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For those seeking full-time job after graduation: Career Q&A with Dasha Amrom
Here are some career-related questions I was asked during a recent workshop that I led at one of the top UK business schools. I have aimed to provide brief answers to these questions, which I believe are pertinent to any recent graduate about to embark on their first full-time job.
Q: I have just been offered an analyst position at one of the UK’s top banks and I am starting in July. When shall I start getting to know my colleagues and networking within the company?
A: I would suggest you start the process immediately, well before you come to the company on your first day of employment. Search for employees on LinkedIn, connect and invite them out for a coffee to get to know some general cultural aspects of your company in an informal context before you join. You may also want to ask your future boss (if you know who they are going to be of course) to meet you for coffee before you start to get to know each other and so you can find out more about the nature of your role – for which you can then prepare better.
Q: If I have worked in a company for a year or so and would like to start searching for other jobs, should I tell my current employer about what I am doing?
A: I would recommend not telling your employer and go for interviews after work or during your lunch breaks. I appreciate that it can be very stressful and need a lot of planning in advance but you will need to be open with companies you are interviewing for and tell them you are working full-time. Generally, they will be sympathetic and arrange interview appointments at more convenient times for you.
Q: If I know that my question at a meeting may annoy my boss, should I still ask the question?
A: I would say – definitely, go for it. It is your right to ask for an explanation if something is unclear and you can phrase it in a polite way. If you feel your boss is annoyed by the question, then find a quiet minute after the meeting and approach them on a one-to-one basis apologising if your question was inappropriate in their opinion. It’s always best to solve any issues you may have with your boss direct and in a one-to-one context.
Q: The team leader at our company meetings is very active and intimidating and speaks all the time. People find it hard to interject and share their own thoughts on the issues. How do I do it?
A: I would say there are a number of ways for successfully interjecting at meetings. One of them is to ask a question to the whole group along the lines of, “What would you all say if I suggested we complete this task in this amount of time?” Alternatively, if you would like to clarify something, you could say something like this, “I am sorry but I didn’t fully understand what you meant. Could you please explain it again?” But most important of all, don’t interrupt the team leader, look for a natural pause in his or her speech and then speak up yourself.
3 tips on following up effectively with your target company employees
This is our next blog in the serious of short Q&A questions on all things related to job search. Several of my clients recently asked me, “How do I follow up effectively after contacting a company and what to do if I don’t hear from the company?”
Well, in this case, I would recommend you assume a three-pronged strategy:
- I suggest you follow up after the first approach within a few days to maximum one week. You don’t want to be too pushy and get in touch immediately after sending your first email. But at the same time, you shouldn’t wait too long so that your target person forgets who you are and deletes the first email for good. Generally, it is a fine balance to strike and the acceptable follow-up time varies between industries and individuals. For instance, one of my clients a few months ago was searching for a position within an investment banking industry and he had to follow up a minimum of three times before finally getting a response congratulating him on his persistence and accepting an invitation for an introductory phone call.
- In some cases, if you have already followed up a few times and didn’t get any response back, it is worth being direct and asking the person if they would prefer that you stop emailing them and whether they are not interested at all. I find this approach disarms people and you would be very likely to receive a response.
- Whatever you do and whichever follow-up frequency you adopt, make sure to be very polite and appreciative of the person’s time even though inside you may be annoyed that they didn’t bother responding for such a long time. Remember, senior and middle managers often get hundreds of emails per day so even if they intended to get back to you fast, something urgent may crop up along the way that pushes you down their list of priorities. So you could even say in your email something along the lines, “I know you are very busy, especially as your department is in the process of running this large campaign at the moment, but I would like to ask…”
How to impress your employer during your probation period
Most companies nowadays test a new employee’s suitability, fit and quality of work by making them go through the so-called trial period, also known as probation. This can range from 3 to 6 months. It can seen a very long time to keep on your absolute top form and be always eager to please and hit your targets and goals. I have known people who left in the middle of their trial period because they couldn’t stand the constant pressure to impress any longer.
