Career Coach Office Hours : September 9 2022
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
I answered questions about job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition, and workplace issues. Join me at 1 PM Eastern on Tuesdays and Fridays on LinkedIn or YouTube (JobSearchTV.com channel).You can also message me on Linkedin before the show and I will answer it, too.
My Manager/Boss Found Out I’m Looking!
02:53
When asked what are your salary expectations in an interview, should you always go straight in with a high amount? No, that’s what amateurs do. Amateurs think, ‘Oh, I’m looking for 1,005,000,’ and you’re really a $65,000 a year person, they’re going to mentally dismiss you. Even if you say I’m looking for 110, 120 and you’re a $65,000 a year person, they’re not going to really pay attention because they’re going to know about what you’re currently earning. Because these aren’t amateurs, they do this all the time. As a result, I believe there’s a strategy called defer and deflect, that will serve your interests far better. Because you really don’t know what their budget is. Thus, you’re better off responding to them and saying, ‘You know, the fact of the matter is, I don’t really know enough about this job to really give you a price. After all, all I’ve seen as a job description (or all I’ve done is speak with a third-party recruiter, and you mentioned them by their first name and they told me about the job). But I haven’t spoken with my future boss, met with a team, gotten a sense of what the real expectations are, and what the role and responsibilities will be other than what I’ve read. So can we circle back to that question later on?’ And then from there you go, ‘and could you give me a sense of what the price point is for this job?’ At which point they go, ‘but I asked you first,’ at which point you can respond with ‘and I asked you second. What’s the difference? Give me a sense of what the budget is.’ And if they’re not willing to tell you, that tells you something about that individual. So with a recruiter, they should be prepared to talk with you about it. If it’s with the hiring manager, they know what their budget is so they’re normally more forthcoming with it if the third party recruiter isn’t. So once you have an idea of what the budget is for the role, you can go in and talk with the hiring manager, get a sense of what their expectations are, and make a decision and circle back with HR later on, circle back with the screener, who really has no . . . other than rejecting you, because you acted like a jerk. Or you didn’t know how to answer their simple questions. . . Well, they don’t make the decision to hire. They influence how much you’re paid, but they don’t make the decision about salary. They’re collecting data. So your job is to defer and deflect to get off the money conversation so you can get to the actual decision maker. So you actually learn what the role and responsibilities are, and get a sense of the environment, instead of this is the first person you’re talking with. You don’t know anything other than what you read. And we all know that job descriptions aren’t completely accurate, right? So don’t play their game. Defer and deflect. It’s really that simple.
06:08
Is it appropriate for an employee to ask the manager why they’re being so micro in their management style? Only if this is changed behavior. And I say that because some people, this is how they are. And for some reason, you didn’t pick up on that in the interviews. That’s on you. That’s not on them. So if this is changed behavior, I would simply say to them, not in that tone, but I would say, ‘Is something wrong? Have I done something that gives you a reason to be concerned about me? and what I’m doing? Because it seems like you’ve been treating me differently. And you’re micromanaging me. And that’s not the way you normally are. What’s going on?’ Now normally, you’ll hear something about, ‘It’s not you; it’s me. I’m under a lot of pressure. And management is coming down on me and they want me to deliver within this timeframe work. So excuse me for being this way. But it’s important to me because they’re up my rear. And thus, I’m kicking the can down to you. They’ll say something along those lines because no one likes to think of themselves as a micromanager.’ And if you say why are you being so micro? Frankly, it’s a little too aggression. It’s also obnoxious. Like, it is obnoxious. And you know that, because you asked the question. So you know, it’s not the right way to do it. And thus, I’m giving you a better way to approach this, instead of being a jerk and being critical of them by being ‘Why are you being so micro?’ Obnoxious, even though they’re being obnoxious, there’s something going on for them that’s making them act this way. Might as well flush it out so you can actually have a good relationship with them. Because you’re hearing the truth about what’s going on for them.
Stupid Networking Mistakes: Thinking Email Is Good Enough
08:17
Is it a good sign that a recruiter will give me an update by next week during a phone screen? It doesn’t mean anything. What this means is that they’re going to figure out whether they can get you in to meet the hiring manager next week. That’s all it means. After all, the recruiter and, I don’t know if this is a corporate recruiter or a third party recruiter, I’m going to assume that this is a corporate recruiter, they’re going to try and get you onto someone’s calendar. And they’ll get back to you next week. That’s about as much as it means. And if it’s an agency recruiter, it means even less, because they make no decisions except to reject people who they don’t think they can get interviews for. And thus, if they’re saying we’ll get back to you with an update next week, well, maybe I can get you in and maybe I can’t. What’s the big deal here? What gives you the idea that it’s possible? It’s possible that there is a good sign in that in that. It’s really pretty value neutral? So don’t overthink these things. Really. Don’t overthink these things and believe something more than what’s really going on.
