress, as a result allowing me to do more work with a more relaxed frame of mind. If for any reason you are not satisfied with my work, or you feel that I am not delivering better results, you can easily revert things back to the way they were. Just give me three months and then do as you see fit.”

By employing the above three techniques, you can have positive success negotiating a change in an existing role, or almost any kind of offer you want in an existing job without suffering serious consequences.

The post How to Negotiate a Better Role for Yourself appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

You know that moment when you realize that you’re losing control? You’re outside of your body watching everything scatter. You can’t see step one-what initial action would help you get a handle on this? Panic washes over you: “How do I get on top of this? OMG-calls keep coming in. My daughter is knocking. The dog won’t stop barking. I’m overwhelmed.”

Being overwhelmed is an uncomfortable and unhealthy state. Many of us have been experiencing this as our personal and professional lives have blurred together during the pandemic. Professional life is urgent, but our personal lives are urgent too. How does one prioritize when multiple, important obligations are clamoring for our attention in the same space?

Managing our wellness and environment can help. It takes some big-picture planning, plus maintaining good routines and habits. On top of that, it helps to discuss our limitations, honestly and directly, without caving into guilt.

We owe it to ourselves to create systems and practices that protect us from getting overwhelmed. These are five practices remote employees can start enacting now.

1. Guard your sleep routine.   
Good sleep is the root of wellness and productivity. When children are small, we create a bedtime routine for them. They take a bath, have a glass of milk, hear a story. We give them a wind-down period that is physically and emotionally relaxing.

Adults, likewise, benefit from dedicating attention to calming ourselves at night and creating a routine that ensures deep, refreshing rest. “Sleep hygiene techniques and regular sleeping hours help improve cognition throughout the day and increase productivity. Individuals should create a workspace devoid of distractions if possible. The workspace should not be in the bedroom as this could affect sleep quality.” Explains Dr. Leela R. Magavi, M.D., Psychiatrist and Regional Medical Director for Community Psychiatry.
Set yourself up to feel better throughout your workday by adhering to a calming routine each night.

2. Create an environment that serves you.
There are some factors about professional life that you can’t control. You can’t always control your work volume; you can’t dictate how many phone calls or emails will reach you throughout the day. But you can control the space that those communications reach.  Making that space comfortable, clutter-free, and stocked with healthy snacks and drinks positions you to handle your work well. That’s what employers do when they design an office space and culture.

Dr. Magavi advises: “Natural light and cooler temperatures can help maintain focus. . . Everyone has a different temperament and ideal learning environment and would benefit from different modifications based on their own individual needs.” Think about what you need to feel calm and focused on. If your company is planning to continue remote or hybrid work, it’s worth deciding what you need to make this arrangement comfortable.

In addition to environmental factors, calming practices can help. Dr. Magavi recommends: “Partaking in stretches periodically throughout the day could assuage anxiety. Squeezing a stress ball while completing anxiety-inducing tasks could help release stress. Some individuals keep their pets around them and pet them or hug them intermittently, which can release oxytocin and bolster mood.”

While there are challenges to working from home, like trying to balance your own work with that of your spouse, roommate, or children who may also be at home, there are also benefits like being able to arrange your workspace. Build on the positives, and create a space that serves you.

Consider, too, the factors that triggered your feelings when you’ve found yourself overwhelmed. Dr. Magavi advises: “It is imperative for individuals to pinpoint what exactly has been worsening their productivity, and tackle this accordingly.”

For many of us, what feels so challenging about this time is that our routines have been upended. Dr. Magavi shares “Disrupted structure particularly affects inattentiveness…Limiting screen time and maintaining familiar routines inclusive of mindfulness activities and exercise as much as possible could improve focus and motivation.” While some screen time is necessary for work and school, it’s helpful to take a look at where we can eliminate the excess and build in healthier, more energizing activities.

3. Adhere to healthy habits 
This is an exhausting time, which can make us feel the urge to collapse. But getting through a difficult time requires extra attention to those details that help energize us to succeed. Adhering to a healthy routine sets us up to feel better than collapsing into disorganization. This can create conditions which can cause flare-ups where we get demotivated and overwhelmed.

