AVOIDING BAD COMPANY

We often see attractive advertisements from companies;

§  “JOIN US”

§  “INTERESTED? WE ARE INTERESTED IN YOU”

§  “WALK-IN INTERVIEW”

§  “COMPETITIVE PAY, JOIN NOW!”

All these seem very interesting and they do tickle the mind of the humble and sincere human resource. However, in some cases companies posting these advertisements are not professional at all – regardless of the time since they opened their doors to business. “How can a company be bad?” that is the question that most of us ask, we look at the advertisement and we apply – right? Well, without doing any research about the company or observing it, we open ourselves to exploitation. The companies posting these advertisements are not all bad; however, some of them are “time wasters” modestly speaking.

Observations:

A-     Observing the Not so Obvious:

So how do you tell if a company is bad? It is actually simpler than most of think; it all starts with you. To avoid a company that is unprofessional, you will need to calm your storm to get the job; the desperation to get a job is often overwhelming but then you would like to be employed by a company where you can stay for long, right?

The second thing to do is to make calculated observations about the outlook of the company. Look at their website, when was it updated last, do they have any copyrights to their website? Do they have a formal e-mail address or do they use a free email like “@gmail, @hotmail, @yahoo” to communicate? Okay, so this company in focus checks out, it does have a formal e-mail address and their website has a copyright and updated regularly. Next is to call, this perhaps will give you a very clear sign about the company. Chances are you are connected to a reception desk, ask them to connect you to the HR Department; continue observing the interaction, how long did it take to be connected and what was the reaction of the Reception Desk.

Do be advised a professional mature tone will help you determine the professionalism easier. Make sure to use a mature tone throughout your call; once connected with the HR Department, be honest and tell them you would like to know a little about the position since you saw their advertisement and are interested in applying. You can break the ice by saying something like: “AOA, I just read your advertisement for the position of ABC that appeared in XYZ and I was wondering if you could kindly tell me a little about the company – I hope this isn’t a bad time?”

Often the HR Department will tell you that they are occupied and the details are all mentioned in the advertisement, this is where your observation comes in. If the advertisement they posted does not contain complete description of the position and you are told that the details are all there in the advertisement, chances are the company is unprofessional. There is no hard and fast rule to this; but a professional company will never bring on board an unprofessional individual. Remember, every employee represents the company.

B-     Feel the Company – Get Down with it:

Let us suppose your first interaction with the company was satisfactory and you feel ready to proceed with the application. You send an e-mail with your resume and wait for the call; one fine day a call comes from the company requesting you to sit an interview. Continue with your observations and accept the invitation; in case you honestly cannot make it to the interview request them for a re-schedule.

On the day of the interview, make sure you are looking professional, hair neatly done; shiny shoes and a brilliantly pressed suit with a modest fragrance coming from you will convey that message rather well. Once in the office look around, see the people around, the atmosphere and most importantly the level of professionalism you feel. In case the company is new and still going through renovations, look how the work is being carried out; the company is conducting interviews so most of the employees naturally know this – observe how they carry out knowing that.

Soon it is your turn and you are called in; be bold, be confident and most of all be professional. When you sit in front of the hiring authority, carry a pleasant yet professional personality, and respond to every question confidently with a calm smile. You may be asked to put forward any questions you may have; to shy away, ask them about the career paths you might have the opportunity to embark on, ask the hiring manager why did s/he join the company. Two way questions like these not only show that you are confident and professional but also convey a message that you are serious about the position and are eager to join a company that is serious as well. Once your interview is complete, it is time to reflect on all your observations.

C-     Reflect and Decide:

Discuss your observations with someone close to you, someone who has been working for years; your father or elder brother for instance. If the company is professional, the entire journey from the call to the interview will have a professional tint to it. It is of utmost importance to make sure the company is formal and serious because “bad companies” have a bad habit of exploiting their resource and once you sign the contract you are bound. So make sure you are bound with someone who is offering the target you would like to “bulls-eye”.

10 TIPS TO RESIGN GRACEFULLY

1. Announce your resignation professionally

Be very professional and tactful in announcing your resignation and make sure you go through the proper channels of command resigning to your immediate boss first and then announcing your departure to your peers and colleagues. Do not let word of your intention to depart filter through the grapevine before you have announced your intentions to your boss.

2. Give sufficient notice

Consult your company's policies and procedures for the proper notice period and make sure you give sufficient notice. If the company asks you to stay a little longer you are under no obligation to but if you have no other pressing priorities it may be a good idea to prolong your stay as a gesture of goodwill to ease the transition and complete any unfinished tasks.

