In A Perfect World, Carrying Out Shared Goals Is A No-Brainer

In the corporate world, politics and attitude are just as important as skills.

There was an article I've read in the Harvard Business Review citing an excellent performer who was eventually fired because he couldn't work with his boss. Tension was evident right from the onset of their professional relationship. Since neither had a clear understanding of each others quirks, the company suffered. The boss was also let go, as a result.

The transition from being an independent contributor to a manager is similar to growing pains. The success of your direct reports determines the direction of your career. No matter how good you are as an individual contributor, it becomes irrelevant if your team cannot deliver as expected.

Why Should I Promote You?

Just because one person has spent 10 or so years in the company doesn't automatically mean that he or she is promotion material.

Promotion should be first and foremost, based on merit. Further, the person should have the competency to take more challenges and must have the leadership skills to make the team more efficient in carrying out their duties.

One of my team leaders recommended that two staff in his group are ready to take on a more senior position in the company. He said the promotion long overdue. Now, I ask myself: are these people ready to take more responsibilities? I know for a fact that they've been in the position for like, forever. But again, that doesn't mean anything if their performance is below average. Are they the type who feel entitled because of seniority? I hope not.

Dear Boss, I Have An Interview With The Competitor Tomorrow

If you’re planning to seek employment elsewhere and you are very much employed at the moment, will you tell your boss that you are applying with other companies?

The thought sounds silly to me. In fact, I’ll be a 100% idiot if I do that. Should I decide to quit my current job, I would never ever tell my boss that I am looking for a better paying job, let alone tell my boss, in his face, that my salary is just not enough.

Here’s the scenario.

California is bankrupt. We all know that. A lot of businesses are struggling to keep the business afloat. I know that for a fact because my supposed salary increase and bonuses were put on hold. Still, I am thankful that the boss decided to keep me and that applies to my co-workers as well.

In light of the no increase this year, it is normal to look for other opportunities. But to tell your boss that you are actually applying to ABC Company or worse, you are attending interview #1 tomorrow and interview #2 the week after, is just beyond me.

First, you don’t have to tell your boss of your future career plans that doesn’t benefit his company. Second, it is just so stupid giving the boss a blow by blow account of what transpired in your job hunting endeavors. And last, you don’t tell your boss that your salary is not enough; whether the salary doesn’t cover your bills, mortgage, day care, etc., because that is not your boss’ problem. Employers compensate based on performance and your contribution to the company. The boss will not give you an increase because your salary can’t keep up with your expenses or any other reasons that do not concern your duties in the workplace.

Another thing, you don’t brag to your current boss that you’re moving to a much bigger company, even if it’s the top 1 company in your industry, you just don’t. You’ll piss him off and he will cut your hours further.

The most important rule of all: do not tell people, let alone, your boss that you are moving to a new company when you’re not even hired yet!

If you are thinking of leaving your job, do it with finesse. Avoid making stupid mistakes. Creating a bad blood between you and your not so current boss will certainly affect your references in the future.

Interview Over Lunch: Can You Handle It?

I’m not overly excited about the idea of being interviewed while I’m eating. It makes me very conscious about everything I do on the table e.g. how I chew my food, whether I’m using the right spoon or fork, how to masticate with finesse so that no food will get stuck in between my teeth and so on. It’s difficult for me to focus on the questions the interviewer asks of me when I’m distracted with food.

Interviews over a meal speaks a lot a about the candidate. Carol Smith, Senior Vice President of the Elle Group, makes sure that she does an interview over a meal to learn more about the applicant. She said that having a meal with someone is like a little microcosm of life. You can tell a lot about the person on how he carries himself in a restaurant setting. “Throughout a meal, the personality comes out”, she added.

Having an interview over a meal is similar to having a coffee shop interview. The former is trickier because other than keeping the conversation going with the interviewer, you have to interact with the wait staff as well. How you conduct yourself in front of them tells a lot about your personality. Are you the type who talk down to waiters? Do you order the most expensive food in the menu? Are you a difficult customer? These are some of the things that speaks volume about a person.

