It is so exciting the day that the recruiter calls you to offer you about a job. You feel so excited all day. You’ve been noticed and sought out for your expertise. And because you are actively managing your career, you always take the interview even if you are happy where you are. Taking that first call or phone screen is always a good idea. The benefits are endless. You get to practice telling your best work stories and you can get immediate feedback on them to continually hone in on that accomplishment-based narrative that makes you stand out. And now, you’ve been asked to progress in the process and have been extended an offer. Here’s where you should pause.
Related:The Waiting Game: Surviving Job Offer Anxiety
This might be the hardest thing to do. But, it is so important to take a little time to process the offer you’ve been given. Despite the frequency in which we are all changing jobs these days, leaving one job to join another company is still a big step.
You spend a lot of time at work and with your co-workers. You not only make money at your current role, but you also know the ins and outs of the company. You know where you fit for the most part. And while jumping ship on some days sounds glorious, you never know if there’s a better boat your stepping onto or if you’ll end up with no inner tube in the deep end of the ocean.
So, when that job offer comes in, you need to do a little soul searching before you accept the job offer on the phone right away. Here are some tips for doing that:
1. Take stock
If you want to take the job, it’s important to know why. So, I always ask myself a series of questions to be sure I am doing this for the right reasons. I usually ask myself:
Why am I looking to change?
Is it better money?
Shorter commute?
Looking for more growth opportunities?
Am I no longer challenged or appreciated at my current job?
Am I not satisfied with my job?
When you know this, you can better evaluate the offer. The challenge is that, if you aren’t looking to make a change, what makes this opportunity so appealing? This is where you should do some extra digging to make sure it isn’t just something bright and shiny and new, that the grass could really be greener.
2. Look harder
Don’t jump until you have a really good sense of who your next employer or more importantly manager will be. Did you interview them fearlessly? Look back at your notes. Was there anything that made you question who might be your new manager? The jobs that I’ve taken that I’ve regretted are when I have ignored my gut about the manager. It is a 100% fail rate on my part. And do not under any circumstances convince yourself that the manager will change. There is a good chance they were on their best behavior for you and if they weren’t? Um, no!
3. Determine your fit
What are you best at? How can this company help you hone in on those skills? What makes you happy at work, will you get opportunities to do work that addresses those passions? Do you know what the culture is of the company? How do they live it? Are there examples you could point to in the interview process that validates the company living the culture in the interview? These will help you assess your fit into the company. Culture is not the words on their website, but how they actually behave at work, in meetings and even in interviews.
4. Step away from the bark
Talk to the people most important in your life about the opportunity and your current situation. These people know you really well, but they also have the gift of distance from the day-to-day life you lead at work. You are frankly too close to the bark of the tree to make this all on your own. You need some outside perspective to help inform your decision.
If, after all these things, you determine that it is worth it… by all means, call that recruiter and take the job. If you aren’t sure, talk to your recruiter about what it would take to make the offer a no-brainer. If you see this is a no for any reason, call that recruiter and graciously bow out. Tell them how honored you are to have received their offer, but, this is not the right fit for you right now. But, keep honing your best work stories. Keep taking those calls.
With passion and an innate curiosity, Tracey strives to push the envelope to create great experiences for talent. Tracey has been developing digital, mobile and social solutions for nearly 20 years in the talent acquisition space. Currently CredHive’s CEO, she is dedicated to changing the way hiring is done to create a more level playing field for talent. Visit CredHive to learn more.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
Bigstock
Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
Bigstock
Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
Bigstock
Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.