How Picky Should I Be When Deciding Whether To Accept A Job?

iStock | Bulat Silvia

The Great Resignation is on. Workers demand more from employers, vote with their feet if they don't get what they want, and are picky about what they do next. There is no worker shortage. There are too many bad jobs. If you're a job seeker, your time is now.

You may feel like you're missing out on this shift and leaving potential opportunities unexplored. How do you get a seat on this gravy train? During economic upturns and pro-labor job markets, it's natural for restless professionals to wonder how green the grass is on the other side. If you join the ranks of professionals on the move, at some point, you will receive a job offer and face the dilemma – accept the offer or not.

Personal circumstances vary. Depending on your specific situation, whether or not to accept a job offer may be a super easy decision or one you struggle to make. Just because it's a favorable job market today does not mean it will stay that way indefinitely. That adds pressure to each decision. You don't want to squander the goldilocks timing, but you also don't want to settle. Those days are over.

Let's start with the most obvious factor. What is your financial state? If you're sitting on a nest egg, you have more options and less risk than workers who live check to check. If that egg is big enough, you may want to be part of the Great Resignation and resign from the job you no longer want. Should you? If you jump instead of quit, you have the advantage of a job search while already employed. You have more bargaining power, you can leave your nest egg intact, and financial obligations will not have an undue influence on your decisions. You may have the latitude to be picky.

The next step is to conduct an objective assessment of your position in the job market. Yes, it's ripe for professionals right now, but is it ripe for you? If you want to be picky about job offers, you need job offers! There are many ways to go about this, but to get the process rolling, you may consider these questions:

1.     What type of move do you want to make – upward, lateral, or a new field altogether?

2.     How much experience do you bring to the table?

3.     What are typical compensation packages for the job you want in your area? (Payscale.com)

4.     Will additional education help you reach your goals?

5.     What can you afford to do?

Your answers to the above questions should indicate how picky you can be when considering job offers. For example, if you are a recent graduate, you will judge a job offer with a different set of criteria than someone further along in their career looking to make a lateral move. A younger worker may sacrifice overall compensation for valuable professional development, whereas an established professional may weigh factors like work-life balance with more discretion.

Next, think about and write down what you want from a new job – salary, benefits, location, title – everything. If you're feeling bold, rank them. Put any deal breakers at the top. When you get a job offer, compare the deal points to your list. Where does it fall? Where are the gaps? This practice may help you decide whether or not to accept, negotiate, or pass.

If an offer meets your initial list of expectations, weigh any mitigating circumstances. There always seems to be at least one major curveball. For example, relocation is a big one. Maybe your dream job is a 45-minute commute that impacts your child care. Or the offer is from a start-up. The work is challenging and exciting, but will the company be around in a year? These are the difficult decisions that carry inherent risks. There is no "right" or "wrong" answer.  

If a job offer makes it this far, it's time to do a deep dive into the company. Even though the job market is dynamite right now and the press goes bonkers for every story about major companies increasing worker salaries and perks, bad employers have not gone away. Start with  Glassdoor.com and continue your research from there. Note positive feedback and red flags. Build a profile of the company.

Moving jobs is a major life-altering decision. From the employer's perspective, hiring someone is a major company-altering decision. None of this is easy. Regardless of how picky you are about job offers, how you pass on one is critical. Your goal should be to keep the door open with the company, hiring manager(s), and recruiter ­– be polite and gracious. Even if you would never consider working for a particular business, you never know where the people with whom you've interacted will end up.

Be cordial, friendly, and professional. Whatever you do, do not ghost the company or send an impersonal email. If you get on the phone with the point person and have a well-thought-out and respectful discussion about your decision, your professional network and reputation will most likely improve. One day, the pendulum will swing back to employers, and it will be their turn to be picky, and if you treat everyone along the way with dignity and respect, it doesn't hurt your standing.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Need To Get Better At Interviewing? Try A Mock Interview

iStock | Chaay_Tee

In many ways, a job interview is a performance. Any actor will tell you doing scene work or watching themselves on film for the first time is a sobering experience. After that, it’s nothing but practice. Just like acting, interviewing is a learned skill. The better you become, the better your chances of receiving the job offers you truly want. 

Enter the Mock Interview. Think of a mock interview as a rehearsal – you run the lines but the stakes aren’t real. It does not matter how many mistakes you make because there are no real-world consequences beyond derision from the very generous and patient friend or family member who has agreed to interview you. Running lines with another person is a superior barometer of how prepared you are to face the room than writing out and practicing answers to potential interview questions. 

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of a Mock Interview, let’s step back and think about your “sweet spot” in the room. The whole purpose of practice, practice, practice is

to make the experience as natural as possible. A contradiction? Yes. Tried, true, and effective? Yes. Going into an interview, you want: 

·      Your authentic self to shine.

·      Your answers to sound polished but not rehearsed.

·      To give sharp, succinct answers that match the question you were asked.

·      To avoid using space-filling interjections (e.g., um, ahem, aah, hmm, ah, like, etc.)

·      To make eye contact and have open body language. 

Mock interviews can:

·      Provide a fantastic method to hone your skills and sharpen your pencil.