The next time you find yourself in an interview over lunch or dinner perhaps, be mindful of your etiquette because the meal will be part of the employer’s decision in the hiring process. Do not let your guard down or think that you have bested the other candidates in the list. Little did you know, all shortlisted candidates may have gone through the same interview procedure.

Interview Preparation: Doing More Than The Basics

Don't we all dread job interviews? Inasmuch as we want to ace each interview that comes, there are times when we fumble with our words, say the wrong things in front of the interviewer or worse, fail to do an in-depth research about the employer. When you want a job so bad, you just cannot make any of these gaffes which will compromise your chances of bagging the job. It is not enough to rehearse answers to possible questions that may arise or dress yourself up in your best power suit. You have to do more than that.

Here are some tips that will help you in acing that interview:

1. Who will conduct the interview?
If possible, ask the HR manager about the person/persons who will conduct the interview. Is it going to be the operations head? The VP? The CEO? Knowing who you will be up against with during the interview will allow you to condition your mind and prepare yourself for potential questions which would presumably delve with the specifics of the job you are applying for.

2. What is the employer's core business?
You can get this information from the company's website. Check out the "About Us" link and read the current press releases. Familiarize yourself with the company's products and services. These information are also found in the company's annual report.

3. Who are the competition?
It doesn't end with the knowledge of the company's products. You have to know their competitors and how the company stacks up against their peers in the market.

4. Answering difficult questions.
List all potential questions, the difficult ones specifically, and practice your responses. Possible questions that may come up include situations relating to handling conflicts at work and your management style.

Doing the above steps in addition to the basics e.g. looking great and knowing the details of your resume, will put you ahead of the pack.

How to handle phone interviews

In the past, phone interviews are nothing but a discussion of the basic information about you, the candidate, and the position being offered. The caller asks about your present job, a bit of about your working history and your expectations about the job. The niceties usually lasts for 5-10 minutes. The recruiter ends the conversation by scheduling the applicant for an in-person interview with HR or a qualifying exam to be held in the employer’s office. You don’t discuss the finer details of the job just yet because back then, those line of questions are reserved for face-to-face interviews with the hiring manager. But nowadays, the phone interview could be the deal-breaker. If you don’t ace it, you may have forgone your only chance of landing the job.

Things have changed. Employers have raised the bar in phone interviews because they are attracting more qualified candidates. They want to filter out the candidates early on in the hiring process and phone screenings allow them to accomplish that. By the time the candidate is invited for an in-person interview, the recruiter has already conducted a series of comprehensive phone interview with the finalists. The candidate may have gone through four or five phone screenings discussing work history in detail, their relevant skills and experiences to see if they’re a good fit for the job and other complex questions which discusses the position being offered in greater depth.

Now, the question is how do we handle phone interviews properly and likewise, increase our chances of getting an in-person interview with the hiring manager.

Phone etiquette tops my list. Recruiters call anytime, anywhere! Unfortunately, there are times when we’re caught up in a situation where its impossible to have a decent conversation. If that happens e.g. you’re at work or in a meeting, doing your groceries or tending to your kids, politely ask the recruiter to call you at a time when it’s okay for you to have the phone interview, if at all possible. But remember, putting the phone interview schedule at a much later time or date may cost you your chances of being shortlisted. There are other candidates fighting for the same position and competition is tough especially now.

Another important item to consider is to be well-prepared. Do your homework about the company you’re applying for and the job requirements. Make a self-assessment of how your skills and experiences stack up against the job criteria. Craft your answers well. Try not to beat around the bush when the recruiter asks you questions.

If the recruiter calls you at home and you’re unavailable, give instructions to the persons at home that you are expecting an important call from a prospective employer. Do not let them answer the recruiter’s questions on your behalf. This happened to me and recruiter didn’t call again. This doesn't apply if you have voice mail, of course.

So the next time a recruiter calls you, be mindful of your answers and etiquette. It could be your first and last shot of the job.

How to promote yourself when you're underpaid

If you’re in the market looking for a job and it so happens that you’ve been working for your current employer for years earning modest annual increases, chances are you need to negotiate more with the future employer to bring up the proposed salary at par with the market average. Simply put, how do you get ahead if you’re paid below industry average?

