Can You Afford to Stay in Your Job?
Most people I meet have been raised to give their best efforts when they work. Somewhere they got the message that if they work hard and give their best efforts, they will be rewarded fir their loyalty.
And sometimes they are . . . and generally, they aren’t.
For most people, work involves travel to and from a place away from home, dressing a certain way and following direction to them according to company rules. You are expected to deliver a certain amount of output for which you receive a salary and, perhaps, benefits and periodic raises.
For many people, raises do not keep them ahead of inflation. Through October 2005, the consumer price index was up 4.3% and the core inflation index (the one that excludes food and energy prices) was up 2.1% (could you do without food and fuel?).
This means just to keep up with inflation, a worker who was paying taxes of 25% on the federal, state and local level would have to receive a raise of at least 5.4% just to stay even with their income txes. Add in property tax and school tax increases that occurat different times and that raise you’ve gotten won’t go very far.
What should you do?
Walking in to your boss’ office, pounding their desk and demanding a raise is not a good idea, expecially if you don’t know the value of your experience in the job market.
Instead, update your resume and get yourself another job. Why allow yourself to get paid less than your market value. Are you that rich that you can forgo the additional income?
For example, if you earned $50000 and received a 10% salary increase, you would be earning $55000. You would be ahead of inflation (inflation is5.4% including the tax bite; you would be getting an actual raise ahead of inflation).
But let’s look at the multiplier—5 years from now, if you only received a 5% raise each year, here’s what would happen:
Year Raise to: Money you are ahead
$50000 $55000 $5000
$55000 $57500 $12250
$57500 $60300 $22550
$60300 $63315 $35815
$63315 $66480 $52295
Can you really afford to ignore over $50000 in earnings? And what if you joined a company where raises were even higher?
Most people I meet work to take care of their family, to save for their future and enjoy life. Couldn’t you do a better job of all three with an extra $50000 or more?
Jeff Altman
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2005 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, has successfully assisted many corporations identify leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines as employees or consultants since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
For additional job hunting or hiring tips, go to http://www.newyorkmetrotechnologyjobs.com/. To subscribe to Jeff Altman’s Search e-zine, send an email to jeffaltman@cisny.com and write EZINE on the subject line.
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
The New Cover Letter
The New Cover Letter
In 1972 when I first started working for an employment agency, I would receive resumes by US Mail on parchment paper with two stamps on the envelop. The envelop would match the paper, be addressed on a typewriter and include a cover letter stapled on top of the resume (that’s why they were called cover letters—they covered the resume) that would offer a basic commercial about the job applicant.
Because resumes were mass produced rather than customized, the cover letter filled in the gaps between what the job advertisements asked for and what the resume described as experience.
In many professions, this is now quaint history. US Mail has been replaced by email. Parchment paper sales for resumes is almost non-existent and there is no point in using a cover letter . . . or is there?
Oh, I’m not speaking of writing a separate document and attaching it to the email. Clicking open extra files is annoying and wastes a lot of time. I’m speaking of using the message area of the email to replace the cover letter.
The message area of an email is space that will be immediately seen. It is the perfect place to promote yourself in the context of the specific job that you are applying for.
There are two basic ways to do this:
1. The narrative is like the traditional cover letter.
I am forwarding my resume to you for the position of ______ that I saw advertised on ________.
I believe my experience with ________, coupled with my knowledge of ___________ would make me you and discussing my qualifications in detail.
Sincerely,
2. Point by point. This is the new cover letter. This style uses the space in the email to provide specific targeted information about your qualifications.
For example,
I am replying to trhe ad that I saw on ________ looking for a J2EE developer. Below is a summary of my qualifications as compared to the requirements listed in your job description:
J2EE 5 years current
Websphere 3 years current
Weblogic 2 years until July 2004
JMS 1 year current
Insurance 6 years current
I look forward to meeting with you and discussing my experience in greater detail.
Sincerely,
Using this approach is a quick efficient use of the space in an email and puts important information in front of the reader. It makes their decision-making much easier and will result in more interviews for you.
Jeff Altman
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2005 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, has successfully assisted many corporations identify leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines as employees or consultants since 1971. He is also a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
For additional job hunting or hiring tips, go to http://www.newyorkmetrotechnologyjobs.com. To subscribe to Jeff Altman’s Search e-zine, send an email to jeffaltman@cisny.com and write EZINE on the subject line.
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
In 1972 when I first started working for an employment agency, I would receive resumes by US Mail on parchment paper with two stamps on the envelop. The envelop would match the paper, be addressed on a typewriter and include a cover letter stapled on top of the resume (that’s why they were called cover letters—they covered the resume) that would offer a basic commercial about the job applicant.
Because resumes were mass produced rather than customized, the cover letter filled in the gaps between what the job advertisements asked for and what the resume described as experience.
In many professions, this is now quaint history. US Mail has been replaced by email. Parchment paper sales for resumes is almost non-existent and there is no point in using a cover letter . . . or is there?
Oh, I’m not speaking of writing a separate document and attaching it to the email. Clicking open extra files is annoying and wastes a lot of time. I’m speaking of using the message area of the email to replace the cover letter.
