Over the last few weeks I’ve listened to or read over 100 video or audio recordings and articles about looking for a job, interviewing and negotiating a job offer… at least 35% to 40% of the stuff is absolute junk… in fact, it so bad that if people take the advice they will look for a job for the rest of their life and never find one… the vast, vast majority of this stuff is written by career advisers and counselors, psychologists, retired executives, gurus, and self-appointed authorities about finding a job or managing your career… I have no idea where people come up with these cockamamie ideas but here are a few of them…
I will enumerate them here and over the next week or so explaining how absolutely downright hideous or stupid they are… one thing is for sure, these people never really found anybody a job… since we have free speech in this country, they are entitled to tell you this stuff… but you don’t have to believe it… and you shouldn’t…here they are:
When you are asked how much money you are making, counter that question with a question by asking “well, how much does this position pay?”
When asked about how much money you are making, give a range of the money you’ve made over the last few years.
Have three numbers in mind regarding the salary you will be willing to accept… a high salary, a median salary and the lowest salary you would consider.
Employers want to pay as little as they can get away with
Candidates always want the most money they can get
When given an offer, tell people you’d like to go home and think about it for a couple of days
Never accept the first offer
He who brings up money first loses
Everything is negotiable
Employers always have room to negotiate
Employers always start to offer you a job at the lowest money they can get away with
Never take responsibility for saying “no”… blame your reason for saying no on someone else you have consulted
Always ask for more money than you want
When interviewing, mirror the interviewing authority
When you go into the interview… keep breathing (… seriously, that is exactly what an interview counselor recommended)
Tell the interviewing authority that you need more money because… and then state the reason why you need more money
When negotiating a salary always wince at the first offer
In an interview, don’t tell people you are looking for a job…but simply exchanging information to see if there is mutual interest either now or in the future.
Remember, when it comes time for them to make an offer, they really, really want you and so you’re in the driver’s seat
Target the top 10 companies you would like to go to work for and focus everything you can to get an interview with them
Beginning next week I will discuss these insane statements in detail…