According to Risk Slayton, President of Slayton Search Partners in Chicago, underpaid professionals may need to change jobs more often over a short period of time.

"They have to look at this as a two step proposition," he says. "They have to get themselves closer to the market average in one move and they'll likely have to move again three to four years later to get themselves to a competitive compensation level."

Other than the paycheck, you also have to look at other fringe benefits like signing bonus, the possibility of telecommuting, vacation days, reimbursement for education expenses and the like.

While it's true that tougher times calls for tighter budgets for most companies, it doesn't mean that you should allow yourself to be paid less than industry average. Know your strong points, capitalize on your skills and experience and negotiate wisely. You may have to set a specific target tied to your bonus to prove your worth to the company. You have to be aggressive to reach the salary levels of other professionals in your industry.

Lessons learned from my online gigs

Nowadays, it is common to conduct your business entirely online. You set up a home office -- basically a computer with sufficient memory to hold all your files, a stable internet connection and you're good to go. Working at home, be it part-time or full-time, is a better alternative than working in a traditional office outside the home. You save on lunch money and gas. Plus, you get to spend more time with the family.

An online business like any other business also has its downside. Since most if not all transactions, financial and trade, are done via the internet, you run the risk of dealing with scammers and dishonest people. To cut the story short, I've been duped in the past by these people. Here are some lessons I have learned:

1. Google them up.
It's advisable to check their reputation online for any adverse feedback from other service providers. Scheming people may put up a dummy name every time they deal with a different provider but it's still a good move to check them up regardless.

2. Ask for an upfront fee.
This strategy may turn off some clients but it is to your advantage if you ask for a down payment for the work to be done. Say 10% at the start of the project then another 30% when you're halfway through the project and so on.

3. Choose clients with escrow accounts.
This is applicable for the freelancing sites online. Usually, the companies who act as middlemen hold an escrow account for buyers or those people/entities who contract work with freelancers. So if the buyer decide to quit the project unexpectedly, you will still get paid for the work done.

Thank you notes

It never really occurred to me to send thank you notes after an interview. It was my boyfriend who pointed that out to me. Sending a note to thank the interviewer is akin to following up your application. So whether you get the job or not, send a thank you note. Now, it has become part of my interview protocol.

Just remember not to overdo it. Here are some scenarios that one should avoid:

Lengthy thank you notes
Make it brief. Two to three sentences would suffice. Writing a long letter to the hiring manager projects lack of self-confidence.

Correcting an interview mistake in the thank you letter
Okay, you made a wrong answer during the interview. You should have corrected the mistake after the interview is over. Telling the hiring manager in writing that you've made a mistake in your answer earlier in the interview doesn't sound right. You had your chance in the interview. And most importantly, never sound apologetic in your thank you note.

Bombarding the hiring manager with follow-ups
You've said your thanks and that's enough. Don't bombard the hiring manager with constant follow ups i.e. emails, phone calls and voice messages. You need a job alright but try to keep your integrity intact: don't sound too needy.

Remember, if they want you in their payroll, they'd never hesitate to offer you a job. I know the waiting is sometimes frustrating but that's how the system works.

Show up early, stay late

As we are in the midst of an awful global economic slump, securing one's job is of high importance. How do we do it?

In the insurance industry, I've seen it hit rock bottom because of catastrophic events. 9/11 is a good example. A lot of insurance companies suffered financially as a result of the terrorist attacks. Some carriers had to close shop because capital was immensely depleted and as a result, could no longer sustain the business. There were mergers and acquisitions - new companies were formed, especially for the bigger carriers where closing down its operations was not a viable option. The industry, fortunately, was able to get back on its feet after a few years. There was government intervention, premium rates increased plus tighter clauses were included and made mandatory to existing and new contracts. As expected, there were people who were let go because businesses ceased to operate plus M&A's resulted to a leaner organization. Hence, retrenchments and layoffs were inevitable. However, there were lucky individuals who were able to keep their jobs. Again, how did they do it? Sheer luck? Hard work?

