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On the Job Hunt is a web log for IT professionals looking for work. Our current job hunter is Chuck Drobny, an IT consultant seeking a new fulltime job. Two other people are contributing to On the Job Hunt, an executive recruiter and career coach and the owner of a consulting firm, who will provide advice from the perspective of a hiring manager. TechRepublic career editor Judy Mottl will also provide links to TechRepublic articles on job hunting. Get your free TechRepublic membership here. E-mail the web loggers here.
Note: Unless you specifically request otherwise, all e-mail received will be considered eligible for publication in all or part on the web blog.
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Based on things that I have read and people that I have talked to it seems
that a 12 to18 month period of unemployment is not unusual, especially for
higher level positions. Having people around who provide support and
encouragement during a time like this is invaluable.
Regarding discussion of compensation, I would personally hold off on that
for now. You don't want them to think that money is your primary motivator.
Focus on the challenges, responsibilities, and tasks that they would expect.
Often salary discussions are held early on to eliminate people with
requirements that are exceed the budget, are unreasonable, etc. The fact
that you have had two interviews without a salary discussion should be
viewed as something positive.
When it is clear that you are the person that they want then it becomes
interesting. Most good companies will not take advantage of the current
economy and "lowball" their offers, although some may not be in a position
to offer as much as they would like due to the economy.
Do some research (salary surveys, recruiters, want ads) and try to get a
feel for what is reasonable for the position that you are seeking. Answer the following questions:
How does that compare to what you used to earn?
What is the least amount that youwould be prepared to accept?
What is the most that you could considerasking for without appearing greedy?
This type of preparation is very important.
If you are asked what salary you are seeking you can then frame it in terms
of "In my previous position as CTO I earned $X" and "Based on my research it
appears that similar positions have salaries of between $X and $Y". Lay the
foundation and see what happens. If there is silence then be prepared to
make your suggestion. Don't be afraid of a little silence after that.
If the job is one that you want but the salary is not quite there, ask for a
formal salary and performance review after six months. Try to make it work
for both parties.
You may be surprised by a statement like "we are prepared to offer you $X".
If it is within your parameters let them know that you feel that the offer
is fair and would like to have a day to discuss it with your wife before
making a decision. If the offer is low you could ask them how they arrived
at that figure and try to negotiate from there.
The final advice is to keep hunting. Even though things are looking good it still doesn't hurt to continue with a systematic approach to finding other opportunities.
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