3. Write a letter of resignation

Always follow your verbal resignation with a written resignation letter. Make this short, tactful, professional and to the point. Your resignation letter should be sued as an added opportunity to maintain a positive rapport with your old employer; it should not be sued as an opportunity to voice grievances or vent any bad feelings you have towards the company.

4. Ask for a reference letter

You don't want to wait till you need a reference to ask for one as people you work with leave and in time you may lose track of them and the stellar work you did for them may be forgotten. Use your resignation time while you are still fresh in the company's mind to ask for all the references you need so you have them in hand when you do need them.

5. Offer to help find a replacement

One gesture of good will is to offer to help find a replacement for you. This is usually very well-received as no one knows the intricacies of your job better than you do and you are likely to have more time to devote to the task than anyone else.

6. Do a proper hand-over

Make sure your work is well-documented, all outstanding tasks and projects are assigned to the relevant parties and you have done all you can to ease the transition. Make your handover documentation as informative, detailed and polished as possible so you look good to your successor, bosses and peers well after your departure.

7. Finish important projects

Don't leave any loose strings. Make sure all important projects are completed or reassigned. You will be remembered positively if you have allowed for a smooth, professional and effortless transition. If you have no immediate next job or assignment that awaits you, offer to stay longer until that important deal or project is closed. Even if you must rush off to your next job after the notice period, you can choose to offer to be available by phone or email or during weekends for a little while after your departure to ease the transition if the company needs you.

8. Don't bad-mouth the company

Make sure you leave on good terms and do not burn any bridges. You may well end up working with the same team in some capacity or other in the future or needing their reference so do not take your resignation as an opportunity to bad-mouth bosses or colleagues no matter what you really think of them.

9. Don't leave your office in a mess

Clear your office, computer and files before you depart and leave nothing personal behind. Make sure your files are in order and your office, desk and drawers are clean, orderly and ready to be handed over to your successor. If you are not a very organized person by nature, make an extra effort to leave your house in order before you depart so as to leave a positive lasting impression.

10. Do say good-bye to your colleagues

Don't leave abruptly - make sure you say your friendly goodbyes to all the people you have shared your days with. Emphasize the positive when you bid your farewells and do not use this as an opportunity to boast about your new pay packet or dig up old grievances or traumas. Leave your peers your contact details so they can choose to stay in touch with you in the future.

To Network or Not to Work

Networking is a skill well worth learning to advance your job search as well as to succeed in your chosen career. Avoid the main networking blunders and you will find that most people are only too willing to help.

Most of us, trained and seasoned sales professionals occasionally accepted, have an innate aversion to approaching strangers, even if it means just picking up the phone and asking a referred contact for their valuable career advice. Networking however is a skill well worth learning to advance your career and an essential activity for any aspiring jobseeker. Avoid key networking blunders and you will find that most people, approached correctly, are only too happy to offer valuable advice when it comes to your job hunt or at least to point you in the right direction. So what are the most common networking mistakes and how do you avoid them to ensure your networking is successful?

Don't lose sight of your objective

Your objective through networking is to survey the employment landscape by enlisting the help and advice of others and to find out from people you know and the network of people they know which companies may be hiring now or in the near or intermediate future. Networking is a great way to expand your circle of professional contacts, to get the word out in the right circles that you are looking for a job and to uncover the "hidden" job market which is the vast market of jobs that are filled by word-of-mouth referrals and never advertised. Aim to get valuable advice, information and pointers about the job market as well the names of at least three professionals who can further help you from every contact you approach.

Don't approach networking in a haphazard manner

Approach your networking activities in the same manner you would broach any important project; with careful planning, research and preparation. Start with a mind-map of where you are, what you have to achieve and how you plan to get there; then map out a strategy for success that begins with a comprehensive list of people you currently know, people you would like to know in the industries and companies you are targeting, and questions you need to ask, functions you need to attend and people you need to target to get there.

Don't underestimate your existing contacts

Include everyone you know who could possibly be of any help in your initial list of contacts and don't underestimate who or what your immediate contacts may know. You may be very pleasantly surprised to find that the most unlikely people in your immediate circle can through their own contacts link you to a suitable vacancy. Approach everyone you know and aim to get the word out in the market that you are looking for a suitable position.