A lot of people have just finished university exams (or are about to finish) and are ready to embark on new careers, or a search for the right job. So I have created some guidelines to help new employees to get through the trial period unscathed.
- Learn about the company, internal politics and relationships by listening and observing every day. Try to arrange a coffee meeting with somebody you like and who has been in the company for a while to gain their insights into power dynamics, who is the real boss and other aspects of internal politics.
- Aim to get to know 3-5 people each week from different departments within your company. This way you will not only extend your intra-company network but also build relationships that you can fall back on in case any other opportunities arise in the future.
- Establish a good relationship with your boss. You will need their support, at least during the immediate time frame. So flatter, discuss, listen – anything that can get your immediate supervisor on your side (and keep him there!)
- Deliver high quality results. This is a given and goes without saying.
- Improve your communication skills by volunteering to speak at a relevant event, actively contributing at meetings, offering to make presentations. In other words, seeking any opportunity to make yourself known within the company and demonstrating your excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Always be professional, follow the dress code closely, adhere to company values as much as you can and get to know your colleagues in informal ways – at team drinks, lunches and other events.
Top tips on how to communicate effectively in the workplace
This is the first article in a new series for recent graduates about to embark on their ‘proper’ job. Effective communication – both written and oral – is critically important for your success and chances of promotion at your company. It also frequently comes near the top of the list of essential qualities of candidates in job descriptions. So here are some key tips on how to polish your communication to achieve the results you want and to get yourself noticed and respected amongst colleagues:
- Master the art of the business email. In busy professional environments, a lot of people prefer communicating via mail – for both internal and external messages so drafting a concise and clear message is an important skill. Keep your emails short and to-the-point, clearly-structured and broken up into paragraphs, well proofread and with the main purpose of the email conveyed clearly close to the beginning. Use plain English. For more information on writing effective business emails see my other blog post here.
- When communicating with colleagues or superiors, aim to demonstrate your expertise on the subject matter – this builds your credibility and helps you build rapport, establish trust and gain respect within your target audience. You could for instance, use examples from your academic study or previous work experience that are related to your current assignment or what you are discussing.
- Listen more than you speak (this of course depends on the context of communication as for instance, when you are presenting you will expect to speak more). But overall the rule of thumb here is – try to create opportunities for others to voice their opinions and engage in conversation with you so that you don’t simply end up broadcasting your message but create a discussion around the subject matter.
- When communicating with colleagues or superiors, try not to judge them or criticize them straight away. Stay open-minded in your communication efforts, trying to understand the problem or challenge at hand and arrive at the best possible solution without being judgmental.
- If something is unclear, don’t hide it, paraphrase your understanding. For instance, something along the lines, “I heard you recommending this… Have I understood you correctly?” Showing empathy, asking questions, giving feedback are all signs of active listening, which you should be employing in your workplace.
- Understand your audience well and target your message to them as much as you can. Try to anticipate their needs and what they would like to take away from this particular discussion and centre it around their goals and objectives.
How can I find a job abroad?
Recently I took part in an online Q&A http://careers.theguardian.com/how-find-jobs-abroad-overseas-careers-live-chat organised by the Guardian on the challenges and opportunities of working abroad and provided advice and tips for graduates and experienced professionals on how to land a job overseas.
Here are some of the key questions that came up in the discussion and my answers to them:
I am a graduate with a few years of marketing experience, looking to work abroad to enhance my career and try something new. I have some European languages but am interested in career/ job prospects in South East Asia. Do you have any suggestions for what opportunities may be out there, and how to approach these? I have a good degree in English and a Masters.
May I ask which industries are of most interest to you? There is a growing number of opportunities in SE Asia within the financial services, consultancy and consumer goods. Also would be good to know which particular countries are of most relevance. For instance, Singapore is booming now (and for a while already) in the financial services industry, India is recruiting a lot of consultants from abroad. Within marketing in particular, consumer goods companies such as P&G, Unilever etc could be of interest to you but you would probably be expected to start as a marketing assistant or other junior marketing level.
