Getting a new job

Continuing from the resigning from the job, the next step is to get a job.

Here are some of my experience during my job in interviewing and recruiting new staff. Now is my turn to look for a job, so I must now step into the other side of the table. Hopefully my experiences will help me in getting a new job.

Getting a job requires a few important steps even you have someone recommending you to the new company.

Step 1: Your resume

Resume or CV is extremely important for the reviewer to understand your experiences and level of educations. Some reviewer looks at the photo before reading the resume.

As for myself, I prefer to read every resume (to be fair to everyone), however, sometimes is just impossible to do so. When I have more (trust me a lot more than I have the time to read), I will go directly into the experience section, I try to match the job with the experience of the candidate. I will shortlist all those that matches the job specification.

So for my turn, I looked at my old resume and notice that it looks like one of the resume of all the candidate that I have read so far. In short, it is the same as everyone.

I decided to have a resume makeover. During the course of my last few years of working, I have improve a lot on my presentation. So I decided to make my resume more like a presentation. Instead of the normal using Word, I used Powerpoint. I make the contents and then every jobs comes with projects and achievements.

This way I hope that I have assisted the reader to understand me more. This is very important, if the reader like you, the chances of being call for interview is also very high.

If you need my help, do feel free to email me.

Step 2: Applying the job

I have tried using job site but find it difficult to get any hit (being chosen for interview). So I try the more direct approach, apply direct to the company advertise in the jobsite or newspaper.

Back to my time when we need staff, the HR department will put the ads into jobsite, newspaper and sometime engage employment agencies.

Employment agencies sometimes sent candidates that below par, so we usually go thru the more traditional ways, reading CV that responded to the newspaper.

We sometime asked our network for suitable candidate. This is also extremely helpful if you have a strong network of friends that willingly recommend you for the job.

I now using my contacts and applying position in the newspaper. The Saturday Straits Times is a very useful resources to understand the job market.

Step 3: Interview

When I interview, I will try my best to understand the candidate characters before asking for his story on his working experience. This is important because the candidate if employ will be working with me and if our characters does not match, I guess it is quite unlikely we going to work well together.

So if you are chosen for the interview, ask he/she going to be your boss. If yes, you must also check his/her characters too. This will give you a basic understanding of what how he/she operate.

During interview, please be honest because this is something I hated when the candidate make story or enlarge certain parts of his/her work experiences. The interviewer will ask the same question in various ways, if you not telling the true then your story will end up many version, so your chances of second interview will be gone.

During the first interview (if the first interview is the owner or decision makers then is different story), try not to go too hard on your new salary.

Your job during the first interview is to impress the interviewer so that you be called for next interview. During the second interview, meaning you are among the chosen one for the job. This is the time you have to answer all the questions to his/her liking.

Step 4: Negotiating the terms

If the job you applying is a replacement of someone, then the salary structure have been establish, so your request of higher salary will depends on how good are you.

Basic rules, your new salary should be at least 20-30% of your current salary and also the perks that comes with the position.

There are times you can ask for extremely high salary but do understand that your new salary will reflect the among of work you have to put in for your new job.

Step 5: Accepting the contract

The best part of the interview is when the interviewer said you are the chosen one, the special one or the one, so is time to call in the contract.

You can either accept it on the spot or take it back to digest it before accepting it. You can verbally agreed to accept the position but pending your confirmation from the understanding of your new contract.

It is important to understand your new job scopes, company rules, etc before accepting it (of course, if you already knew the company then by all means accept it on the spot).

The reason of not accepting it on the spot is very simple, they may match the salary that you asking for but they might add in some clauses that you might agree (at the heat of the moment) but do not like it later (example allowances, if they promise they must be in the offer letter, it will be nasty when you don't received it when you get your first paycheck).

So don't worry about cooling period (your re-consideration time - I usually give 2-3 days). During the cooling period, do ask around regarding the new company, the always some disgruntled staff that will tells you the dark side of the company. If it is a replacement then they must be reason why he/she leaves the company. If it is so good, you will not be in the company as no one resign. (That is another story -- maybe later, I might write something on dark side of a company)

Step 6: Starting the new job

This is hard as I have not move to any company since 4 years ago. Even when I join my current company (as of 5th May, 2008 - those who knew me will know which company I am referring too), I already knew my bosses and some of my new working mates.

So all the best in your adventure to get a new job.