Career Clinic November 23rd
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
I want to get into banking. What should I do in the current climate?
Be related to a person in a senior position in a bank. Good oul Irish nepotism is a wonderful thing.
If that’s not an option you have a lot of work to do.
Start researching. Research the market. See what banks, if any, are hiring and for what positions. Your research should include your network of contacts too. Do they know of any people moving in their organization or any people that have recently left that you could fit in and solve their problem. Use the internet, your contacts diary, your ear to find if there is anything.
After that the same rules of job hunting apply. Get your CV up to scratch and make sure everything in it is relevant, illustrative of success and correct…even a whiff of a typo means it will get the bin.
If you get called for interview you’re first of all blessed and secondly in a great position. They obviously think you’re worth a look and if they do, do yourself justice. Prepare yourself. Gather up examples that will show that you have done the job and will do it for them in the future.
Finally, I’m sure you have developed transferable skills so far in your life like team work, communication and deadlines. These can be used in jobs outside of banking. And it might be worthwhile looking there too. Limiting your careers options may be a luxury none of us can afford from now on.
Career Clinic November 16th
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Question: My employer has just offered me 2 years paid leave on 10k a year because of the downturn what should I do?
The two year period that you’re talking about is interesting.
It’s an economic bet that companies are making that all will be well in 2011. Companies in 1929 that made the bet that all would be well 1931. They were wrong. The people who make this bet may also be wrong. So going away for 2 years on the expectation that all will be well when you get back may not be in your best interest.
The key thing about the economy is that nobody knows what’s going to happen. No politician, no economist, no business leader, no worker knows. So your response to the offer is based on your bet on the economy. If you believe that in two years the economy will be robust and employment prospects will have improved and work will be available, now is the time to take the dough and have a fun jaunt around the world.
If you think the economy is going to slide further and in 2011 it’s going to be even worse then stay, work hard and prove your worth. If you go, when you get back you’ll have no money. If you hang around you can get a salary, save and begin to look elsewhere. If you need to go looking for a job it’s a lot better to do that when you have a job. Also it’ll look better on your CV that you didn’t head off to Oz when times got tough and your peers stuck around and slogged.
Career Clinic November 9th
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Question: I’m having difficulty meeting my deadlines. Any advice on how to manage my time better?
This is something you need to get a grip of. If you start missing deadlines you might be finding the door.
The first place to start is clarifying what you need to have done and by when. Identify what is important, urgent and so on. And then allocate how long the tasks are going to take. Another thing you should do is figure out where you’re losing time. Is it with people coming to your desk for a chat, is it answering irrelevant emails, is it spending time on personal phone calls? When you know what it is that’s distracting you, get it to stop. For example, have allocated times in your day to answer emails. Or have your computer screen facing away from the flight path of your colleagues so you won’t make eye contact. Or stop phoning your Ma to see what’s for Sunday dinner.
Or go by the Ivan Yates rule...lists. Every week he writes a list of what he has to do. And every morning he writes a list of what he’s going to do that day and doesn’t stop until he’s done it. This isn’t something that came to him over night though. He has been doing this for years, has practised it and it’s now simply a habit.
Suss out what’s eating into your time, stop it. Figure out how to help yourself get things done on time. Do it, practice it and succeed.
Career Clinic November 2nd
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Question: My company wants me to take a 12month pay freeze what should I do?
Accept it. And count your lucky stars that it’s not a P45 they’re handing you. Over the last month or so clients have been coming to our company looking for help in finding a new job because they’ve been given two months notice in their current positions.
When accepting the pay freeze, put yourself in the shoes of your boss. It’s a difficult position to be in, the company is struggling, cuts need to be made and decisions are tough. Don’t make this request tough. They won’t forget the goodwill that you showed them in demanding times. You should however make them understand that this is for the betterment and future of the company.
Unfortunately, if you’re being asked to take a pay freeze things obviously mustn’t be good. You should begin to look at your options outside of your company and also outside of your industry. You need to be clear on how you and your skills are going to solve a target company’s problems and meet their needs. You need to be very specific on what you can do for them; that there are only upsides.
You do need to think of the future for yourself. If you believe your company can pull through this, great. If you don’t, get looking.
Career Clinic October 26th
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Question: Are Recruitment Companies still a justifiable expense in the current economic climate?
