Armpits and Toes Are Gross

Hi There...I have been deliquent in my blogging. New job! Living the Vida Loca! Whatever.
My new manager is actually a pretty good friend of mine and I have been concerned about blogging since starting the new company since she reads the blog. I hope she checked a few times after I started and then decided I gave up blogging. I figured to jump back into the fray with a Corporate America post. I have plenty of fodder about plenty of stuff, things have been busy, but today, this is all you get.

Jen over at jenorama asked for some tips when it comes to interviewing for a job. She has a new gig and asked for my input. She and I talk frequently about our work since we both have to negotiate contracts and whatnot. This time she asked about tips for getting a job, negotiating money, etc... etc.... So I emailed her the things I know work for me. The tips I listed have been built up over the years (since I have changed jobs every three years since I went corporate). Some of this I got from from another blogger so first, read some of Misfit Hausfrau's ideas on what not to do in an interview. She is in HR and has some sage advice.

My sure fire way to get more than you possibly thought you deserved when interviewing for a new job:
Interview techniques:
Overall Ideas:
1. Be positive but not a Pollyanna.
2. Don't advertise yourself as something you aren't.
3. Do advertise your strengths. Maybe you have some of the credentials of the job but not all but you are a good learner. If you have a past review saying you learned something quickly use that to leverage your abilities.
4. Leave the baggage behind. Maybe your last job wasn't fulfilling or didn't pay you enough or asked you to work crazy hours or they made you ride camels to work and you want something else because of it. What you are interviewing for is not where you currently are (even if you are a SAHM). They will ask why you want to work for them and you can spin the positive from the negative. Don't say 'I am bored to death in my current position', say 'I am looking for some new challenges with my career.' Instead of saying 'I hate camels' say 'My current employer and I have difference of opinion if some of the ways I have to carry out my position and I feel I have exhausted the avenues I have with my current company.' Instead of saying they pay horribly you can say 'I don't think my compensation was commiserate with my experience'. Its all about the spin.

Phone interviews:
1. Stop stammering. If you say 'Um' (or its equivalent) a lot then ask your partner or friend to flick you in the ear everytime you do it. You will stop quickly. Really.
2. Don't eat, chew gum or drink water on the phone. The interview will be over before you know it and then you eat whatever you want.
3. Some people suggest dressing for the phone interview but I don't think that matters. I do think you need to be able to concentrate (no music, children, dogs, etc... in the background)
In Person Interviews:
1. Ask what the dress code is when you schedule the interview. Then dress that way or one up from that. If they say casual then wear corporate casual. If they say business then make sure it is really besiness.
2. NEVER EVER wear sleeveless blouses/shirts or open toed shoes. Armpits and toes are gross. period. end of discussion. Even in Florida. There is no maybe in this. I don't care if you shave or not. You could have the sexiest armpits in the universe but they are gross in the office.

Salary Suggestions:
1. Negotiate perks before money. A lot of people seem to have a short attention span and money is usually the focal point of the salary negotiation but perks add up. I wanted more vacation than the standard time they gave and I got it because I said I wanted it and it was a sticking point for me being hired. I was accustomed to x amunt of vacation and didn't really want to lose any of it. I also discussed the fact that I wanted flex time, I work from home more than I used to because I said I wanted it. IF you don't ask, you won't get. If you ask for too much your future employers will think you are high maintennace so decide what's really important and go from there. I thought working from home and keeping my vacation were the most important things so I rallied for them. I debated a car allowance (because I travel a lot) but decided to not go for that because I thought it was too much. Get the perks written into the contract for hire or you aren't guaranteed anything. Don't sign anything unless those perks are there in the contract. You can say something like 'Oh, it looks like you forgot to write in the yearly weeekend trip to Bermuda that we agreed on' so but make sure it happens or you aren't assured anything.
2. Next money: Women still make 67 cents on the dollar, not because corporate america tries to short change us but because WE DON'T ASK. I have been working in IT since 1998 and I know I am one of the best consultants out there doing what I am doing but yet I still undercut myself all the time. In my last position I did a little research. I went to www.salary.com and I saw what the average for my field of work is in my location of the country and decided how much better I am than average (my manager would say I am in the 99% percentile but I I put myself in the 75% because I, too, undercut myself). I then decided what number I wanted to make. When it came time to negotiate my position I used facts from salary.com and my own press to explain why I needed to make what I want. I had recommendations from past clients and my annual reviews from my last job.
2.5 Make your future employer give a number. As soon as you give a number you lose, even if they agree to the number. Now I did give them the ball park of my last salary and my bonus and said that I expected an increase in compensation in order to make a move. You then need to negotiate to that number in your head. If they start higher than your number then everyone wins. If they come in lower say 'look, I did the research and I know what I should be making, and that number is a bit higher than you have suggested.' If they came in much lower than you suggested you may want to back away from the process altogether. They either don't know what the current rates are which means the HR department is dropping the ball or they are trying to lowball because they think they can get away with something.