Great Occupations

Working with a career coach during your job search can help you get a job 20% faster than those who don’t. But what if you don’t have the funds to work one on one with a career coach? We’d still encourage you to seek group support. Either through the lower cost alternative of group coaching sessions led by a professional or through no-cost volunteer-run organizations in your city. In Austin, Texas, we are blessed to have a number of wonderful volunteer-run resources, my favorite being... Read the rest of this entry »

A coach can be objective about you. A coach observes your potential, listens to what you say and analyzes the data to give you a better picture of what your true gifts are and where and how they’re best applied. A coach helps you find what is there right under your nose – because that’s his or her job. Read the rest of this entry »

In her article, 21 Things Hiring Managers Wish You Knew, Alison Green is spot on with every single thing she advises. Read the rest of this entry »

“If you want to be successful, it's just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing.” – Will Rogers Read the rest of this entry »

This week Jay challenged us to set and achieve career goals. Well, I’ve decided it’s high time for me to finally achieve a particular goal that I’ve been rolling around in my mind for more than 2 years.

I’m putting it out there for all to see because I believe that there’s nothing like writing down a goal and then sharing it with others to really help you be accountable to the intention.

My Goal: By Fall of 2010, I want to be involved in delivering a special session which teaches women how to be more empowered during salary negotiations. (I’d say that’s a SMART goal!)

By the way, if you think of a snazzy title for this class, I’m open to your suggestions!

Jay and I cover salary negotiation in the GET HIRED! module of The Job Search Boot Camp program, but we women seem to need an extra push in this area. I’ve long felt that a specific class is in order…

So check this out! Yesterday, I found an excellent article by Ronda Templeton, a columnist with the San Antonio Express-News. It put an arrow right into heart and re-ignited my desire to teach this topic.

Ms. Templeton quotes numbers compiled by The Washington Post:

• Men are eight times more likely than women to negotiate a starting salary and benefits.
• Men ask for raises 85 percent more often than women.
• Though they recognize the importance of negotiation, 22 percent of women say they never do it.
• Perhaps worst of all — women, on average, ask for 30 percent less money than men.

Jay is fond of saying that most people generally leave 20% to 30% “on the table” during negotiations. Considering there’s that much room left, think about how much room is left for the women who fall under the categories pointed out in the statistics!

Oh, and another thing… We often hear talk in the media about the disparity between men’s and women’s salaries – about how women earn less money than men despite having similar skills, experience, education and training. While I’m not denying the existence of gender discrimination in hiring practices (unfortunately, I personally witnessed it while I was a recruiter), it seems to me that we are not truly “comparing apples to apples” when making such claims. Not if 22% of women never even negotiate, if they rarely ask for raises, and if they ask for 30% less money than men!

If you’re interested or know someone who’d be interested in taking a special class designed to empower women during salary negotiations, let us know.

Angela Loëb is an author, speaker and career coach. She and her partner, Jay Markunas, help people make successful career transitions through workshops, webclasses and 2×1 individualized coaching services. Listen to them on The Job Search Boot Camp Show. Find out more about their programs & services at www.greatoccupations.com. NOTE: For a limited time during Graduation Season, Angela & Jay are offering the perfect new grad gift: The Job Search Boot Camp for College Grads, a live, interactive & intensive program. For more details, click here.