Dr. Magavi offers this advice: “Each success releases neurochemicals such as dopamine, which positively reinforce healthy behavior and focus itself. Dopamine and norepinephrine are implicated in inattentiveness, so any activity that increases these levels could boost focus. If an individual writes down a goal to walk with weights for twenty minutes and crosses this out when completed, this will release some positive neurochemicals. The next day, if demotivation strikes, it is helpful to think about the success from the prior day and attempt to repeat it again.” Notice what works, and keep building your routine around that which helps you.

Dr. Magavi further advises: “Writing down top goals for the day and then crossing these out could help individuals gain clarity and keep track of tasks. Tasks could be broken down into educational and work activities, emotional and physical wellness activities, and social activities. Goals should remain achievable to avoid demoralization. Finishing tasks and reaching goals with loved ones can improve motivation and accountability.” Again, when you recognize that these activities help combat feelings of lethargy and demotivation, use that awareness as your motivation to keep building them into your routines.

4. Get the support you need 
Living through a global pandemic is difficult. The CDC reports that June 2020 saw 40 percent of American adults struggling with substance abuse and mental health. There’s no shame in it, and you’re certainly not alone if you’re struggling.

Dr. Magavi points out that “Some anxiety and stress is necessary in order to initiate tasks and gain momentum. However, when stress causes distress or functionality concerns, this could adversely impact processing speed, working memory, and performance. Individuals with significant mood and anxiety concerns and feelings of sadness and demoralization, which affect their functionality should consider scheduling an appointment with a psychiatrist or therapist. Cognitive-behavioral therapy allows individuals to identify their anxiety patterns and tackle this by reframing thinking and engaging in healthy behaviors. In some cases, medications are warranted to treat mood and anxiety concerns.”

Talk with your human resources team about your options and insurance coverage related to mental health or call your insurance carrier directly to learn more.

5. Advocate for yourself 
Talk with your manager about the issues that are making your job hard to manage. If you’re struggling to keep up with the volume and intensity of work, share that feedback. If you’re struggling to balance work and life, discuss it with your manager.

There’s no shame in finding it taxing to power your team through a global pandemic by working in a whole new way while also inhabiting the same space with your family. That is a lot to take on. If you’re finding it challenging, that doesn’t mean you’re bad at your job or you’re failing in any of life’s spheres in which you are an active participant. It means you’re a human being, and much is being asked of you at an exceedingly stressful time. It’s ok to invite a conversation addressing that.

Know that you are not struggling alone. Many employees are trying to make this arrangement work any way they can, often sacrificing their own wellness to do so. Microsoft’s recent Work Trend Index Report notes: “The digital intensity of workers’ days has increased substantially, with the average number of meetings and chats steadily increasing since last year. . . Despite meeting and chat overload, 50 percent of people respond to Team chats within five minutes or less, a response time that has not changed year-over-year. This proves the intensity of our workday, and that what is expected of employees during this time, has increased significantly.”

Remote employees are burning themselves out trying to keep pace. The report explains: “Self-assessed productivity has remained the same or higher for many employees over the past year but at a human cost. One in five global survey respondents say their employer doesn’t care about their work-life balance. Fifty-four percent feel overworked. Thirty-nine percent feel exhausted.”

The Microsoft report indicates that globally 40 percent of the workforce are considering a job hunt this year. If your company wants to retain you, they need to hear you. If they don’t, then perhaps it’s time to consider starting a job hunt of your own.

Remember 
You are one person. You can handle a lot, but it should not be at the expense of your wellness. You matter more than your job. Do what you can to make the job you have habitable. But if it can’t work, move on. Find your fit. You deserve that.

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These seven phrases can cost you money—or even a job offer. Choose your words wisely.

Finally, after making it through a grueling interview process you receive that job offer you’ve been gunning for all along. Still, there’s one more hurdle to cross, and that’s salary negotiation.
Though salary isn’t the only factor to consider when weighing a job offer—other incentives, such as a signing bonus, flexible work schedule, or relocation assistance, may help sweeten the deal—getting a fatter paycheck would certainly be nice.

To get a higher salary, however, you’ll have to do some negotiating. Now, here’s a lesson that may surprise you: What you don’t say is just as (or potentially even more) important than what you do say.
Don’t want to put your foot in your mouth? Here are seven phrases to avoid uttering when negotiating salary.