Job security is a thing of the past. There's no such thing as long-term employment. Even CEO's get booted out of the company if need be. Job security may be non-existent nowadays but that doesn't mean we couldn't secure our existing jobs.

First off, stay positive. The economic crisis is a cycle and in time, the situation is bound to improve.

You can also volunteer to do special projects or any endeavor that you think would contribute to the greater good of the company. The initiative would merit plus points in the eyes of your boss.

Avoid whining about the situation. Everybody has made sacrifices one way or the other. You are not alone in this ordeal.

Also, if possible, show up early at work and stay late. Overdeliver your services.

And don't slack off. You still have a job and that's the best part.

More job cuts and bad news

I noticed that Monday seemed to be the big companies’ favorite day to announce job cuts. Today in the news, we have Caterpillar, Home Depot, Sprint Nextel , Texas Instruments, GM and in Europe, ING Bank slashing their workforce. They’re letting go of people in the thousands.

Here at home, Intel is closing down its manufacturing facility in Cavite and I believe that Accenture laid off employees in their Solutions Division. Same thing is happening in Accenture, India. They are trimming down their payroll.

The global economy is in a downward spiral and I cringe at the thought of being part of the statistics.

I’ve mentioned time and again that we should not be complacent with our present jobs. Be thankful for the job you have now but you shouldn’t stop with being happily employed. Things are different now as compared to the time when our folks were working. Back then, jobs were guaranteed and they stayed with the company for years. That kind of arrangement i.e. long term employment is a thing of the past.

Aside from the proverbial advice of saving and living within our means, I think it is wise to have a “sideline” to beef up your savings. There are a multitude of options for offline and online business. It’s just a matter of doing what you’re good at, capitalize on your skills and make your hobbies or passions earn you additional income. It could be as simple as baking pastries or selling trinkets in bazaars. Online, if you’re good with your writing skills, you can freelance by offering your writing services to internet marketers.

The list of opportunities is endless as long as you’re serious and determined to reach your goals. Your choice.

The Boss is In

In my 10 years in the corporate scene, I've worked with different types of bosses who made a huge impact in my career. I had a boss who inspired me to remain in the insurance industry because of career opportunities here and abroad. Although the local market is far behind its Asian counterparts, the principles, the trends are all the same. Insurance is a global business. Transition from one insurance market to another is a matter of acclimatizing to the new culture and business practices.

Going back to the bosses I've worked with in the past, the micro-manager types are the ones I detest most. I was infinitely under the microscope. How can you work properly in that situation? To cut the story short, I left the micro-manager.

So far, the best lesson I've learned from my mentors is to manage up. Take responsibility. The boss is always busy doing his own job. If we think we need training or further eduction in our field, then we have to let them know.

Advice from the honchos

I just finished reading Fortune's Best Advice Issue. Each CEO (of Fortune 500 companies) gave his and her "words of wisdom". These words have become a sort of mantra they live by. The best advice given to them came from their parents, mentors in the corporate scene, colleagues and professors alike.

What strikes me most is that the "words" they live by can be considered very basic. Some arise from common sense. But as we know, common sense is not so common nowadays.

Here are some of my favorites:

An NCR executive giving a presentation... He had great slides and an even better delivery. At the end of the presentation, CEO, Chuck Exley, said "Good story, but it's hard to look smart with bad numbers".
There's no way to disguise poor performance. Deliver good numbers and you earn the right for people to listen to you. - Mark Hurd, Chairman and CEO, Hewlett-Packard

Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent... When you assume negative intent, you're angry. - Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, Pepsico

The best way to lower risk is to specialize: Put the things you love into one portfolio. - Zhang Xin, Co-Founder nd CEO, SOHO China

My parents advised me to ignore bullies. That doesn't work. You have to punch them in the nose. - Elon Musk, Founder and CEO, Spacex

Your career is long and the business world is small. Always act with integrity. - From Joanna Shields' Dad. Joanna Shields is the President of Bebo.com

Source: Fortune, May 12, 2008 issue.