Any tips on getting offered or applying for jobs before you are actually 'there'? How do you get employers to take your application seriously when you are still in another country?
Another way is to apply for a Master's degree or an MBA in the country of interest or any other professional course. It is much easier to source the relevant work visa and establish your presence in the target country after having completed an advanced degree from a university there.
How do you get companies to take you seriously and hopefully, offer you a job, when you're in Europe and you're applying for jobs in the US? I'm looking at journalism jobs in the US - there seem to be so many more jobs over there than in the UK when you look at job websites, but in reality, if you don't have US residency/visa etc do you have a chance of being successful?
I would say that it will be more challenging for you to get a job in the US due to the visa realities, however, it is not impossible. The main thing is to get to know as many people in the field out in the US as you can, arrange informal Skype chats to ask them questions about their work, companies etc, get to know them well so that once the time comes and the position opens up, they can recommend you within their organisations. I would say applying online will probably yield fewer results if you don't adopt an effective networking strategy simultaneously.
I currently work in Sweden, and am a 32 year old engineer from London. I am looking at moving to Canada to work in the next few years, but of course want to bring my wife and 2 year old Swedish son with me! How can i best use sites like linked in and the internet to 'fish' for work, bearing in mind visa restrictions in Canada are pretty tough.
First of all, I would suggest identifying companies of interest to you. After that, it is critical to update your LinkedIn profile to present your professional brand in the most positive light. Make sure your career achievements to date are clearly indicated and you write a good summary. Then reach out to people in your target companies and try to set up Skype informational interviews with them. You may need to travel to Canada for a week or so to meet with these people in person - you can set up a week of intensive meetings to make it worthwhile.
Are there opportunities for non-graudates to do TEFL/ work abroad? I have extensive experience in utility control rooms and studying LLB part-time and my girlfriend is CIMA-qualified but we don't have degrees. Is age a barrier regardless of qualifications/ career prospects (I'm nearing 40)?
Having taught abroad a long time ago, I would have to say that a degree is a prerequisite for well-paid and recognized TEFL positions. However, a lot of people work during the summer period in countries such as Korea, China in summer schools and often you don't need BSc to get a job in summer TEFL camps. All you need is a good application and a desire to work with kids and teach them English through games and other engaging activities.
Hi, I'm and American finishing my MBA in Germany right now. My concentration is finance, but I'm pretty good at managerial/cost accounting as well. I've got a bit of experience with internal corporate accounting, and ran my own business for a while. Which countries should I be looking for work in? I've been looking in Germany, but I'm not sure if my best opportunities are here or elsewhere. I speak German, but I'm probably not "business fluent" yet.
Which university are you doing your degree with? Mannheim? UK should be your first port of call I would say (excl the US of course) if you want to concentrate on the financial services market. Also Singapore and Middle East are actively seeking fresh MBAs.
What would you recommend for finding a marketing role in Australia? Ideally within luxury retail
I would suggest getting in touch with managers (and more junior employees) in your target companies in Australia. You should polish your online professional brand and make sure your CV and Cover Letter are tailored according to the latest standards within the marketing industry in Australia. Recording a digital resume can be a good way to promote your skills and showcase your personality 'long-distance' and once you get in touch with the right people, they can see who you are even before actually talking to you.
Hi I am 56 and looking to relocate possibly to the Philippines I have an MBA and have specialised in Organisational Development, Change Management and Training and Development programs. I have holidayed there on several occasions and like the culture and lifestyle. My plan is to research areas to work and live in and to join LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter groups to network and then visit for a few weeks to meet connections and hopefully secure work. Do the panel think my age is a barrier and can they offer any advice on other options I can take to make a successful transition?