“The original offer works for me.”
According to a survey by global staffing firm Robert Half, 55% of workers tried to negotiate a higher salary during their last job offer, which means nearly half of job seekers still don’t negotiate their salary. By not negotiating, you could very well be leaving money on the table; after all, the poll also found that 70% of hiring managers don’t expect job candidates to accept their initial salary offer.
Sure, asking for money can be uncomfortable. However, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

“My current salary is…”
Revealing what you’re earning at your current job can hurt you. Don’t volunteer that information. When you’re changing jobs, you want to get paid based on your market value—not what you’re earning at the moment.

In fact, it’s even illegal today in some cities and states for employers to ask job candidates about their salary history. Still, if a hiring manager asks you what you’re currently making, Vicki Salemi, Monster’s career expert, recommends this pivot: “Could you tell me what the range for this position is?” Once they answer, state what salary range you’re looking for. “This way, you avoid setting the bar too low based on your current pay,” Salemi says.

“I want more than that.”
Don’t just ask for more money—name a specific dollar amount you’re looking for based on market research you’ve done (i.e., how much the average worker, with your level of experience, makes in your region). A better approach would be to say, “You offered me X. If you can offer me Y, I would accept the job, and here’s why I’m worth that number.”

“I need more money because I have student loans to pay.”
We all have living expenses—rent, car payments, student debt—which is why they shouldn’t be your basis for requesting a higher salary. Hang your negotiation strategy on the value that you’d bring to the company.

“I hate to ask for more, but…”
Never apologize for asking for more money—it makes it seem like you don’t actually think you deserve what you’re asking for.
Similarly, don’t make the mistake of saying, “I don’t know if you have room in the budget, but I could really use more money.” That makes it easy for the hiring manager to deny you.

“I’m a top performer, and I expect to be paid at the top of your salary scale.”
If you want to sound rude and abrasive, this will do the trick. Nobody will want to work with you. Plus, just stating that you’re a “top performer” isn’t compelling—you have to show why you’re among the top talent in your industry.

“I have a lot of other companies trying to recruit me.”
Being courted by another employer? Having another job offer can make you a more attractive job candidate, but says there’s a better way to leverage your position: “I have a competing offer that will pay me X, but I think this job would be a better fit.”
Moreover, this tactic can give the hiring manager a reason to nudge their boss to offer you a higher salary.

Get smart
This isn’t the only time you’ll need to be persuasive in the workplace. Having strong communication skills is critical at every stage of your career.

The post Negotiating Pay? Keep These Phrases Out of Your Mouth appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

{Click here to read the original article on Glassdoor.}

The pandemic changed a lot for workers, including where they work. A study conducted early in the outbreak showed nearly one-third of U.S. workers were working from their homes — and presumably, some of those workers won’t want to return to the office when their employers call them back. “Working from home can provide employees many benefits,” says Ray Luther, executive director of the Partnership for Coaching Excellence and Personal Leadership at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, “including a much shorter commute time, fewer distractions, and a sense of freedom, that might not come from reporting to an office every day.”

But negotiating a permanent work-from-home arrangement may not be a slam-dunk. Employers have “traditionally worried about employee productivity when working from home,” Luther says, adding some managers may feel they’ll lose control of employees they can’t see in person.

It’s not impossible, though. “Employees who want to make working from home permanent would be wise to put themselves in their employers’ shoes,” Luther says. “What would my employer be concerned about, and how can I show them that those concerns are minimal risks? For most employees, if you can demonstrate high-productivity, accessibility, and still build productive relationships on your work teams, you will have addressed most managers’ significant concerns.” Here’s exactly how you can negotiate a permanent work-from-home arrangement.

Demonstrate your productivity.
To be allowed to continue to work from home, employers will want proof you’re as productive at home as you are in an office. “Quantify and qualify the work you’ve accomplished on a work-from-home trial or mandate,” says Luther. “How productive have you been on your own? How have you worked with co-workers to learn through the new office systems? Where have you helped develop solutions to the challenges that work from home has potentially caused?” You’ll need concrete answers to those questions to convince your manager you can be trusted at home.
Come prepared with proof of your productivity — and kick off your negotiation with hard facts.

