Get a Job - Even in This Economy

The Secret to Success

When you start looking for jobs, what’s the most natural thing to do? Look in your industry. Industry experience matters to employers so when you’re in job search mode, you go for low-hanging fruit. We definitely recommend you do that as part of your search—but what if you’re in one of the industries I mentioned above? There might not be an option in that industry. Don’t despair. I’m going to hook you up with secrets to manage that situation.

The Secret: Think Functionally

What does that mean? Every job is categorized by both industry and function. For example, an industry is pharmaceuticals, but the function is sales. Your potential to get an interview is based not only on the industry experience, but also on your functional experience. And guess what? Functions go across industries! That’s right. You have gained transferable functional skills that apply not only to your industry, but to others as well. Things should start coming into focus for you now….

Your job is to begin thinking functionally right now. Don’t think about the industries in which you’ve worked, start thinking of the different functions that you have experience with. Here are some functions to get your mind working:


• Marketing
• Sales
• Operations
• Recruiting
• Consulting
• Market Research
• Information Technology (networks, hardware, software, development)
• Strategy
• Research
• Project management

What about skilled trades?

• Truck Driving
• Painting
• Auto Work
• Hotel Room Service
• General Hospitality

Think about the projects that you’ve worked on within your job. Did you lead a team, do budgeting, perform custom analyses, business plan, or mentor others? Do you have a skill or trade that can be used anywhere? It’s extremely important to know what you have done when in job search mode. Cater your resume to your function and you'll be ahead of the competition. Best of luck!

533,000 (net!) Jobs Lost in November

Wow. So much for mixed results! Yesterday's post had a silver lining. Today the cloudy day turned into a tornado-ridden thunderstorm with a path of destruction leaving no industry immune.

CNN reports on the story:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The economy shed 533,000 jobs in November, according to a government report Friday - bringing the year's total job losses to 1.9 million.

November had the largest monthly job loss total since December 1974.

According to the Labor Department's monthly jobs report, the unemployment rate rose to 6.7% from 6.5% in October. Though lower than economists' forecast of 6.8%, it was the highest unemployment rate since October 1993.

Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a loss of 325,000 jobs in the month. November's monthly job loss total was greater than October's revised loss of 320,000. Payroll cuts in September were revised up to 403,000.

The revisios brought the 3-month job loss total to 1.3 million. That's equal to two-thirds of this year's total job losses and the third highest three-month job loss total since World War II.

November's report provided the first glimpse at how employers reacted after the peak of the credit crisis, reached in mid-October. With credit largely unavailable and expensive, consumers scaled back their spending, dragging down manufacturing and construction businesses.

If you're one of millions of people who have lost a job this year, don't fall prey to the doom and gloom. There are ways to position yourself to get a new job even in this economy. Sometimes it's better to turn off the television.

We talk about the economy to raise people's awareness of the issues, but we encourage people to look at the small picture. Your life and career changes with getting one job. The headline says 533,000 jobs lost, but it's a net number. There were jobs that were gained and that's the focus we all should have.

Mixed Results: Better Unemployment vs. ATT

The confusion of our economy continues. With somewhat brighter news, the Labor Department reported that the number of newly laid-off people signing up for unemployment benefits last week dropped by 21,000 to 509,000.

What was the next story? Venerable AT&T is laying off 12,000 people, or 4% of its workforce. Combine that with the press-friendly road trip that the auto execs took to Washington DC and you have a veritable blend of hope, despair, and confusion.

Many pundits believe that the holiday shopping season will be full of "re-gifting" (get ready to see lots of bottles of wine and old toys re-wrapped). Dollars won't be flowing the way they were in past years.

2009 will be a make or break year. With Barack Obama assuming the presidency, the spotlight will be on how the economy performs. In the meantime, it makes sense to work with your employers to see how you can improve job security as well as get the annual bonuses and raises that should come to companies that are still doing well. There are many.

That's why these are mixed results. Ah the ups and downs of economics. I like the ups better.

