It’s important to know the what and why about the company you’re interviewing with, but for your sanity, dig deeper. The more you can learn about an organization’s “personality,” the better. See what Orson* and Peggy * did.

Orson* interviewed for a sales rep position which would cover a several county area.  He was pleased with the salary he had negotiated, and learned that he would also be getting a company car to cover his territory.  This was in an area that was new to him, and moving expenses were included.  All in all, he was excited for his new challenge.

When his offer letter came, however, his excitement soon faded.  A provision had been inserted which said that he would be starting at 80% of his negotiated salary, on a 3 month probationary period!  This had never been discussed – not during any of his interviews, nor over the phone.

He called his manager for clarification, asking why this had been put in the offer letter.  Her only response was that it was “standard,” and she wouldn’t budge.

Orson had also met with his manager’s supervisor during the interview phase, so he then felt he had no recourse but to call the district manager.  It wasn’t the best way to start out a new job, he felt, but he had been offered his full salary, and told the district sales manager so.

The district manager agreed, and a new offer letter was sent to Orson, stating that he would start with the originally negotiated full starting salary!  Orson was proud that he had Fixed It! and signed the offer letter and returned it to his manager, hoping that there wouldn’t be repercussions.

Shortly after he began his new position, he asked his manager, “How do I take care of my moving expenses?  Does the company get billed, or do I get reimbursed?”

She responded, “Oh, you don’t get moving expenses.  Didn’t you read your offer letter?”

“I was so burned up!” Orson said.  “I actually called her boss again.”

This time, though, the district manager was less inclined to be supportive.  He asked, “Does this prevent you from taking the job?”

I said, “No,” Orson recalled, “But looking back, I wish I’d played hardball.”

Orson later learned that his territory had two reps before him in the past year, and his company’s sales reps for the entire state saw more than 100% turnover in one year!

“I, too, ended up leaving the position within the year,” Orson recounted.  “That organization was terribly unhealthy, and I wish I’d noticed the many, many warning bells that were going off around me!”

Peggy* had made it as a finalist for a job she felt would be a good step up in her career, and was interviewing with the woman who would be her supervisor, should she get the position.

Things had been going well, and Peggy began to ask some more direct questions about the history of the organization and specifically, the position itself, such as, “How long has this position been vacant?” and “Why did the last person leave?”

Typically, these answers are not only revealing about the position, but also about the person answering them, and whether or not they are forthcoming.  This is true especially if the previous staff person departed under difficult circumstances, such as getting fired.  Seeing how delicately (or not) a manger handles describing such a situation is very revealing.

On the other hand, if the organization promotes from within, it can be a good sign – and also a bonus to know that the staff member will be available to answer questions while learning a new job.

Peggy was relieved to learn that the answer was somewhat benign:  The former staff member left a month ago because she had a baby and decided to become a full time mother.

The director continued by saying what a loss it was to the organization when the staff member left, then added, “And it’s really so foolish of her, sabotaging her career like that!  I even offered to let her work part time, too!  What can she be thinking?”

Peggy was so startled, she didn’t know what to say.  It certainly seemed as though she was being given a directive that if she had children (or was planning to have them), she’d better not be considering staying home full time and leaving her job!

Before Peggy could think of what question to ask next, the director continued the conversation and changed the subject back to the job and organization, much to her relief.  Peggy finished the interview, all the while searching her memory, wondering if she had dropped any references to her family situation during the interview.

A couple of weeks later, Peggy got the job offer, but politely declined, saying she had accepted another offer (she hadn’t).  She decided to Forget It! and not work for someone who so obviously declared that she knew what was right for everyone else’s situation.

Do you have a Fix It or Forget It? story to share?  Send it to me, and it might help others.  Identifying features will be altered prior to publishing.

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Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
—  Rita Mae Brown

Culturally, women are conditioned to be agreeable and cooperative. That, combined with those who feel the need to help a part of society, yields an abundance of women in nonprofit with a calling to serve in a congenial way.