Prepare an action plan.
While you’ve already been working from home, you and your manager may not have collected hard evidence of your ability to do so successfully. If that’s the case, Maureen Farmer, founder, and CEO of Westgate Executive Branding & Career Consulting suggest you develop an action plan that will help your manager assess your ability to work from home over a trial period. Talk to your manager about what milestones he or she would like you to reach during the trial — for example, 90 days — and agree to check-ins during that time to see if you’re on track. “The offer of work-from-home must demonstrate value and benefit to the employer foremost,” Farmer says.

Build trust.
“Once you’ve demonstrated you can be productive, show that your employer can trust you,” says Luther, who adds that most managers’ concerns about employees working from home are rooted in a lack of trust. “How does the employer know they can trust you, and what have you done to demonstrate that trust? Are you accessible when they need you?” Luther asks. “Be prepared to make the case for why they can trust you to deliver even if they can’t see you in the office.”
One way you might demonstrate your trustworthiness is by proposing a communication plan in your negotiation, says Farmer. Such a plan would “layout the periodic and regular touchpoints with each of [your] colleagues to ensure projects remain on task,” she says. “The communication plan will offer a guarantee that [you] will be available on-demand throughout the day by phone, email, text, or message service. The employee must reassure the manager of their availability.”

Show you’re flexible.
It’s important during the negotiation to “listen to your employer’s concerns about working from home and seek to understand any objections,” says Luther. “While these concerns might not be as important to you, they provide clues where you could show flexibility so it doesn’t turn into an all or nothing situation.” For example, perhaps your manager would be more comfortable if you came into the office one day a week or for critical team meetings. “Working from home can provide many benefits for employees, even if it’s only four out of five days per week,” he says.

The post How To Negotiate A Permanent Work-From-Home Arrangement appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

{Click here to read the original article on Monster.}

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the business world forever. Even company executives that were resistant to remote work-from-home set-ups are realizing that their companies can operate without everyone needing to be in the office 9 to 5. Some companies may ditch their office spaces altogether and allow people to work from home permanently or have a rotating schedule to limit the number of people in the office at a time.

In fact, according to the Monster Future of Work: 2021 Outlook, allowing remote flexibility tops the list (43%) of U.S. company policy changes as a result of the pandemic, with flexible work schedules (40%) right behind. What’s more, 46% of companies say these policy changes are permanent.

Those changes indicate that there’ll be less face-to-face time at work. Whether you just started a new job, are searching now, or will make moves in the future, it will be helpful to know how to set yourself up for success if you’re starting a job remotely. Here are four tips on managing the so-called “new normal” of remote hiring and working from home.

Understand expectations

Whenever you start a new job, it is always a good idea to set up a meeting with your boss to learn her expectations, what success looks like in your role, and to set tangible goals you can work toward. Your boss might not be used to checking in and providing feedback when she doesn’t see you face-to-face in the office.

Be proactive and ask to set up a short weekly one-on-one meeting to see what you are doing well and what you can work on and to share your progress and goals. Similarly, before starting a new project or assignment, understand what your boss expects and when it is due, and ask any clarifying questions.

Get to know your team

When you’re in the office, it’s easier to observe the workplace culture, how your team works, and the goals and objectives of the organization. It’s also easier to get to know your co-workers, but you can still establish strong relationships when you are in a remote work-from-home scenario. If you have a small team, send an email to each person to introduce yourself and tell them that you’re excited to work with them.

Normally, you’d sit next to a peer, go to lunch together, or chat before or after your meetings. Recreate that by asking a few people on the same level as you if they have time for a 10-minute phone call or videoconference or a “virtual lunch.” You’ll get a chance to learn more about how the team operates, how people communicate remotely—is it all through email, through Slack, or do people pick up the phone and call? —and you’ll have someone to turn to when you inevitably have questions.

Impress your co-workers

Whether it is remote, work-from-home, or in-person, the best way to make a good first impression with your colleagues is to impress people by doing a good job and being great to work with.

The soft skills that will impress people the most in the “remote work world” are communication, time-management, independence, and prioritization.

Reread all your emails and chat messages before sending them to see if there are ways you can organize the information more clearly like by having lists, bullet points, or action items.

Check-in with your manager and people you work closely with more often than you might otherwise and keep them aware of what you are working on and what you’ve finished, and ask if there is anything else you can help with. Better yet, if you see projects that need to be done or ways something can improve, offer to tackle them. Your co-workers will be impressed by your organization, dedication, and proactivity.

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