4 Reasons Why You SHOULD Discuss Salary In An Interview

I have heard many so-called experts say that you should not discuss salary in an interview. The rationale is that you're not in a strong enough negotiating position in that setting. In fact, here's a recent article endorsing just that practice.

Well, I'm here to tell you that all those "experts" are wrong--especially in this tightening economy. That's right, you SHOULD talk salary in an interview! Here are four reasons why:

1. If they're talking salary, they want to hire you.
You've just gone through a series of great interviews. Do you want to derail the momentum by putting off arguably the most important part? I don't think so. You want to engage in that conversation and be ready for it before going in.

2. You're instantly in a strong position when they bring up salary in the interview.
The interviewer is tipping her hand if she starts talking salary. It means you now have the opportunity to start defining terms. They're asking you what YOU require in order to come work for them. That sounds like a strong position to me.

3. You're on your game. Don't second guess.
You know how you've prepared for the interview. You've just nailed it. This is the time when you're at your highest personal confidence level. You've received validation that you're a star. Capture that moment of personal strength!

4. If you're unemployed, recently laid off, or need to change jobs quickly, you need to close the deal.
In this economy, getting the job you want--at least the offer--is paramount. Do you want to leave your offer up to chance? Time is your enemy. Get the deal closed and be ready to move into your new position.

The absolute KEY in all of this, is to be prepared to have that conversation in the interview. You have to set a salary goal before you even walk in the door. Interviewers will often ask, "how much are you making now?" When you're prepared for the question, you're poised, confident, and ready to give the answer that maximizes your compensation for the position. Your calm, cool demeanor will signal to the interviewer that you are ready. That shows you're ready to tackle the challenges of your new position because you're calm under pressure.

Here's even more content on the subject. Check out this (less than 3 minute) video that shows a situation where I was prepared with my data and ended up getting a 35% salary increase switching jobs just by being prepared to negotiate in the interview!



You also don't want to let time change your position in the minds of the company. You know how slowly companies move on offers when there's a delay. It could be a month before you here from them again. Discussing salary in the interview is a MUST these days if you have the opportunity. They could offer other candidates in the time between your interview and when you hear from them. You would never know that someone took your job.

And you can always talk benefits and other particulars later. The point is to come to an agreement quickly so you can secure your economic viability and start the new job you want.

Check out more salary negotiation advice at SpringRaise Salary Negotiation.

Think this is good advice? Bad advice? Let us know! Leave a comment.

5 Steps to Get a New Job in this Economy

The list of layoffs and company bailouts has been so exhausting as of late, it made no sense to publish their results. Finding meaning in all of this is the best use of time.

Yahoo's announcement that they are laying off 1500 people is a clear indication that the real-estate initiated bubble is reaching into the tech sector. Sure, Yahoo's had it's problems anyway, but seeing them lead the way generally means there will be more like this.

The startup world is also in a shambles. Raising venture funding is extremely tight. Many angels and VC firms (like Sequoia) have been advising tight control of cash to ride this wave out. Companies with prominent ad models are becoming extinct (see Revolution Health).

The key thing to remember at this time is the doom and gloom is news. Companies are still hiring for needed positions. It's important for people to recognize that there are still opportunities. Now is the time to find the right position for you!

How do you find the right job? What if you worked for one of the investment banks that now has a bad reputation? Remember, things go in cycles. Back in 2000, the dotcom bubble burst and many people had to find new jobs. And remember Enron? Venerable financial accounting firms were under siege with Arthur Andersen closing its doors. These times brought lessons on how to survive tough times within an industry.

Here are the 5 steps to getting a new job in this economy:

1. Think outside your industry
Industry can be a limiting factor these days. If you worked at an i-bank or commercial bank, your resume shouldn't fall as a result of the company that employed you. It's time to look outside your industry for areas where you can apply your experience.

