Job search advice

When should I leave my job?

The best time to change your job is after you have made a significant contribution to your current company and at the same time have learned and acquired as many new skills as you are likely to. As a rule of thumb, this should be after about four years, and should become increasingly longer with each job change and boost in seniority.

Hiring managers hate to see resumes that have too many job changes. At the same time, people who stay at one company for 30 years tend to come across as risk-adverse and to have gained only one company’s narrow prospective on management. Balance is the key; focus on changing for the purpose of building your skills in a more challenging environment.

Start with the end in mind: Try to imagine the kind of position that you wish to hold ten years in the future. It’s not easy, but base your vision on what you enjoy and what you have a natural talent for. Based on the job requirements at your future target position, you should identify gaps in your current skills and experience and seek out roles that will allow you to bridge them. Stay focused on your objectives.

Job Search Advice

Find a Job that taps your skills and interests

Aristotle said: “A man’s calling is where his talents and the needs of the world intersect.” This holds as true today as it did then. People who happily go to work every day because they are doing something that they are naturally suited to, thus naturally enjoy, tend to be happier and higher performing. If you find the profession most suited to your natural talents, you are more likely to climb to the top faster.

Job Search Advice

Phone interviewing

Speak slowly and clearly

93% of human communication is body language. On a phone interview, you only have 7% of communication which consists of words themselves.

Listening to someone over the telephone can be challenging because you cannot see the person you are trying to hear. Plus, it may be difficult for the person you are talking with to understand you. Speak slowly and calmly to the person. If you normally tend to slur your words, for instance, take care to pronounce every word precisely and distinctly.

Smile, even if your listener can’t see you, it will change the tone of your voice in a positive way.

During the phone interview, don’t chew gum, smoke or eat, but do keep a glass of water if you need to wet your mouth.

Be prepared for a phone interview just as you would for a regular interview. Compile a list of your strengths and weaknesses, and keep your resume close by you.

Job Search Advice

Job interview advice

You should dress appropriately and look professional. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure you dress for success. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. Be there five or ten minutes before your appointment time so as to prove that you are conscientious and professional.

Be aware that the interviewer might have done a web search on your name. Might this reveal some information not in your application? You must be aware about this eventuality and know how to handle it. Make sure you prepare your responses.

In return, do a web search on the name of your interviewer. You’ll then be able to adapt your answers to his/her interests.

When in an interview, really try to understand the scope of the role being discussed. Make sure to interview the interviewer as to the real essence of the role so that you can explain why you are suited to it. Don’t just wait for the interviewer/s to ask you questions. Make it a dialogue.

Job Search Advice

Interview questions

Also, do a web search on the company in order to become familiar with the organization. After that, you must be able to answer these questions:

• - What does the company do?
• - Who are its customers or clients?
• - What reputation does the company and the employer have?

You also have to know exactly what kind of position you’re applying for:

• - What does the position involve?
• - What qualifications are necessary?
• - What kind of skills is the employer looking for?

Then, you have to anticipate questions the employer may ask during the interview:

• - Why do you want this job?
• - What are your strengths and weaknesses? (Here is a great time to give an example of a situation using your multitasking skills.)
• - Why do you suit this position?
• - What do you have to offer this organization?
• - What do you see yourself doing in five years?

Don’t be passive during your job interview; an offensive (not aggressive!) candidate would make a better impression. That is why you should question your interlocutor about the position you’re applying for.

Making a career change

Stay Marketable

Upgrade your skills: In today’s competitive environment, workers with the most updated skill- and knowledge-sets are at an advantage. If you want to progress, you have many solutions:

Find volunteer work: This is a good way to increase your professional skills and make new connections.

Learn a new language: Just because you’re not a student anymore doesn’t mean you can’t learn a new language and get good at it. Knowing a language opens you up to all kinds of new possibilities. To your colleagues, friends and family you would seem passionate and ambitious. It also can be an added benefit on your resume.

Go to conferences: Conferences stoke your creativity and provide excellent networking opportunities. You will meet major players in your field, learn about new innovations and get new connections as well as new opportunities. Conferences can be expensive but consider them a good investment.