The message area of an email is space that will be immediately seen. It is the perfect place to promote yourself in the context of the specific job that you are applying for.
There are two basic ways to do this:
1. The narrative is like the traditional cover letter.
I am forwarding my resume to you for the position of ______ that I saw advertised on ________.
I believe my experience with ________, coupled with my knowledge of ___________ would make me you and discussing my qualifications in detail.
Sincerely,
2. Point by point. This is the new cover letter. This style uses the space in the email to provide specific targeted information about your qualifications.
For example,
I am replying to trhe ad that I saw on ________ looking for a J2EE developer. Below is a summary of my qualifications as compared to the requirements listed in your job description:
J2EE 5 years current
Websphere 3 years current
Weblogic 2 years until July 2004
JMS 1 year current
Insurance 6 years current
I look forward to meeting with you and discussing my experience in greater detail.
Sincerely,
Using this approach is a quick efficient use of the space in an email and puts important information in front of the reader. It makes their decision-making much easier and will result in more interviews for you.
Jeff Altman
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2005 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, has successfully assisted many corporations identify leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines as employees or consultants since 1971. He is also a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.
For additional job hunting or hiring tips, go to http://www.newyorkmetrotechnologyjobs.com. To subscribe to Jeff Altman’s Search e-zine, send an email to jeffaltman@cisny.com and write EZINE on the subject line.
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
Friday, November 18, 2005
Winning Interviews as an Older Worker
I have been in the search business for longer than I care to admit (I used to have an hair that I wore as an Afro and dress in suits that were many colors of the rainbow other than blue, black or gray). In those early days, as I looked at resumes, I would wonder, “What happens to people in technology when they turned 40? I just don’t see an resumes of people like that! Where do they disappear to?
Today, as the workforce becomes older and grayer, older workers are more common in all fields but opportunities are sometimes limited because of certain biases that our culture has. After all, isn’t America the land of opportunity . . . except for models over the age of 16. Don’t we all notice that tv stars are much younger than we are and the music is so different.
(I’m almost 55 and am working with hiring managers who wonder whether I can “relate” to what they want).
So what’s the concern all about?
Older workers are know it alls. Been there! Done that!
They won’t fit in
They’ll find it hard to take direction from someone younger.
No energy. They’re bored and tired and burned out.
And, when you go on an interview, it’s not like someone is going to ask you, “So, are you tired and burned out.”
“Nope. I’ve got a lot of energy and juice in me.”
“OK. We’re satisfied.”
What an employer will do is observe your manner and behavior to see if it’s congruent with their image of what someone with energy should act like.
Thus, in addition to competence, you, as an older worker are going to have to actually demonstrate that you are not like that cultural stereotype that has been cast into all of our minds.
Just because a little or a lot of snow appears in your hair or beard doesn’t mean that you are less talented or less able than a 20 something. It does mean that you have had experiences and (hopefully) the wisdom from them to avoid some of the mistakes that occur from having experienced more professionally.
Be conscious of age bias and sell your personality against the stereotype. More good opportunities will be available to you.
Jeff Altman
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2005 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, has successfully assisted many corporations identify leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines as employees or consultants since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.For additional job hunting or hiring tips, go to http://www.newyorkmetrotechnologyjobs.com
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
Today, as the workforce becomes older and grayer, older workers are more common in all fields but opportunities are sometimes limited because of certain biases that our culture has. After all, isn’t America the land of opportunity . . . except for models over the age of 16. Don’t we all notice that tv stars are much younger than we are and the music is so different.
(I’m almost 55 and am working with hiring managers who wonder whether I can “relate” to what they want).
So what’s the concern all about?
Older workers are know it alls. Been there! Done that!
They won’t fit in
They’ll find it hard to take direction from someone younger.
No energy. They’re bored and tired and burned out.
And, when you go on an interview, it’s not like someone is going to ask you, “So, are you tired and burned out.”
“Nope. I’ve got a lot of energy and juice in me.”
“OK. We’re satisfied.”
What an employer will do is observe your manner and behavior to see if it’s congruent with their image of what someone with energy should act like.
Thus, in addition to competence, you, as an older worker are going to have to actually demonstrate that you are not like that cultural stereotype that has been cast into all of our minds.
- Dress in age appropriate outfits appropriate for your industry. An accountant should dress differently than someone working in fashion.
- Get a good night of sleep the night before. We’re all busy. Don’t put yourself in a position where you are physically tired and being asked to interview.
- Put a smile on your face and a twinkle in your eyes when you meet each person.
- Remember that personal leadership means being willing and able to take direction. If you are interviewing for a staff position, proactively bring up working with your manager, providing input and then following their lead.
Just because a little or a lot of snow appears in your hair or beard doesn’t mean that you are less talented or less able than a 20 something. It does mean that you have had experiences and (hopefully) the wisdom from them to avoid some of the mistakes that occur from having experienced more professionally.
Be conscious of age bias and sell your personality against the stereotype. More good opportunities will be available to you.
Jeff Altman
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
© 2005 all rights reserved.
Jeff Altman, Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, has successfully assisted many corporations identify leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines as employees or consultants since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.For additional job hunting or hiring tips, go to http://www.newyorkmetrotechnologyjobs.com
If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).
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