I would say that setting up solid profiles in social media and then reaching out to the companies that are of interest is all good. However, you should also think about optimising your application documents to the relevant country. To be completely honest, age could be a factor (although of course it shouldn't be) so making sure you create a strong case as to why you are looking for this change now and what you can bring to a particular role (in your case, years of experience and a strong academic background) is absolutely critical.
Good luck!
How to ensure you get a raise even during a downturn
Although economic activity has been gradually picking up, many businesses are still reluctant to raise the salaries of their employees even during the yearly salary review process (let alone via raises throughout the year). However, there are ways you can increase your chances of getting a raise and here are some of them.
- Make sure your outputs are of superior quality and have a direct positive impact on the bottom line. Companies measure success in terms of revenue brought in and/or costs saved. And here is when you have a chance to shine: bring new customers on board, renew and upgrade existing accounts, negotiate a deal with a new supplier that is better than your company’s current one. And most importantly, make your achievements known to the main decision-makers. So many times I have come across top performers who did an excellent job that their managers were unaware of. So instead, their line managers got the promotions and raises and the actual performers ended up unrecognised.
- Develop a good working relationship with your immediate supervisor. This will help in a number of ways, one of them being that he or she will liaise on your behalf with senior management and flag up your achievements. It is always best when senior management hears about you from several different sources (yourself and your manager being the two main ones).
- Take up a leading role organising activities within your organisation. It can be managing preparations for the office Christmas party or end of month team drinks and bowling for instance. Something outside your direct line of work that will get you noticed and reinforce your status as an excellent team player. I once knew a lady who was relatively new to the company and she volunteered to organise the company Christmas party for staff and their children. This led to her getting noticed by the CEO of the company and being promoted when a relevant position opened.
- Be prepared to take on more challenging work with demanding hours. Volunteering to take on additional projects will showcase your ambition to the management and if you complete them successfully, this will boost your chances of a raise and promotion.
“I have missed the main recruitment cycle. Can a company create a position for me?”
This is a question I got asked recently by somebody looking for a position in the financial services sector. The candidate missed a deadline for an application for an advertised full-time position starting in September. So they were keen to find ways around the issue.
The answer to the question is Yes. Undoubtedly, it is much better to submit your application within the standard recruitment cycle to increase the overall chance of landing your target job but you can also try to inspire somebody at the firm to create a position for you. For that of course, you will really need to impress the person. By that I mean conducting such a thorough research of the company and the department of interest to you that you can understand the main pressing issues facing the company and its managers and prepare a proposal on how you are the best person to address them.
You would need to set up networking meetings with company employees and managers at which you can make your pitch, and I would suggest pulling together your research in writing and taking detailed notes with you to refer to in discussion. Make sure you carefully think through which of your skills, educational accomplishments and personal qualities could be of critical importance for the company in addressing the challenges they face.
Getting to know a wide variety of people and understanding what it is that they actually do will be very useful in your quest for a custom-made position. You might also find that there is a chance to take on some freelancing work in the interim, successful completion of which could lead to gaining permanent employment or at least a positive recommendation to other people in the company.
So keep a note of the standard recruitment cycle deadlines but don’t despair if you miss it – there is always still the chance to land a job with your ideal employer.
Do I need to tailor my CV to every job I apply for?
This post is the latest in our short Q&A series on job, CVs and interviews.
Recently I received an email from an MSc graduate searching for jobs in banking and consulting. He asked me: "Do I really need to tailor and amend my CV each time I apply for a different post?" He then complained about how time-consuming and tedious he had found it to amend his CV each time to fit the job description better, most annoyingly of all since this had not resulted in being invited for interviews with his target companies.
So might it be better to have a standardised CV and Cover letter without bothering to tailor for different jobs and firing it out to all companies in a particular sector? My advice is to invest a lot of time and effort in designing a well-thought through resumé in the first place and then amending just a few things to fit the description of each particular job. There’s no need to re-write the whole CV from scratch each time, but equally an entirely scattergun approach may miss the target.