Use social media: They are convenient for building your personal brand and demonstrate your knowledge with digital trends. You can testify to your familiarity with a field and prove your credibility.

Update your image: Appearances matter in professional area. An obsolete look could suggest that your experience is obsolete too. But this annoyance is not complicated to solve: get a fresh haircut, buy a new suit, a new wallet and maybe try different glasses.

Get Feedback: The recommendations of others can have a huge impact on your career. Written or virtual recommendation (for example through LinkedIn) can help you demonstrate your professional value. Also, make sure to seek the advice of people senior to yourself in the market. Ask them for advice on how to get to the top. Successful people are usually happy to help you become more successful.

Create a virtual Portfolio: A portfolio is a virtual and visual representation of your work, your experience, your abilities and your strengths. It allows your best work to shine and shows you’re aware of new technologies. It’s modern, creative and will distinguish you from the others. There is a lot of free-to-use software online that looks entirely professional.

Making a career change

How do leaders become good leaders?

First, they learn leadership skills and techniques. They were not born natural leaders but they became such through a process of self-study, education, training and experience.

There is a difference between a good leader and a boss; you can be the CEO of your own company and still be a bad leader.

Choose the right people: You can’t become a great leader just by yourself. You must develop a great team, with smart, independent and ambitious people. Effective teamwork is a key point in the corporate world. As a team leader, you have to inspire and motivate teamwork, but also be open to new ideas coming from team members. If someone gives you an idea, work on it.

Set an example for your team: Your employees won’t be doing their maximum if you’re not working harder than everyone. If they are aware that the leader is working with them, and not only watching them work, they will treat the company as their own. The leader shouldn’t be separated from this team. He should work with it.

Be a good communicator: You must know how to give and receive information in order for everyone to be appraised. Your instructions should be clear and do-able. You make the final decisions, but you should ask employees what their opinions are. In the case of any disagreement between your co-workers, you have to be the mediator and find the best way to resolve the problem without sticking up for someone.

Making a career change

How to get a promotion

Perform great work: It goes without saying but if you want to get a promotion you have to deserve it. Getting responsibilities and doing more than your job description will make you more visible.

Tell your boss you want a promotion: You will have to speak about your goal to your boss, who must be aware of your plan. Your boss can help you, advise you and outline expectations. It’s better for you to know precisely how you can achieve that promotion.

Making a career change

How to negotiate/manage a salary increase

Salary talk might be uncomfortable but it’s a routine process and you have to endure it. You will regret it if you don’t.

You must negotiate your salary when:

- Your education, experience, skills are more than the salary proposed.

- The cost of living is higher in the city/country where the job is and the salary offer doesn’t suit that.

- The pay range for the position is less than the average

- You are getting paid less than your colleagues for the same work.

Generally, the person having the authority to negotiate the offer is the boss or a human resources representative. The first offer might be an opening bid. You must ask for more, and be able to talk about the skills that support your value.

Don’t bully the representative. It is unwise to compare with another higher paying offer that you may have.

Some jobs have a probation period before a candidate becomes a permanent employee. You can revisit the offer at the end of this period with your future employer.

If the salary rate is strictly non-negotiable, try to obtain other opportunities as bonuses, extra, holiday allowances.

Resume Advice

Key Points

Be results-oriented: focus on your skills and achievements instead of your personal objectives. Employers will pay more attention to what you actually did than on your personal path. They want you to fit their position, not the opposite. Thus, do not hesitate to re-use some keywords used in the original job ad. Putting examples of achievements in line with the job requirements or skills is a really good point. In short, craft your resume to look like the job description sheet, to the extent possible.

Adjust: create several versions of your resume according to the different jobs/companies you are applying for. Choose the right keywords to catch the company’s attention, explaining how you can specifically contribute to its development.

Prioritize: put most important information first and spend more time describing your skills, experiences, and results which are in direct line with the job you are applying for.

