Interview Tips: Provided references are no guarantee
Though the majority of employers do check references, others skip this step. Not only is it labor-intensive to check references for people who might not be poised for a job offer, but Jack Harsh, adjunct professor at the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, says that many employers worry about the risk of liability in rejecting a candidate based on poor references.
"[Hiring] decisions cannot be based on information that is discriminatory in nature, so to avoid any liability, the checks are forgone," Harsh says. "Sadly, the first reference the employer gets in such cases is from colleagues after employment has begun."
Steve Langerud, director of career development at Depauw University, adds that sometimes, the quality of references is benign.
"Everyone wants to be helpful and supportive to former employees, but in the end, they offer little substance to a new employer," he says. "Legally, they are limited by what they can or want to say about former employees. I think the old formal system of references is dead in most professional fields."
Langerud warns that just because an employer isn't checking personal references the traditional way doesn't mean he isn't checking references at all.
"Employers are more likely to check the informal, but tangible, behavioral reference sources like LinkedIn, Facebook, credit history [or] criminal history than the more subjective references provided by candidates," he says. "Candidates should be much more intentional about crafting a professional identity that serves the role of a 'reference' but within the context of the work, profession and colleagues you seek to engage. It eliminates the weaknesses inherent in the old style of references that become so watered down they are useless."
Interview Tips: Negotiate a Job Offer in This Economy
About salary history and expectations often elicit feelings of anxiety, particularly when times are tough in the job market. Many who have been unemployed for several months worry their power to negotiate has diminished. Others know they are overqualified for the positions they seek and fear their salary history will screen them out of consideration. Here are some suggestions after a job offer:
· If the offer is more than you expected, congratulations! But you may get an even better one if you don't jump at the first offer. Pause long enough to give the employer the impression you may be expecting more. You may even ask for time to think over the offer.
· If another employer has made a better offer, that's the most powerful argument you can use.
· If you have no other offers, but your research tells you the going rate is higher than what the employer is offering, say so. Keep in mind that the employer probably has also researched the employment market, so be sure you have good sources to point to.
· If the employer won't raise the offer enough to suit your expectations, ask the employer to agree to review your salary sooner than normal.
· Employers who won't budge on salary offers sometimes are willing to make concessions on benefits or perks that you want. Maybe you can get stock options, extra vacation, use of a company car or the ability to work at home part of the week. Sometimes you can argue that you both will gain from the benefit; for example, if the company pays your tuition expenses for night classes, it will profit from your improved skills.
· You may also be able to get concessions on certain work responsibilities you either want or want to avoid. For example, you might ask to be given a managerial task that's not normally part of the job, and this eventually could lead to a higher-paying position. Any tasks you ask to avoid should be lower-level so that ruling them out would not interfere with your growth in the job.
· If possible, do all your negotiations face-to-face, rather than by telephone, because you can gauge people's reactions better in person. Sometimes, candidates will say and do everything right during the interview process and during negotiations and still won't achieve the job offer they were seeking. In these instances, Shatkin suggests telling the employer, "that the job is one you would like if the salary were appropriate, and thank them for their time and consideration. It is possible that they will not find someone else to fill the position and will reconsider hiring you at the salary you asked for."
Tough interview question, "Tell me about yourself."
This is usually the opening question in an interview and it's the perfect moment for you to toot your own horn -- not to tell your life history. Your answers should be a quick rundown of your qualifications and experience. Talk about your education, work history, recent career experience and future goals.
Suggested answer: "I graduated from University X and since then, I have been working in public relations with an agency where I have generated millions of PR hits for my clients. While I've enjoyed working on the agency side, I'm looking to expand my horizons and start doing PR for corporate companies such as this one."
Tough interview question, "Tell me about yourself."
This is usually the opening question in an interview and it's the perfect moment for you to toot your own horn -- not to tell your life history. Your answers should be a quick rundown of your qualifications and experience. Talk about your education, work history, recent career experience and future goals.
Suggested answer: "I graduated from University X and since then, I have been working in public relations with an agency where I have generated millions of PR hits for my clients. While I've enjoyed working on the agency side, I'm looking to expand my horizons and start doing PR for corporate companies such as this one."