When customising your documents, concentrate on the profile section as this is a primary place to highlight your most relevant accomplishments and experience. Then under your work experience section, you can prioritise the order of the most relevant bullets. Try to include some keywords mentioned in the job description into your profile and experience sections. And this should do the trick with regard to your resume.
The situation with your cover letter is more complex and will of course need to be amended it depending on the requirements of the job in question. However, if the base is written well then the key thing to amend will be the first paragraph where you provide motivation behind applying for this particular post in this particular company. The majority of employers want to get a good and clear sense of who you are so explaining and how you are different from other candidates and why you would fit the bill is key in the main body of the letter. Providing evidence to back up your claims is crucial, and it does not hurt to mention people you have met and interacted with at the target company. And no matter what you do, keep your cover letter to one page. Some bankers even prefer half-page letters, which makes it very hard to express the above – in this case the thing to do is to select just the most relevant skills and characteristics and put all the emphasis on them, with a couple of examples to back up your claims.
If you require any assistance with designing and tailoring your CV and Cover Letter to the banking, consulting, consumer goods, marketing or sales sectors, please email on dasha@careercoachingventures.com and use the comments box below to share your thoughts, questions and experiences.
How do I prepare for a lunchtime interview?
Lunchtime interviews are becoming more popular among hiring managers as they provide a glimpse into candidate’s personality and social skills in the more relaxed setting of a restaurant, café or bar. Perhaps more relaxed for the recruiter than for the stressed job candidate facing the daunting prospect of having lunch with somebody they would often not imagine even having a drink with! This latest blog in our job Q&A series offers some tips for how to perform in this challenging interview setting.
You can make your life much easier if you prepare for this interview in exactly the same way you would prepare for a usual ‘office’ one. However, in this case pay even more attention to researching the personal profile and background of your interviewer. It would be even more ideal if you can source such information on things like their hobbies, travel destinations, family, preferred food etc – in other words, more on a human side of the interviewer. Once you have this information at your disposal, you can drop it in during the discussion where appropriate or use it as an ice breaker at the beginning of the meeting, for instance, commenting on the interviewer’s choice of venue. Lunchtime interviews tend to involve more discussion on everyday issues so it is worth being updated on the latest news in your field and more widely. Once a client of mine was being interviewed by a banker at a café in Canary Wharf and he was asked about the latest political events in the UK and globally and only after about half an hour of the discussion about politics, the interviewer moved onto the promised case study analysis. After the interview, the banker confessed that politics had always been his passion and that he tended to prefer candidates with in-depth knowledge of the subject.
It may make sense for you to visit the place prior to the meeting to make sure you know the atmosphere, layout and dress code to prepare yourself mentally beforehand. You can even check out the menu in advance as well and decide on what dishes you are most likely to order. No matter what you order, make sure you avoid things that are difficult and messy to eat and stay away from alcohol unless your interviewer insists you order a glass of wine for instance. A safe and neutral choice of a drink at a lunchtime interview is water so you can always order it if unsure.
When you are invited for a lunchtime interview, the interviewer will pay for your lunch in the majority of cases so it is important not to forget to thank them at the end of the meal for their time and for lunch itself. When writing a follow-up email, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for lunch and a stimulating conversation again. I once knew someone who attended a lunchtime interview and projected such a positive impression that the interviewers made up their minds there and then on inviting him for the next round. They even shared their decision with him once the lunch was over. The candidate was so excited that he shook hands with his interviewers and completely forgot to thank them for the meal and their time. The next day he got a call saying they had decided to go with someone else and when the distraught candidate emailed one of the interviewers to find out the reason why, he received a simple response – no thank you at the end of the interview.
Keep in mind they are observing you at all times, so be very polite in all circumstances, such as thanking the waiter, and concentrating on the person in front of you more than on the food itself (I know it can be difficult especially if the food is nice and tasty!). I suggest taking a notepad with you and taking notes while speaking to the interviewer. When you are eating you can keep the notepad next to you.
In addition to the advice above, don’t forget to have fun at your lunchtime interview. Even if you don’t get the job, at least you can get a nice meal out of it.