While this is certainly good for society, it’s not always good for the agreeable – and often, non-confrontational – women, particularly when it comes to their careers.  Often, all the traits that make such women the ideal candidate to work in the nonprofit arena actually work against them when it comes time to lobby on their own behalf.  They frequently learn – too late – that they have been passed over for promotions, raises, or generally left out of conversations that they should have been consulted on.

It has become more important now than ever before, with such a competitive job market, that women speak up and speak out at every opportunity – whether currently employed, or actively job hunting – so that their voices and ideas are heard by management and others on a regular basis.

Bonnie* had discussed her current work situation, where she felt that the director had used the economy as an excuse to whittle down everyone’s position essentially to being his serfs.  Bit by bit over the last couple of years, he had made everyone feel that if they didn’t comply with his latest “cost cutting” idea, they might be next on the chopping block.  This included petty things, such as his removing the office refrigerator and microwave, to “save electricity.”  (Bonnie did notice that, although all of the women in the office now had to modify the types of lunches they brought to eat, the director still managed to treat himself to eating lunch out on a daily basis.)

When Bonnie decided to Forget It! we worked on finding her another position, but kept in mind the dynamics which led to the situation she ultimately found herself in.  She wanted to make certain to define what type of treatment she would – and would not – tolerate right from the beginning.  I explained to her that a great many parameters are set in the first few weeks of employment, when you make your first impression.  Her boss and the other employees would see what they could expect from her during this initial phase.

While it’s important to be eager to learn and get along with others, of course, you still don’t want to project yourself as a doormat, either.  If, for example, Bonnie had given the idea that she would be willing to do everyone’s filing (whether it was her job or not), all those on staff would immediately be thrilled to have her do it for them . . . and anything else they could delegate to her.

When Bonnie began her new position, she had difficulty getting her business cards printed in the first couple of weeks.  The position that usually handles the task was vacant, and the procedure in his absence was arduous.  She learned that the last person who went through the procedure not only waited a long time, but her cards weren’t right.

Bonnie decided this would be one way to define herself.  She took action and had her own cards printed and simply submitted the receipt afterward.  Her director was surprised at first, but then she explained why, and he signed the expense report.  Bonnie was pleased with her first step toward defining her new self as someone who wouldn’t sit around and wait for second best.

Caitlin* defines herself as a “very shy person,” but came to me for assistance, because she felt that she was “invisible” in her organization.   She wanted to work on her networking and socialization skills, but didn’t know where to begin.

“I don’t feel as though I can just barge in on the already established social groups at the office and ask to join them for lunch,” Caitlin says.  “They’ve been having lunch together for a couple of years now.  Nobody has ever invited me along.  It’s like they don’t see me, even though I’m right there.”

Since Caitlin didn’t feel comfortable encroaching upon what she already felt was “established territory,” I suggested we Fix It! by trying some new territory, and had her join a local chapter of her professional society.  Not only was it good to work on her skills with a new group of people, but, I explained, it’s always best to extend your professional group beyond your immediate workplace, anyway.

One excellent way for someone shy to mingle at professional functions is for them to volunteer to work the function, and Caitlin signed up to help at a few upcoming events.  This provides several benefits.  Not only did she get the lay of the land beforehand and feel more at ease, but if she ever felt awkward at any time while talking, she could always excuse herself, since she had “something to do,” because she was working the event.

In addition, the leaders of the professional society got to know Caitlin in an informal setting and became appreciative of her hard work.  I had given her advice on several talking points to make about herself, as well as targeted questions to ask of others when chatting at these events, and it was working well.

After Caitlin had worked at several of these events and was becoming more comfortable speaking with people she’d recently met, I had planned on having her apply these techniques back at her workplace, so she wouldn’t feel as isolated.  It turned out, though, that it became unnecessary.  Caitlin made several good contacts with her new networking friends, and one of them offered her a better job, which she accepted!

Now, Caitlin works in an atmosphere that is more inviting, and she no longer feels “invisible.”  She also makes a point to participate more actively, to ensure that she’s seen, too.