10:03
How do you build morale as a leader? When I think of leadership, I think of a model that I heard from a man named Lance Secretan. And Lance refers to what he calls The Castle Principles. Castle is an acronym for courage, authenticity, service, truthfulness, love, effectiveness. Again, Castle. So as a leader, you build morale by being courageous, by being authentic and in service to your people. And in service to the people that you’re ostensibly serving, you build morale by being truthful and demonstrating your love for your people. And thus, you always want to be effective too. But being effective without the other attributes, it leaves people hungering for more. They feel like you don’t really care when all you’re doing is driving the bus hard. So you have to be prepared to defend the people if they deserve defending. You have to be prepared to be courageous in defending them. And in telling them the truth of that how you’re interpreting their behavior. Authenticity. No one wants to work for someone who’s got an act, that you’re honest with them, that they can feel your heart, that they matter to you. All these factors matter in how you build morale as a leader. Don’t neglect any of them. Because there winds up being a hole in your armor that will eventually become bigger and bigger as you lose credibility with your staff. So Castle– courage, authenticity, service, truthfulness, love, effectiveness.
12:17
Is it a good sign that I made the recruiter laughs during a phone screen? We are looking for crumbs today. It can. It can also mean your answer was idiotic. And they were laughing at you not with you. They enjoyed your remark. But if you’re not qualified, you’re not getting any further interviews. That’s the fact of it. So don’t overthink these things. Just go through the process and continue on. See if they want to ask you out on another date. Because I kind of look at interviewing as like a dating process. Thus, what you want to be doing is making them fall in love with you. No love, no interviews, no offers. It’s that simple. Make sure that you can answer your questions in a world-class way. And one of the things . . . I developed a course that you can order on my website, it’s called The Ultimate Job Interview Framework. It’s also available as a book on Amazon paperback or as a Kindle book. And the course is particularly good, the book is also good. But the course again, I really liked the course. So you can rent or buy it through my website, TheBigGameHunter.us/courses. It will teach you an interview framework that’s very effective that will make you stand out in a good way from your competition.
Stupid Networking Mistakes: Acting Like One of THOSE People
14:01
Should a leader be a risk taker? Yes and no. It depends on what you mean by risk taker. Leaders don’t want . . . you can’t risk the farm. You can’t risk everything. Because you can lose everything. You want to take measured risks. I’m not talking about being risk-averse. You need to take risks, because doing the same thing repeatedly in the same way it’s always been done can leave you failing, is the truth of it. Because the fact is, people, want to hire. If you just do the same things as they’ve always been done, you’ll get the same results, as always hasbeen gotten. What do they need you for? Thus, the question is, what is a risk for you? I don’t know that answer. I believe, risk shows up as change many times. And thus, you’re trying to make changes to the way things have always been done. But measured risk, so that… it’s kind of like in the stock market… you push all your chips into the, into the middle of the table, like, at Las Vegas, the crazy people there. And yes, they’re heroes when they win the big bets, but they also wash out a lot. So don’t be such a risk taker that you risk everything, risk the business, risk the project, risk your job. Risk your job. Risk the business. If you fail, so not that big of a risk, but incremental improvements can be risky, too.
16:11
I want to join a big multinational corporation as a software developer, but I only have experienced only in small companies. I am an experienced professional with career gaps of a year and a half in five years. Will they consider me? Now, depending upon where in the world you are, the answer is yes or no. It depends on relative on the degree of desperation. It also depends upon what software you have experience developing and whether the gap is current. So if you’ve been out of work for the last year and a half, you’d better have done a lot to keep yourself up to speed. And you’re better off, rather than applying, to be referred by people. Now the truth is, you’re always better off being referred by people to get your interviews and get in the door. But minimally, if you’re not current, if you’re feeling rusty in your skills, you’ve got to improve them so that when you interview, the rustiness doesn’t show. After all, you’re a risk for them. The risk is you’re rusty. They want someone who can hit the ground running, and is able to deliver quickly without a big learning curve. So if you are someone who requires a big learning curve, you are at a competitive disadvantage with those people who don’t need that sort of support, especially in a large multinational corporation. So try to get referred but first make sure that your skills are up to speed, so that this way you can pass interviews, and not wash out. I hope that was helpful to you.
