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Ask The Career Advisor (FAQ)s

Recruiting can be confusing, but we're here to help answer any questions you may have about the process.

  •  Checklist prior to interview
    • Practice and Test your webcam. Make sure you have the updated software based in the Video platform (Zoom, Teams, Google, etc,) 
    • Background – ensure you have a professional and appropriate background
    • Mute all other electronics. Phone, Tablet, Mail notifications, etc. 
    • Test your microphone volume. Avoid volume issues before the interview starts.
    • Check internet speed. Poor internet=Poor communication. *Pro tip – You are checking your “upload speed” NOT download speed and it should be at least 1.5 mbps.
  • Avoid using a cell phone for interviews
  • Look into your webcam, not your face or the faces on the screen. Looking into the webcam is essentially making eye contact
  • Have a list of talking points somewhere. You could tape them above your camera so you aren’t looking down at a piece of paper. Just hints in case you panic and freeze.
  • Smile and don’t get flustered.  Technology mishaps happen, try to have back up plan/contact number
  • Don’t be late
  •  Overinflated resumes
  • Resume Formatting issues and typos – Tip: make sure your resume lines up to your LinkedIn profile
  • Inability to articulate experiences and projects stated on the resume
  • Failing to research the company you are interviewing
  • Not being truthful about why you left a company; salary; experiences in your previous job(s)
  •  Lacking professionalism – overconfidence; placing demands on future employer; talking negatively about previous employer/manager

 Not practicing your answers to common interview questions

From a technology perspective, roles in Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, and Cloud Transformation. On the accounting side, there is a large demand for Accountants with 3-10 years experience. Additionally, roles in Data Analytics, Marketing Analytics, and Digital Analytics will continue to trend upward in 2022.

As the demand to work from home increases, employees should realize work from home does not mean work whenever.  Employers have an expectation for employees to have the same effort they have should they be sitting in the office.  Unfortunately, most employees do not realize, your employer is tracking your activity. When you are logged in; when you log out; and evaluating your productivity based on the data that is presented.  Additionally, working from home can hinder an employee’s ability to be promoted.  As much as the virtual world is changing, Managers still evaluate based on what they see, those face to face conversations that happen only when working in an office space should not be underestimated.

2022 is a time that has many people deciding should I stay or should I go. This is not an overnight decision but one that comes over a course of time. Outlined below are a few bullet points to consider as you embark on career options.

What is the main reason I am considering a change? (Career Growth, Salary, Management, Commute/Remote flexibility, company acquisition, industry instability)
Many factors should be considered with life altering decisions. Rule #1 – never change roles strictly based on money, studies show it rarely works out. Prioritize why you are considering leaving and what you are looking for in your next role. You are familiar with the headlines – People don’t leave companies they leave managers. This is very true, but when it comes down to selecting the next role, salary becomes the driver more than the intangibles.

Practice your interviewing – Interviews work both ways, interview the company just as much as they are interviewing you. Know the questions to ask and prepare yourself for the tough questions.
Prepare a circle of trust – mentors/friends/spouses/advisors that you can reach out during the decision-making process to reassure your decision making process.
Understand your current benefits – Most people know their base salary instantly but do you have the full picture of what you pay in healthcare benefits/PTO/401K/Holidays/Bonus. Preparing this ahead of time allows for a best comparison of your total compensation package.

There are many more factors to consider as you embark on the next challenge. Many people feel when they make the decision to start interviewing for a new role, the decision has been made to leave their current employer. Sometimes you need a perspective of what is available to you. You may find that the best opportunity for your career is the role you are in.

Google Searches will provide countless articles regarding the reasons companies make counter offers and why they should be avoided. So why in 2022 are so many people resigning, yet accepting counteroffers?  In today’s labor shortage market, any disruption in work is significantly affecting production.  Coupled with the void left should an employee leave the company; the approach companies are taking now is to invest “all in money negotiations” in efforts to fix the temporary problem.

Standard Counteroffers – Showering the employee with compliments and value to the organization; Significant increase in Pay; Promise to alleviate hours worked; and a promotion or path to career progression.  An aggressive tactic but is it believable?

Questions to ask:

  1. If suddenly provided with a boost in salary – will this effect my bonus and future salary increases?  In the future, How will the company view my salary if my equity is significantly more than my peers?
  2. If Quality of Life is what you seek – how is accepting a counter offer going to suddenly make the workload go away?  Accepting more money and agreeing to work less hours is an equation that does not make sense
  3. Career Promotions – How will you be viewed by co-workers when you are promoted above them?  Is the company negotiating in good faith or providing you what you want to hear in order to stay?

These are challenging hiring times for companies and the goal main goal is to mitigate work disruption. If that means offering money in the short term that can be recouped in the future, counteroffers will continue to happen.  It’s not personal when an employee resigns, and it should not be personal when a company has to decide who should be laid off or replaced.

Before accepting a counteroffer, remember the reasons you are leaving the company in the first place.  Are the promises provided in a counter offer realistic for a company to keep?  Finally, google “percentage of employees still employed after accepting a counteroffer” – the statistics most likely will surprise you.

Submit a question.

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