·      Reveal whether or not you are effectively answering questions.

·      Make you more prepared, which makes you more comfortable, which mitigates anxiety and nervousness, which increases your vertical leap by three feet.

·      Provide a friendly and receptive audience comprised of a person, or people, who know you best and will, most likely, offer positive constructive criticism.

Start with a list of questions. Endless examples of interview questions are a Google search away but to jump-start your groundbreaking off-Broadway production of “Interview 101”, here is a quick list of classics: 

·      Tell me about yourself.

·      What interested you in this opportunity?

·      Why do you think you’re a good fit for this job?

·      Tell me about your experience in this type of work.

·      What is your greatest strength and weakness?

The first type of Mock Interview is like a play in an empty theater. It’s in person. Just like a real interview, you sit awkwardly across the table from someone who asks you questions typical of a job interview. There are no rules to conducting a Mock Interview, but for the best results keep the interview questions a secret for the first run-through. After that, you can hone your responses and demeanor. In this setting, your interviewer’s body language and reactions are instant feedback.

The second type of Mock Interview is a video. Yes, you’re sitting awkwardly across a table just like before, but this time a video camera is rolling. Warning: video is not kind. Watching yourself interview can be painful, because video reveals interview skill deficiencies with unnerving accuracy. You will see things invisible during your live one-on-one like fidgeting, posture, eye contact, blinking, excessive interactions, and sweating.

Practice. Practice. Practice. Rinse. Repeat.

Other tips – ignore at your own risk: 

·      Do a full dress (up!) rehearsal, including printing out your resume and stressing about where to park.

·      Many interviews are behavioral interviews. Knowledge is power. Learn as much about them as you can.

·      Don’t forget the other important set of interview questions – yours! Chances are, you’ve had an interview that ends with, “Do you have any questions?” Have questions. Great, well-researched, and well-thought-out questions. If you don’t ask your interviewers questions, you’ll come across as uninterested.

·      For recent graduates or soon-to-be-recent graduates – put down your phones! No. Seriously. Put down your phones. Take those earbuds out of your ears and L-I-S-T-E-N. Your college career center may have some great resources to help you prepare for interviews.

·      Thank your interviewer(s) for your time (yes, even the imaginary one during the mock interview!).

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Uh, Oh – I Made A Mistake And Just Took A Really Bad Job. What Do I Do?

iStock | scyther5

You did it! You rolled up your sleeves, applied for a new job, and landed a sweet new gig!

On your first day, you arrive excited to tackle your news duties and start your new life. However, as the day progresses, you realize something at your new company is wrong. Very wrong, and by the time you're pulling out of the parking lot, you reach the sobering conclusion that you have made a dire mistake by accepting this job.

In the days that follow, events at work confirm your worst fears. Your sweet new gig is toxic. Deadlines are impossible. Everybody’s angry all the time. Your co-workers look at you with a mix of sympathy and sadness typically reserved for the terminally ill and, when pressed, admit they have one foot out the door. It is clear the job is not a good fit for you, and the staff's consensus is the company's toxic work environment is institutionalized and not likely to improve any time soon. What do you do?

Relationships are complex, and your job is a relationship. There are no "right" or "wrong" answers to what you should do, and there are no guarantees for the future. Only you can determine what is the best path forward. With that said, here are some factors to consider if your new job turns out to be a nightmare.

1.     Should you stay or should you go? This is your livelihood. You must be decisive because time is of the essence. If you leave a job in a few weeks or months, it will be but a minor blip on your resume. If you are in a toxic work situation and have the resources to jump, you should do it - and now is the time. In the current labor market, employees have the leverage, but the pendulum can swing the other way in an instant. Otherwise, you may spend an unhappy year becoming increasingly disengaged and risk termination, which is a more difficult professional story to tell, while risking a deep melancholy in the process.

2.     Can you stick it out until something comes up? If you do not have the resources to quit your job, you have to find a way to stick it out while searching for another position. Besides, it's really not a myth that it's easier to find a job when you're already in one – employers tend to favor candidates who are currently employed. Use your job search to help you cope with whatever daily miseries you must endure. While you remain at your toxic job, identify areas of valuable professional and personal development that can help you down the road. Do your best work. Don't slack off. Document your achievements for upcoming interviews. You cannot change the toxic environment, but you can focus on work that is potentially beneficial to you in the future.

3.     Do you have a second choice that is still an option? If you had multiple job offers during your search – or even just a positive interview experience that never came to fruition – you can revisit a company you turned down. You may get some slack and additional hurdles put in your way, but if this is an option, you should consider exploring it.

4.     Is the door still open at your previous company? If you left your last job on good terms with your employer (ALWAYS a good idea…), you may be able to return – if that is something you would want to do and they want you back. This option has risks; if you return to your old job after a brief stint at another one, you are locked in for a while, and leaving a second time would be disastrous for your professional reputation.

5.     Mount your search. When faced with difficult circumstances, there is a risk of paralysis rationalized as prudence and patience. It's easier to "see where things go" than roll up your sleeves again and plunge back into a job search (especially when the last one ended in disaster). Resist the temptation to take half measures. Start immediately. Make time every day. Your dream job is out there. Go get it.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.