Mapgirl’s Fiscal Challenge

Recently one of my readers IM’d me via the Meebo window on the left. She was asking me about job hunting and recruiters. I tried to answer her questions as best I could, because I’m really good at getting a new job. That’s not to say that I suck. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever truly been sacked for a job because I was a lousy employee. Most of the time, I hated what I was doing and departed for greener pastures when I was younger and much more antsy.

Anyhow, I came across an article at Yahoo on Salary Mistakes and some of the advice I gave this reader was contained within it.

The main things for younger folks are these:

1) Don’t Fence Yourself In: Don’t enter the salary negotiation too early. Save it till you know you are a serious contender. Somewhere in there, the HR person or recruiter will tell you what the compensation might be. If it’s too low, hold on till you find out more before deciding to walk away. Or they might ask what your current compensation is. If they ask what you are currently making, tell them on what you would like to make to focus them on where you want to be.

2) Be Honest and Accurate: DO NOT LIE on your resume. It’s a very ugly thing to do. (My point is completely different from the article’s, but still good advice.) Many years ago people would lie and say they went to Harvard. BAD idea. My friend worked at Transamerica as a temp in the PR department when an executive’s bogus resume was uncovered. Let’s just say he and I went to a long lunch that day so he could avoid the flak flying on the executive floor. Bottom line. Be honest.

3) Look at the Big Picture/Focus on Career Goals: These are really the same thing and tie back to #1. Your compensation is not the only reason to take a job. Trust me. I’ve been there. I’ve taken jobs to learn new skills. I went from a $55K/yr job in equity research to a $17K/yr job as a IT helpdesk technician. Yes, that totally sucked. But in the end, I am now well compensated as an Oracle database monkey and I wouldn’t have gotten here without that first entry-level IT job. (And I was 26 at the time.)

I have also moved jobs to get out of hellholes and taking only a blip in salary increases just to get out and get out fast. Because I was not focused on a long-term career goal but only the money and escaping, I didn’t like that job very much either. So take the time to really figure out what job you want next.

4) Timing Is Crucial: While the article ties back to being honest throughout the process, I find that if you’re always a straight-shooter, this isn’t going to be a problem for you. But I also live by Veritas vos liberabit. “The truth will set you free.”

Another way that timing is crucial is that while the time is not right now, it might right in the future. When I first moved to California, I took a job at UC Berkeley. While I was there, I got a call from someone about a job working in the semiconductor industry. They had received my resume from a referral and wanted to interview me. As I had just taken the post at UCB, I wasn’t interested in another opportunity. A few months later, as the Dean of our School was resigning, my department was on thin ice without our champion, so I decided it might be a good time to go and take a job within San Francisco. (The $40-60 monthly commuting cost didn’t help either.) The lady who had called me months before was still looking for someone and called me a second time. This time, because circumstances had changed, I was open to talking with her. So timing is crucial. Keep that in mind when you are in the job hunt. You might still be a great fit at a later date.

I hope everyone out there who is looking for a job gets one soon! Graduation season is coming to a close and jobs are starting soon. Those student loan bills aren’t going to wait much longer. If I recall correctly, my first ones were due in November after my May graduation.

Good luck if you’re looking for a new gig!