Salary Negotiations.......Scary?

"He who speaks first loses." A saying from India

Would you like to leave $5,000 to $20,000 per year on the table when you accept a new job, and later on kick yourself for doing it? Salary negotiation is a very tricky issue.

In American culture we do not like to haggle or bargain. It is a normal pattern in other cultures.

Let me give you three top tips on salary negotiation.

1.   If the company has fallen in love with you, they will go through great lengths to satisfy your salary requirements.

2.   Know the salary ranges from surveys for your type of a job. Try http://www.salary.com/.

3.   Do not blurt out your salary requirements or your present salary until the time is ripe!

(This topic of Salary Negotiations has been discussed very thoroughly in my book, Career and Life Counseling from the Heart - Don Sutaria)

How to Develop and Execute Your Personal Marketing Campaign

It is very hard work! Here is my seven-step method.
1.   Know exactly what you want to do.
2.   Know exactly where you want to do it.
3.   Find the people in your selected companies who have the power to hire you.
4.   Develop a separate and distinctive resume for each company.
5.   Address a punchy cover letter to the hiring manager.
6.   Follow up is very vital.
7.   Write separate thank-you notes on the same day to all interviewers.
Unless you consistently and systematically follow all these steps you will not be assured of success.

(Details can be found in the book, Career And Life Counseling From the Heart - Don Sutaria.)

Steps to Career Assessment and Career Change

We are cut out to succeed in more than one career. People presently in their 20's and 30's may have two or three careers in a lifetime of work, and possibly more than a dozen jobs.

No matter what stage of life you are at, if you do not get pleasure from your work at least 80% of the time, perhaps it is time for self assessment, career assessment, and, possibly, to seek a new career.

Your hobbies and volunteer work provide some clues about a new profession you would enjoy. You can gain a great deal by reading books and possibly taking on-line tests. However, for maximum effectiveness, seeking the services of a competent career counselor or career coach is a wise move.

(This topic is thoroughly covered in my book: Career And Life Counseling From The Heart - Don Sutaria)

HAVE YOU "GIFT WRAPPED" YOUR RESUME?

A good cover letter is personalized and perhaps even more important than a resume.

The seven most important points to remember for a cover letter:

1.   One page on white or ivory letter size paper and error free.
2.   Addressed to a specific person.
3.   Maximum four paragraphs.
4.   Connection between you and the company.
5.   Try not to repeat the bullets from your resume.
6.   Ask for an interview and end on a positive note.
7.   Mail cover letter and resume in a flat 9" x 12" envelope.

[ See Chapter 9: Your "Gift Wrapping" for a Resume: A Punchy Cover letter, in the book, Career and Life Counseling from the Heart, by Don Sutaria.]     

SURVIVAL KIT FOR JOB HUNTERS

Job hunting is a lonely pursuit most of the time. It is a rare person who would not be discouraged at times. When you go into this 'Jungle', what can you carry with you to survive? Here it is:

A tea bag to remind you to relax daily and count your blessings!
A candy Kiss to remind you that everyone needs a hug everyday.
A Band Aid to remind you to heal hurt feelings.
A rubber band to remind you to be flexible.
A toothpick to remind you to pick out the best qualities in others.
An eraser to remind you that everyone makes some mistakes.
A chewing gum to remind you to stick with your goals.
A mint to remind you that you are worth a mint.

Try it! It works!  

IS YOUR RESUME EFFECTIVE?

Let's get real!
A resume alone will not get you a job!
A resume is only a calling card, a door knocker, a door opened, a tool, an advertisement to buy your services.
Your resume may get only a 5-10 second scan by the reviewer before landing in the WPB (waste paper basket!). What can you do to prevent that from happening to you!
A few sensible tips:
-- Use standard letter size paper, white or ivory, and standard type faces.
-- One-page if you have less than five years experience and up to two pages if more than five
years.
-- Bulleted format of your accomplishments, each consisting of Problem-Action-Result
(P-A-R) concept. Use dollar savings, percentage improvements, sales increases, and
numbers.
-- Chronological resumes are preferred in 90% of the cases instead of Functional resumes.

[ There are at least fifteen tips I can give. For more details, please see Chapter 8: Is Your Resume Effective? in Don Sutaria's book, Career and Life Counseling from the Heart.]

"ON-CAMERA FEEDBACK FOR INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES!" WHAT IS THAT?

Many companies are conducting preliminary video interviews of potential candidates because of the high cost of face-to-face onterviewing. If you have learned some techniques through on-camera feedback, your chances for success improve dramatically.

Consider a camera as a neutral observer. It is non-judgmental and non-critical, unlike us human beings. What you see in the video playback is how people see you. What you see is what you get!

A good career counselor or career coach can do this drill with you.

[This topic is covered in Don Sutaria's book, CAREER AND LIFE COUNSELING FROM THE HEART, Chapter 7.]

DO I NEED AN "IMAGE CONSULTANT?"

You judge a book by its cover. (True or False)
First impression is the only impression. (True or False)
Well reader, what do you think?
Regardless of the maxims we have been taught, I would venture to say that we do try to judge a book by its cover and, unfortunately, the first impression is the only impression that is very long lasting. And you get only one chance to make the first impression!
Image consulting and subsequent enhancement should not be looked upon as a frivolous expense, but as a long-term investment in yourself, akin to any self-improvement program.

[For a more in-depth discussion of Image Consulting, consider buying the book, Career and Life Counseling from the Heart, by Don Sutaria.]