18:21
What is the difference between sending a resume directly to a company’s HR department or going through recruiters? So, I used to be a recruiter, I did it for a long time. One of the advantages of going through an agency recruiter or a third-party recruiter is that this one company is not the only one that they represent. They may have other opportunities that fit you too. And thus, if you send it directly to the company’s HR department, well, you’re going through the filter called the applicant tracking system that may not pass you through. And then if you ask the agency recruiter to submit you, usually what happens is the company says, ‘Sorry, we already know that person because they applied to us directly. And we rejected them.’ And thus, you don’t have an advocate to push for you. There’s no one there singing your praises in the course of the conversations. So the reality is, I believe you’re better off going through a third-party recruiter rather than the HR department. And if you are going to go to the HR department be referred by someone who works for that firm so that this way, number one, they’re always pushing for you. They can speak firsthand about your capabilities and they do earn an employee referral bonus usually for recommending you and thus they have a reason to advocate for you. So the advantage of being referred really does serve you. And contacting the HR department . . . here’s one of the other problems that happen. You were referred and they claim ownership over your resume forever. Let me explain that to you. Companies don’t like paying recruiters fees. And thus, if you apply directly, they may claim that they know you, even though they never spoke to you before years from now, rather than pay a fee to an agent. Do you really want to get blocked out because you went directly at this time? And later on, a recruiter tells you about a job and they can’t get you in because you applied years before? I know that seems unfair and crazy. But that is the way companies conduct themselves because they’re really fee adverse. They’re trying to avoid paying money to other people if they can avoid it. So the long the short of it is, I tend to prefer recruiters. If not recruiters, my second choice actually, the first choice these days is being referred by an internal person who really knows you and can advocate for you, specifically with the hiring manager involved. The second choice is recruiters. third choice, a distant third choice is applying through HR.
Don’t Restrict Who You Try to Connect With
21:45
What is an exceptional trait for someone who leads the way? I think an exceptional trait for someone who’s a leader is their ability to inspire people to do great work. Now I want to be clear, inspiration, inspiring people because they can see and express the vision is important. Because if it’s just a humdrum, ‘we need to do this because it’s important for the company,’ no one gets really excited about that. But if this leader can inspire people to be their best, that is a home run. To me, that’s a great quality for someone to have. And thus, that to me is a trait worth following because, remember, one of the attributes about leaders is that they have followers.
23:03
If you are not selected for an interview, what can you say? Well, do you think you can hypnotize people to talk to you just because you want to be spoken with? I don’t think so. I think what you can do is ask courteously, ‘what didn’t you see in my resume that caused you to reject me?’ At which point some people will ignore the question and in which case, I would take one more cut at it a few days later, and say ‘perhaps you missed my message.’ Or ‘I asked what you didn’t see in my resume that caused me to be rejected for interviews.’ It’s like you said that when you have heard you’re rejected. And if you don’t get a response, two days later, if you still don’t get a response, let it go. See, if you understand the reasons why you were rejected. It gives you an opportunity to respond by saying, ‘Ah, that’s interesting, because the fact of the matter is, I do have that experience.’ So you always want to be in a situation where, you know, you’re not swimming upstream, you’re able to defend your capabilities and your ability to solve what it is they’re looking for. So, always put yourself in the position where you’re being courteous, respectful, caring, advocate for yourself, and politely understand what it is that prompted them to say no to you. And then if necessary, be able to say that’s interesting, because that is my experience. Or you can just say, ‘Thank you. That’s true.’ Because you don’t want to just sell yourself because you want to sell yourself. You want that interview. They’ve got a problem that needs to be solved. And you insisting that you can do this job, when there’s nothing in your background that suggests you really can, you know, it’s goofy on your part. Don’t do it. So what can you say? ‘Would you be kind enough to tell me what you didn’t see in my resume that prompted it to be rejected. That’s as much as you can say, because then you can counter-punch.
26:45
Should employers include personality interview questions, when assessing a job candidate? No. The first thing you want to do is have people demonstrate that they have the required skills in their resume. You then want to have a conversation with them, have the screener do that, which confirms the basics of what they claim their experience is. Then from there, I’ve had one more person talk with them representing the organization, the department, and such, and thus advocate for your candidacy with you. Once that’s occurred, I’d continue the process and say, ‘you know, one of the things we like to do is a personality assessment to see about fit.’ There are not many good ones but there is one I like. I’m not going to mention the name right now, that will get a real sense of person and fit. To suggests that asking a few simple questions is going to allow you to determine whether someone will fit your group . . . it won’t. 5 questions on personality? Give me a break; that does nothing. So no, I wouldn’t do it until further on in the process so that this way, you have an opportunity to really assess their knowledge, not their fit, focus on the knowledge initially, rather than “alleged fit.’And I say it that way because when people are on interviews, they’re on good behavior, as are you. Neither of you is being completely open and honest with one another. So you’re giving someone a personality test? No, don’t do it. Certainly don’t do it.
[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4uJ8o8ZPzw[/svp]
What Recruiters Know That You Don’t: The Importance of Connection
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2400 episodes.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? People hire me to provide No BS career advice whether that is about a job search, hiring better, leadership, management or support with a workplace issue. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
My courses are available on my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses The courses include ones about Informational Interviews, Interviewing, final interview preparation, salary negotiation mistakes to avoid, the top 10 questions to prepare for on any job interview, and starting a new job.
I do a livestream on LinkedIn, YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) and on Facebook (on the Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter page) Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me via messaging on LinkedIn or in chat during the approximately 30 minute show.
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