Check: read your final version attentively and check carefully your potential errors of facts and grammar. Pay attention to possible omissions. It is always safer to ask a trusted person to have a second look before sending your resume to the employer.

Less is more: try to avoid unnecessary information or complicated details. Explain your achievements with simple keywords and action verbs such as manage, complete, administer, develop etc. You will have the opportunity to explain your experience in more details during a phone or face-to-face interview. As a rule of thumb, never exceed two pages on your resume.

Resume Advice

Engineering resume :

Engineering sector is vast, that is why you need to be clear and accurate. Your references are your best asset.

As engineer you might take responsibilities that go beyond your technical competences. Therefore, its important to highlight various skills.

The part about professional experience must be detailed. If the candidate is also a manager he can write down how many people he led.

Candidate’s commitment is a capital point for an engineer. Involvement and reliability are main qualities in this sector.

Be proficient in more than one language is a real advantage, as the geographical mobility : Indeed, most important actors in this sector are working abroad.

Resume Advice

Marketing resume :

In marketing area, your resume is like your “personal brand”. It must be striking and efficient, in order to set you apart from your competitors.

Creativity is important in this sector but don’t be too much : you’re not a graphic designer.

Choose a understated creativity.

Mission statements should be meaningful : use examples, and don’t hesitate to add in your CV successful advertising campaigns and projects you worked on.

If you are in depth knowledge of Photoshop and Indesign, or have a twitter account, a blog, indicate it. This is a part of your personal brand.

Resume Advice

Communication resume :

In communication a resume is a showcase of candidate’s skills. Keep the resume on one or two pages, depending your experience.

Write a short introduction about your experience and competences. Showcase your last work experience and your highest level of education. Plus, you must adapt your vocabulary according to each consultant.

Creative profile and artsy professionals( web designers, graphic designers, advertising manager…) might use an original resume, proving their abilities. Originality is a key factor in getting a higher percentage of response from resume submissions.

If you are interested in smaller company, show you can work successfully within small budgets and you are versatile professional.

For a larger company, show you already managed large budgets, worked on international projects.

Resume Advice

Maintenance resume :

The resume doesn’t need to be elaborate. It should lay out all relevant experience and past positions in a clear and easy to read manner.

Recruiters are looking for a flexible and adaptable candidate. Therefore, the candidate should highlight his availability. He also could list all equipments he has experience in operating.

Educational background is not as important in this sector as it would be for other jobs. Recruiters are more interested in past professional experience.

List all your past jobs and include your level responsibilities for each work.

Applicant should have available references.

Resume Advice

Healthcare and medical resume :

CV must stay simple, easily read by the hiring manager, in an outline form, with information organized in a concise way.

In the medical sector, past experience is the most important part. If you don’t have a lot or any, demonstrate your skills and abilities.

Explain as much as possible your actual experience : if you are a clinician, note what type and volume of patients you see on average.

Employment dates should include month and year for beginning and ending of each position in order to show continuity of employment.

List your job from the most recent to the oldest.

Resume Advice

Finance and accounting resume :

A good knowledge of the company will help you tailoring your CV to the appropriate profile. Highlight professional experience, specific to the industry, specific to results. Insist on your computer skills, essential qualification.

A real good point is to note results and company’s turnover. Resume should be a maximum of two pages, it must be concise, focused and targeted on the job the candidate is applying for.

Describe in detail your most recent employment and also the most recent training modules you have completed.

As a certain point of your career, hiring manager are looking for a leader, as a part of their executive team : showcase steps you have taken to add to your responsibilities in the past.

Don’t try to be artsy : stay simple and classic.

Resume Advice

Technology resume :

It is better to have different versions of resume in order to suit the job you are applying for. Focus on your results. Indeed, you need to demonstrate that you are the best choice among all the candidates.

Focus on how you helped previous clients succeed instead of your knowledge.

Be brief and include concrete details. Quantify the benefit as much as you can. Demonstrate your achievements through specific aspect and attention getting language.

Be clear about your date employment, specify months, not just years.

Working in the technology industry, you must be proficient in operating systems. Showcase your ability with an appealing template.