2. Think functionally
What were the things that you did functionally that were impressive? Did you do marketing, operations, sales, strategy, or other function over the course of your time at your previous job? Get detailed about what you have done. Make a list and see all the different functions you've performed. Be generous, but not superfluous.

3. Dig deep into your background
Your background is not just your previous job. Think about what you've done at all your previous positions. Think about your schooling and how that has potential to help you. You are a collection of all of your experiences. You don't have to be defined by just your previous position and company.

4. Create multiple resumes
Once you have completed steps two and three, you will see that you have performed many functions. Now it's your job to create resumes that are aligned with those functions. Doing so will allow you to tell a customized story to any employer of how you were able to perform that function as part of your work over time. Doing this along multiple functional lines will increase your chances of getting an interview. There have been times when I had seven concurrent resumes working for me across 14 companies. I got four offers.

5. Warm up your network
This is extremely important. Networking your way into jobs is the quickest, most effective way to get an interview. Your friends know if their companies are hiring or not and likely have access to seeing job descriptions that may not be published outside of their company yet. That's an advantage for you. Take friends out for coffee, or even Pinkberry as I was recently invited. Those people are like your Sarah Palin lifeline, except it actually exists.

5a. Join career oriented social networks
If you haven't done so already, joining social networks can help you achieve #5. You may find people who can help you that you haven't talked to in a while. Get back in touch. LinkedIn is the best out there to do this. Our own network, Springraise, is great for assessing your market value based on your background, but isn't built for people getting back in touch as it is more anonymous than other sites. We still encourage you to join just to get a checkup on your market position as part of this process.

Best of luck, and let us know how your searches go. We'd love to hear from you! Leave us a comment and tell us what you think or what you're seeing out there.

What you need to know about new job salary negotiation

In today's economy, people looking for jobs are at the point where every cent counts. When engaging in new job salary negotiation, you MUST keep four things in mind:

1. You might be working for the person you're interviewing/negotiating with

The last thing your new "boss" is going to want is to feel burned by you in a salary negotiation. The key to appropriately winning a new job salary negotiation is to make it seem like a win-win for both your new company and for you. Whether it's your educational background, work experience, or network, each of these can be used to make your new manager look good. Offer that up in your negotiation and you'll find you've created an ally rather than an adversary.

2. The only insight they have into your success at previous jobs is what you tell them, so make it GREAT

You are GREAT! So let everyone know it. You don't have to embellish your experience to be the exact person that a company needs. Just match your background with their job needs AND preferences. Communicate your greatness through your cover letter, resume, interview, and negotiation by staying on your story. Know what you want to say backwards and forwards so that nothing is off message. Once you have done that, you've ensured that you'll be in a strong negotiating position.

See the other two new job salary negotiation points and a video example.

Need Some Salary Negotiation Techniques?

When you want to maximize your take-home cash, it pays to have solid salary negotiation techniques in your arsenal. The key to winning in any negotiation? Information. You have to arm yourself with more information than the person you're dealing with because most often that person holds the keys to your salary increase.

Let's be clear. Most employers don't like you using these tried and true techniques. Why? Because it increases your chances of getting a higher salary than they want you to have. Their business is to get the most out of you for the least amount of money.

Here are just two techniques that can help.

Think of salary negotiation as a process

When coming up on a career event (raise, promotion, new job, etc.), prepare for it like you would any event or meeting. You wouldn't go into a big meeting with a client or partner unprepared, would you? Do the same for yourself! It's time for you to get paid first. Our Springraise Salary Negotiation ebook takes you step-by-step through the process. It details the information you need to WIN your negotiation. It provides real-world examples of how these techniques have led to double-digit, even TRIPLE-digit compensation increases! You've got to check it out.

Set a goal

Every time you declare that you want something, you tend to get it, don't you? That's the power of setting goals. When you set it, you get it. The same is in salary negotiation. Set that goal and prepare relentlessly to get it. See yourself winning in that salary negotiation and you increase your chances of making it happen.

See four more salary negotiation techniques.