I would love to hear your stories about lunchtime interviews you may have had and your personal tips on how to succeed at them.
Создание успешного пакета документов для получения степени в бизнес-администрировании: что для этого нужно?
Обдумывая содержание данной заметки, я опиралась как на свой персональный успешный опыт оформления пакета документов для Warwick Business School некоторое время назад, так и на опыт многочисленных клиентов, которым мне пришлось помогать и консультировать по аналогичным вопросам для участия в высокорейтинговых МВА-программах.
Главное, что бизнес-школы ожидают от своих кандидатов на обучение – это их уникальный жизненный, трудовой и образовательный опыт, который потенциальные слушатели могли бы привнести в ту или иную МВА-программу. В связи с этим на первый план выходят международные проекты, в которых вы принимали участие, и заграничные стажировки, в которых вы совершенствовали свои опыт и знания. Не менее важная составляющая, повышающая ваши шансы, как претендента – ваши лидерские способности и менеджментский опыт: от управления фирмой или проектом до руководства спортивной командой или клубом в студенческие годы. Наличие в биографии волонтерской и благотворительной деятельности, а также интересного хобби, могут послужить дополнительным взносом в копилку вашей уникальности и выделить вас среди претендентов.
Для бизнес-школы очень важно и то, что кандидат хочет и может извлечь из той или иной программы. Поэтому сразу же стоит определиться для себя с выбором курсов и дисциплин для изучения. К примеру, если по завершению МВА вы намерены организовать собственную компанию, то предпочтение следует отдать блоку финансово-бухгалтерских дисциплин, закладывающих основы знаний и навыков в области оперативного учета, управления и текущего анализа хозяйственной деятельности.
И еще: многие, даже хорошо осведомленные и мотивированные претенденты, мечтающие учится в элитной бизнес-школе, даже не догадываются о главном дивиденде, который они непременно получат на выходе (помимо современных знаний и престижного диплома) – это неограниченные возможности для налаживания деловых контактов. За время учебы вы встретите поистине преуспевающих людей и высокопрофессиональных специалистов, добившихся, благодаря только собственным талантам и целеустремленности, значительных успехов в бизнесе (и не только). Контакты с ними не только нацелят вас на успех, но и научат достигать его, а совместная учеба значительно расширит ваши карьерные возможности в будущем. Только не забудьте упомянуть в своем резюме об этой важнейшей привилегии, которую гарантирует обучение в МBА.
Почти во всех случаях вас попросят четко отразить вашу мотивацию, как претендента на учебу. Структура и содержание этого раздела вашей заявки во многом идентичны тем, которые обычно принято отражать в сопроводительных письмах претендентов на работу, и потому, по возможности, должны включать: инсайдерскую информацию, добытую в осведомленных источниках или в беседах со вчерашними выпускниками; список потенциальных достижений, которыми вы сможете в будущем обогатить современный бизнес; мотивы, которые движут вашим выбором, и причины, по которым должны выбрать вас.
Не забывайте обновлять и оптимизировать ваше CV. Если у вас сформировался “portfolio” карьеры, будьте готовы предоставить по требованию описание отдельных этапов вашей карьеры. Само собой разумеется, что также следует хорошо продумать композицию и структуру CV и устранить все опечатки и погрешности.
Завершив подготовку пакета документов, не спешите его отправлять, дайте ему «отлежаться», чтобы спустя несколько дней еще раз просмотреть на все свежим, «не замыленным» глазом. Еще лучше, если найдется человек, способный профессионально оценить содержание и дать дельный совет по его улучшению. Нацельтесь на то, чтобы отправить пакет документов намного раньше указанного конечного срока (deadline), так как полученные заявки рассматриваются по мере их поступления.
Если вы намерены участвовать в MBA-программе и нуждаетесь в руководстве и совете по завершению и оптимизации вашего пакета, свяжитесь по электронной почте dasha@careercoachingventures.com
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