Don't be shy in beefing up your new contacts list

The "six degrees of separation protocol" would suggest that only a few phone calls will get you to the right contacts in your target companies or at least highlight a vacancy or two in the market. However our recommendation is to spread your wings and be as aggressive and creative as possible in constructing your list of contacts. Expand your list of people to call and/or meet beyond just friends and family to previous coworkers, previous clients and suppliers, members of clubs and groups you belong to and accessible mailing lists of professionals who attended training seminars, conferences or other functions within your industry. Aim to attend events held by local trade organizations, chambers of commerce and any other relevant industry events where you can interact with people and expand your network.

Don't "wing" your networking script

There is a middle ground between having a rigid script and an informative interesting two-way conversation; effective networkers are able to find and tread that middle ground successfully. Have a professional and concise script ready for when you approach your contacts, rehearse the script and plan to walk through it systematically, but be prepared to amend it to take into account the questions and personal agenda of the person you are soliciting advice from. Ideally, you should approach each cold contact via a referral from someone who knows them. Once you have briefly introduced yourself, mentioned your referral source and secured their permission to take a few minutes of their time, get straight to the business of networking which is to ask for any advice, tips and market intelligence that can help you in your job search as well names of additional people you can contact to further your search.

Don't ask for a job outright

While your overarching aim via your networking activities is most definitely to get a job, you should be very clear when you approach individual contacts that you are calling/meeting them to get their valuable advice and any pointers, tips and referrals they can give you to that end. Do not approach them by asking directly if they have an immediate vacancy. Approaching a cold call with a "Do you have a job" proposition will in most cases lead to an outright "No" and close the door in the face of the wealth of other information and referrals and future opportunities you may have learned of from this source. Make sure you do not "waste" you contacts in this way.

Don't treat each contact as a one-off activity

While not every call or visit will produce long-lasting chemistry it is a pleasant added advantage if at least a few of your networking calls did lead to prolific professional long-term relationships beyond that first cursory introduction. Aim to impress the other party with your professionalism and listening skills and try to make the conversation a fluid two way street where you can give and take market insight, feedback and advice. You will get a lot more in the way of advice, information and referrals both immediately and in the longer term if you establish a rapport with the other party and gain his trust and confidence.

Don't waste anyone's time

Make your intentions clear and keep your conversation concise, focused and professional. Avoid approaching people you don't know with questions and comments like "How are you doing today" and "great weather we're having today" as well as any unnecessary personal or casual banter that veers away from the main purpose of the call. Demanding too much of someone's time also shows disrespect for their time and agenda - aim to limit your conversation to about 5 minutes and if the other party chooses to engage you for longer with helpful tips and advice then let that be a pleasant bonus.

Don't be discouraged

If the person you are calling informs you outright that this is a bad time to call don't slam the phone and give up, instead get a firm date for a future contact. Ask very politely when a better time to call is or if you can invite him/her for a very quick cup of coffee instead at a time that is convenient for them. In-person meetings often accomplish a lot more in terms of breaking the ice than phone calls. Whatever you do, don't take things personally; if one contact is less than forthcoming move immediately on to the next one.

Don't take the other party for granted

Most people are very busy with more pressing priorities and taking time out of their busy schedules to give you career advice should be perceived as the very generous gesture it is. Whatever you do don't monopolize the conversation. Whether on the phone or in a meeting your "elevator pitch" describing yourself and your objectives should be no more than 30 seconds long and the rest of the conversation should involve asking questions and responding to them. Show appreciation for the time the people you contact spend wi th you by following up each phone call and meeting with a professional thank you letter. Let them know your own door is open for any advice or help or pointers you can give them in the future.

Don't forget to document

A successful job-hunting networking campaign will probably involve you talking to approximately 50-100 people and you are more likely than not to forget key facts, figures and information you learn along the way. To avoid this, take thorough notes that include everything you learn about each individual contact as well as names, numbers and email addresses of referrals. Don't forget any details. You never now what information will come in useful at a later stage and you need to be prepared if any contact calls you back in the future.

Don't forget to follow up

If you make any promises, make sure you keep them; whether that involves calling your contacts at a later date, or sending a CV, or some other item that is of help to your contacts. Aim to stay top of mind with the occasional email or phone call informing them of any item that may be of interest to them; whether it is picking up on a subject close to their heart, mentioning that you saw their name in the news, or congratulating them on a sale or a promotion you hear of. Remember that successful long-term relationships involve trust, open communication, reciprocity and mutual benefit