“Never Be The First To Give A Number”: 17 People Are Sharing…
Article created by: Mantas Kačerauskas
I’m not sure what’s worse: working a job you hate or having to search for a new job. The constant submitting of resumes, applications and cover letters then trying to coordinate interview after interview feels like a full-time job by itself. Despite all of the resources available online, hunting for a job can be exhausting. Sifting through pages of job descriptions that seem promising but have already received 113 applicants and just praying that the next interview goes well is an experience many of us know but try as hard as we can not to repeat.
So if you’re currently on the job hunt or just want to acquire some tips to make your next job search easier, we’ve gathered some of the best advice from the Life Pro Tips subreddit to help lighten your job searching load. From interview pointers to red flags to look out for in job postings, these tips can help make your next career transition as smooth as possible. Below you’ll also find interviews with founder and CEO of JobJenny, Jenny Foss, and host of the “Find Your Dream Job” podcast, Mac Prichard, and career success coach and the founder of The Careers Academy Career Success Program, Jane Jackson. Be sure to upvote the responses you find most helpful, and then if you’re interested in even more job hunting tips, check out this Bored Panda piece next.
For people starting a new job. If a task typically takes someone ~3.5 hours and you can get it done in 1 hour, don’t turn your task in right away – wait about an hour. If your manager(s) discover how productive you really are, they will quickly overwork you without proper compensation.
Don’t be fooled by the “working for a dream company” ideology. You’ll be much better off with an amazing boss at an average company who champions your work, allows you to develop mastery in your field, and gives you autonomy.
Rememeber, at a job interview, YOU are also interviewing the company. Ask more questions, don’t settle so quickly because it might not be for you after all
Job descriptions are usually written to sound more complicated and high profile than the jobs really are. Don’t let the way it is written intimidate or deter you from applying to a job you think you can do.
During a job interview, if offered a glass of water, accept it. That way when you get asked a difficult question you can take a sip for some extra seconds before answering.
From here on out, make “What was your company’s COVID response?” a standard interview question.
I work in software. My whole company has been working from home for the past two months, and performing at 100%. Now management is forcing us all to come back into the office on June 1st, for no discernible reason.
I don’t want to work for a company that cares so little about the health of employees and their families, ever again. I’ll be looking for something new as soon as it’s practical, and I will definitely be asking prospective employers this.
Employers put “entry level” in job titles to trick applicants into accepting less pay. If the “entry level” job requires you to have significant experience, demand more than starting pay.
When it comes time for the “do you have any questions for us?” part of a job interview, always ask why the position has opened up. This might help you get an idea of what kind of environment you’ll be going into.
When a job interviewer asks, “What’s your biggest weakness?”, interpret the question in practical terms rather than in terms of personality faults.
“Sometimes I let people take advantage of me”, or “I take criticism personally” are bad answers. “I’m too honest” or “I work too hard”, even if they believe you, make you sound like you’ll be irritating to be around or you’ll burn out.
Instead, say something like, “My biggest weakness with regards to this job is, I have no experience with [company’s database platform]” or “I don’t have much knowledge about [single specific aspect of job] yet, so it would take me some time to learn.”
These are real weaknesses that are relevant to the job, but they’re also fixable things that you’ll correct soon after being hired. Personality flaws are not (and they’re also none of the interviewer’s business).
Loyalty to your company only rewards the company. Hopping companies is the best way to increase your salary, don’t sit there hoping for a raise. Apply to other jobs, get a better offer and use it to leverage a raise or take the offer.
You’d be surprised how many people nearly double their salaries just by applying for jobs.
Don’t be afraid to ask for the salary you want/deserve.
I just finished the loooooong process of being interviewed for a new position at a new place of work. In the final meeting with the hiring manager, I was told the range they were looking at for the offer, and the upper-end was what I was making at my previous job (which I would be leaving to take the new role).
I decided to be transparent and tell the hiring manager that. I then said I would feel more comfortable with 7k more. Inside I was SO nervous that they’d pull the rug from under my feet, say I was being greedy (in more professional terms), and wave goodbye. Instead, they said it would be a stretch, but they’d see what they could do.
Came back the next day with the offer I was hoping for! To top it off, they said they appreciated my transparency which is why they went to bat for me.
Never be afraid to ask if you feel it’s fair and you’re deserving.
Any time you successfully solve a problem, handle a difficult situation, etc., write it down and use it in future job interviews.
This is for anyone who may job-hop to increase their salary. Or for those who are generally afraid of “Tell me about a time when you…”-style questions in job interviews.
We all have those days where something out of the ordinary happens and you have to deal with it somehow some way. Instead of just doing it and talking about it later (or worse, forgetting it the next day), write down the entire scenario and how you successfully handled it on a Word document so you don’t forget it.
This way you’ll be much more prepared and it’ll give you a bit of a leg up against other job seekers.
When you submit a resume to a potential employer, submit it as a PDF, not a Word doc
I actually judge the potential of the candidate by how they format their resume (typos? grammar? formatting? style?). If you format it as a PDF, I see your resume how you want me to see it. If you have it as a Word document, margins, fonts, etc may be lost or adjusted when I open it.
Ensure you show me your best self by converting it to a PDF.
And please… proof read it. Give it to a friend or family member to proof read it thoroughly. I will likely not recommend you for interviewing if you have poor grammar or obvious typos. I assume you are providing me a sample of your work when I look at your resume. It shows either that you don’t care or aren’t detail oriented when you have typos and I assume I can expect the same if I hire you.
Edit: There is a lot of conversation about Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and how they can vomit on PDFs. So, please be aware of this when submitting to systems that may utilize this.
If an employer says you have to treat an entry level job as more than just a job to be successful, that’s key for you’ll be overworked and underpaid.
Never tell the recruiter how much money you make and never be the first to give a number
A lot of recruiters will ask what salary you are interested in, partly to see if you are within their budget but also this is a huge opportunity for you to sell yourself short, especially if you don’t fully understand the scope of the role yet.
Instead, say something like “I think I would need to hear a bit more about the scope of this role and expectations before discussing compensation for it. Can we revisit this discussion after I have had a chance to talk with the team and determine whether I am a good fit?” – they might immediately ask you what else you want to know about the role here so be prepared.
Recruiters will frequently ask how much you currently make as well, again, partly to see if you fall within their range and again a huge opportunity for them to take advantage of you. I would recommend never answering this. Instead say something like:
“I would prefer not to disclose that at this point in the process. I would prefer to have a more comprehensive salary based on my skills, what I can offer to the team, and company benefits. Is there a certain budget that you had in mind?”
This does a few different things. For one, the recruiter doesn’t know what you make now – so if your current compensation is below their range, they cant just offer you the minimum or even attempt to match your current salary. You’re also asking their budget range to get a better idea of what this company is comfortable offering as well as their benefit package. Most companies will let you know what their benefits early on in the hiring process.
TL;DR Don’t tell the recruiter your salary! It might be way below what they were going to offer you in the first place and will immediately minimize your negotiation attempts!