Do you have a Fix It or Forget It? story to share?  Send it to me, and it might help others.  Identifying features will be altered prior to publishing.

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Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
—  Rita Mae Brown

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Sadie & Tanya Work on Their Negotiation Skills

Sadie* felt lucky to have stable employment in this economy, but she hadn’t really been able to get additional assignments over the years and didn’t feel her boss took her seriously for anything beyond her current job. Just how long was she supposed to spin her wheels?

Sadie stayed in her position longer than she might have, due to the unstable work environment, because she told herself, “I’m luckier than a lot of other people: I have a job.”  What Sadie wants, though, is a career that she can build upon over time.

Whenever she approached her director – who repeatedly assured her that he would be “showing her the ropes,” he always had some reason why there wasn’t time “right now” for her to spend time on “that,” and he needed her to continue doing what she had always been doing.

Later, she called him on this, because, although she realized she had performed adequately during the year for business as usual, she had fallen short on some of her “additional” goals.  Her director responded by turning the tables on her saying, “You need to consider what you really want here,” and implied that her previously negotiated telecommuting was preventing her from being considered a serious professional.

“I was so stunned,” Sadie said.  “I felt as though he was telling me that I had to choose between my family and ever being promoted!  Not only that, but he acted as though this is what was ‘holding me back’ all along!  If that was the case, why didn’t he say so a couple of years ago, instead of ‘Not now . . .’ all that time?!  I was hurt, shocked and infuriated!”

Sadie decided to Forget It! and “lucky to be employed” or not, we began her job search.  She wanted to pursue her career, and knew that, although the job market was difficult, it wouldn’t be that way forever.  She wants to plan for the future and work in an environment that is more supportive to her building her career and doesn’t make excuse after excuse, or penalize her for having a life or a family.

Sadie’s search did take many months, and when she found a position, it didn’t pay as much as she made before, but she was pleased with the other benefits it offered, including a great deal more autonomy, training, room for advancement, flex time, etc.  She feels that several years with her new employer will have a much greater payoff than the past several years has.

I had been coaching Tanya* on a variety of ways to help improve her chances of becoming a finalist candidate for second or third interviews, and the resume I designed for her had helped her acquire quite a few first interviews over the past several months.  She realized that the chances of her being able to match her previous salary were slim to none.

Eventually, Tanya reached the point of not only being a finalist candidate, but entered into negotiations with an employer who was ready to make her a job offer – at a salary that was significantly lower than her previous pay.

While Tanya did want to take the job, she also knew that an employee has more bargaining power during this point of negotiation than at any other time . . . and that women often leave too much money on the table.  On the other hand, she didn’t want to push too hard and talk herself out of a job.

She examined all of the facets of the offer, as I instructed her to do during this phase of negotiations.  Many candidates are also concerned with other aspects of a position, besides pay – such as Sadie, who cared about telecommuting and/or flex time, to be with her children.  For other candidates, they might bargain for items such as a better title, more vacation time, a larger office, or other perks or benefits.  A great deal depends on the person, industry, and so forth.

Tanya noticed that the health benefits offered by this employer were quite good, but she already had health coverage through her husband’s employer that was sufficient.  She proposed to the employer that instead of providing their health coverage, they give her an additional $5,000 annual salary, and she would waive the health benefits.  The employer happily accepted these terms, and Tanya was hired.

Tanya still didn’t start at the same salary as before, but this was a workable compromise to all parties, so that she was able to Fix It! and move forward with her career, rather than spend an additional unknown period of time interviewing and eventually finding something else that still may have paid less anyway.

The employment landscape has changed, and so have many of its rules.  The more adaptable you are – and able to negotiate – the more marketable you are.

Do you have a Fix It or Forget It? story to share?  Send it to me, and it might help others.  Identifying features will be altered prior to publishing.

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Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
—  Rita Mae Brown

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Kraig* and Lorriane* network within and outside the office

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Adam*, Barbara* and Chloe* find an effective level of assertiveness

Kraig* was a diligent intern who worked extra hours, and for employees beyond his assigned department, so he could learn more about the company he hoped to one day work for. Spreading himself so thin didn’t get him known by key individuals, however.