Not always. It really depends on the sort of position you are looking to fill and how well your people are trained in the process. Some deal with the identification and recruitment of senior or specialist staff. In that case, even with the general increase in unemployment that is predicted, there will be a small pool of suitably qualified and experienced candidates. But those people may be spread over a wide area or be difficult to readily identify and contact – Aer Lingus had to recruit their current boss from the Middle East. So there is a good argument in favour of getting in a company that knows where and how to source candidates rather than tying up senior people with learning all of this and executing the search.
If you have a less skilled post to fill, where there is likely to be a large group of prospective employees you might assume skipping the recruitment firms would be a good idea. It is, if and only if, you know exactly how to draft an ad that makes people want to work with you and you know how to interview rigorously and effectively. The expense of hiring the wrong person will vastly outweigh the expense of a recruitment company’s commission. If you do go with a recruitment firm, remember that commissions are not writ in stone. Negotiate hard, specify clearly and choose the right firm and you’ll still get value.
Career Clinic October 19th
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Question: We’re currently downsizing our organization. Any advice?
You’re not alone. We are seeing more companies in this position. And it’s a difficult one to be in.
The first thing to remember is that the people affected are told first; that includes those let go and those staying. Sometimes information leaks out and people hear rumours from the grapevine. Or – worse – they hear the truth from media or other sources. This should never happen.
In addition, telling those left behind how the business will cope with the reduced head count is vital – they are likely to be demotivated, terrified of losing their jobs and worried about having to take on someone else’s workload. They may even have survivor’s guilt.
Good companies go further. Effective outplacement programmes are increasingly offered by companies downsizing, so that those leaving are helped to develop alternative career plans, suitable CVs and the skills to do interviews properly.
These are the set of procedures that minimise the negative impact of having to let people go. They also characterise companies that genuinely care about their employees and – in bad times – still invest in their future.
Career Clinic October 5th
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Question: I’m a science graduate and I’m looking to kick start my career. Where do I start?
Your direction is influenced by the degree you study. For example if it’s a degree that would interest a Pharma company like Biotechnology, the first thing you need to analyse is which company has the best pipeline and direction, like moving into Microbiology. Also work out what kind of work that you’d prefer. There are lots of different areas, like Quality Control, Production, Research and Development or a role in regulatory affairs. Some can be quite specialised so be sure that’s the area you want to go in to.
The next thing to do to figure out is which company has the best emotional fit with you. Ireland is a small country and you should be able to find different people who have worked in different Pharma companies and interview them. Ask them what the company is like, how do they treat and develop their staff and what’s the atmosphere like. Also the company that you used for your college placement should be a good guide.
Step three is to contact the HR department and ask them how they approach recruitment. They may like to hear from you in a covering letter and CV what you could add to the company and what you could do for them. Some Pharma companies hold recruitment days where they give graduates an idea of the type of company they are.
Finally, brace yourself. We are in a recession. If you have been looking at the public service there will be a recruitment freeze. But think laterally. There are lots of different green industries popping up who are going to need scientists and that’s another avenue for you.
Career Clinic September 21st
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Question: I have a science degree and am working in the pharmaceutical industry but I'm thinking of becoming a teacher. Am I mad? Any advice?
Answer: Well the first thing is if you're mad, you're not the only one. More and more people I meet are moving from the private sector into teaching. As a science graduate you're in luck. Science teachers are in massive demand particularly in the areas of Physics and Chemistry so you shouldn't find it too difficult in getting a job. A client of mine who worked as a financial advisor left one of the major banks to go and teach business and maths. He found teaching much more rewarding, enjoyable and challenging and secure. He enjoyed watching his students develop, learn and discover new things with his help. And what with the shorter hours and the three month summer holidays it also gave him more freedom to do the things he wanted to and spend more time with his family.
One thing though, it did give him less money to spend. But a number of studies have proven that once you have 'disposable' income, increases in salary have a limited effect on happiness. So if you're earning a packet making drugs for people with rheumatoid arthritis but are feeling unfulfilled, don't procrastinate, take a chance, crab a bit of chalk and get teaching.
Career clinic September 14th 2008
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
In a recession, focus on the measurable results training, not course titles.
Answer: The question you start with is what do I need them able to do? If, for example you need your staff to pitch to groups of doctors selling medical devices, you shouldn't be asking "how can I help them develop their work/life balance?" It should be "how can I make sure these guys can present well enough that they hit sales targets every month, without fail?"
In a recession, focus on the measurable results training, not course titles. 'Time Management' is a title; employees chairing meetings so they don't last three days is a result. 'Management Skills' is a title, managers getting 10% more sales out of their teams is a result.
There's three ways to deliver those results:
l Mentor; if you're a senior manager, you probably did their jobs. Figure out how, show them, watch them and give feedback. And find them guilty of doing things right. Criticism rarely helps people grow.
l Make them do the dancing. Tell them what you need them able to do, give 'em library cards, and tell them to get reading.
l Hire trainers. But be careful of the brief you give to them; particularly be wary of buying 'off-the-shelf' because it's unlikely you have 'off-the-shelf' needs. Be ruthlessly specific about the trainees' ability and exactly what you need them able to do. Finally, be clear on how you're going to integrate their skills back into the company so they're cemented into how you operate.
Career Clinic August 24th
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Question: I've done sales for 10 years now and want to move into training where do I start?
Answer: You already have. If you're any good at sales you've got a swathe of useful and applicable skills – communications, listening and an ability to build strong relationships quickly.
So your next step is to decide what kind of training you want to do and for whom. One route is to apply to a specialist communications training company. Or there may be a training department in your current company that you could investigate joining.
As a rule there two broad types of training. The first is transferring data into people's heads or giving them bigger words for things they still can't do. The second is transforming people by building new skills into them or helping them develop their current skills. Both have their place though the second kind tends to fare better during a downturn. Or recession. Or whatever the correct term is for an economic nose-dive.
There are many different train-the-trainer courses available by searching on the internet. Having one of these under your belt would do no harm. Like changing any job, you need to tailor your CV to the requirements of the new job, research the key players in the market, figure out what you have to offer them (as a sales person that one shouldn't be a problem) and get working on it.
Career Clinic July 27th
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Times are tough and we can't afford a recruitment company.
Question: What are good and bad questions to ask in interviews
Answer: Bad questions are ones everyone thinks of straight away...like "what are your strengths and weaknesses?" or "where do you see yourself in five years?". They're bad because you can't expect an
interviewee to answer them honestly. The candidate isn't going to launch into their tendency to get into bar fights on a Saturday night or to shout at colleagues when the clock strikes 12. And they'll all say "In five years I hope to be working here and moving up the ladder." Applicants may have these answers prepared and polished but they provide little insight into they're
ability.
Good questions force interviewees to think. Focus on specific past experience and job-related scenario based questions; "how would you handle an underperforming staff member?" or "what
experience do you have of managing budgets?". Professor Allen Huffcutt's analysis of this type of
questioning found it six times more effective than generic 'strengths and dreams' questions.
Don't waste time with questions that allow the interviewee make unsubstantiated claims, force them to prove that they're right for the job, or that they aren't.
Career Clinic July 20th
Eoghan McDermott of The Communications Clinic
Benefits - what am I worth?
Question: I'm due my appraisal and there's talk in the company of cutting back on benefits. What should I do?
Answer: People go into negotiations like it's a random horse-trade or haggling in a Moroccan Bazaar. You shouldn't. Long before you go in, put yourself in your boss's shoes; if she has to cut costs she'll have a target in mind. You need to figure what she's likely to regard as crucial, as negotiable and what is largely irrelevant.
Then figure out your ideal position; say keeping your health insurance, keeping your parking space, keeping your bonus but having commission halved. Then decide your minimum position; lose the bonus, halve the commission but keep the space.
If you haven't worked out what you want and what you need it's very difficult to come out successfully. Once you've established them, look for possible compromises. Quite quickly the large aspects of any negotiation will start to crystallize, she'll establish what she wants, you'll make clear your wants and then you hit stasis. At that point you must be able to find things to offset against any concessions you make. In other words if you're giving up the parking space, can you get flexible hours? Or if you're giving up the bonus, can you get a few extra days holidays. Your objective should be to finish with your boss getting most of what she wants, while your net position is not much worse off.
Keep one thing in mind though; companies can't legally cut your benefits without your agreement. We've heard of some doing it arbitrarily and hoping staff won't comment. If your benefits are part of the negotiation, you're starting from a position of strength. Keep it positive, good-natured and well-planned.