When it came time for him to request recommendations for a position, people were polite, but it was clear that there were no resounding votes in his favor that led to actual employment at the company.  Nobody could point to anything specific – from start to finish – and describe projects that Kraig had completed for them . . . only pieces that he had “helped with.”

At first, Kraig felt betrayed.  Then, he regretted not joining this or that group of people for lunch when invited, or attending a committee meeting when he actually could have.  He came to realize that had he narrowed his scope better, he could have spent more time committed to fewer projects and become more invested – and better known – by a select group of people.  These key people probably would have come to know and admire his talents better, and his resume would have reflected more substantive projects, instead of multiple “assisted with ___” bullet points that he now had listed.

Kraig and I worked on his resume and interviewing skills, and when he did get hired by another employer, he made a point to Fix It! at his next position by getting involved with specific groups of people and committees that were related to his career interests, but took care not to over-extend himself as he had before.

With his new position, Kraig was looking ahead and thinking about his next career goals and how he might get there via networking, mentoring and pursuing his specific career niche.

Lorraine* had accepted a sales position managing a geographic territory, and was pleased to be starting soon.  It meant moving, but she was willing and able to make the move, and the company was paying for her moving expenses.

When the offer letter arrived, she was displeased to see terms that the district manager hadn’t discussed when making the offer on the phone:  a probationary period of 80% of the agreed upon salary for the first 90 days.  She found this to be distasteful, unacceptable, and a bit underhanded, since it hadn’t been discussed at all verbally, when the offer was made and agreed to on the phone.  Speaking to the district manager got no favorable results, and Lorraine contacted his supervisor, to protest starting at a salary lower than the agreed upon terms.

She was pleased to receive a new offer letter shortly thereafter, with the full starting salary originally discussed, and signed it.  Later, she had begun making arrangements to relocate, she contacted her manager to inquire about how to bill the company for the moving expenses, to which he responded, “Oh, you don’t get moving expenses.”

To Lorraine’s dismay, she discovered that this item had been removed from the revised written agreement, once she got her full salary reinstated!  She – again – contacted her manager’s supervisor, but this time, he didn’t back her up.  All he would say is, “Does this affect your coming to work for us?”

“I wish I had said, ‘Yes!’ but I didn’t, and I capitulated,” Lorraine recounts.  “I ended up paying all of my own moving expenses!”

After a year on the job, Lorraine learned that this was just one of many examples of poor treatment by the company of their sales staff – and she saw more than 100% turnover of the district reps in her entire state!

“They treated us like indentured servants, constantly reminding us how lucky we were to even have jobs,” Lorraine recounts. “It was as though they’d take a staff member and toss them on the griddle, singe them until they couldn’t take it anymore, and then –  pssssss! –  toss another one on, as though they had an endless supply of victims.”

When Lorraine finally decided to Forget It! we had a longer and more difficult job search for her because she had left most of her contacts behind in her previous city, and hadn’t taken the time to network and make new relationships in her current home.

Networking involves time, effort and research, as well as sincerity when done properly.  While some will view it as a headcount contest or race to see who wins, the real value emerges when you can forge meaningful connections with people.  You won’t always be on the receiving end, and sometimes you can give back, but being known as a person who can connect others is a good thing, too.

A good analogy for networking is planting seeds in a garden:  some will take root and flourish, while others won’t – and even those that do, need nurturing and it will take quite a bit of time before they fully mature.  They don’t typically require a great deal of attention, but do need regular upkeep.

What time have you spent this week to tend to your network(s), so that they will continue to thrive?

Do you have a Fix It or Forget It? story to share?  Send it to me, and it might help others.  Identifying features will be altered prior to publishing.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
—  Rita Mae Brown

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Sadie* and Tanya* shore up their negotiation skills

Adam*, Barbara*, and Chloe* find an effective level of assertiveness

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