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If you are a candidate who is currently looking for career opportunities, we post numerous resources to help you as you move throughout different stages of your career. Make sure to subscribe to our email updates by clicking here.

Salary/Cost of Living Calculators

Use these salary calculators to determine how much you would need to earn in a new city to maintain your current lifestyle. Knowing your ideal cost of living can be helpful when having the oftentimes intimidating compensation discussion with a new employer.

City Comparison Tools

Thinking of relocation? Compare demographic and economic aspects such as population, tax rate, crime rate and average household expenditure by city with these city comparison tools.

School District Reports

There’s a lot to think about when moving to a new city, especially if you have kids that will be attending school there. Find out important information about the school system your child would be entering into with these school reports.

Salary Surveys

View salary survey data to find information on salary and compensation across industries.

General Salary Surveys:

Industry Specific Salary Surveys:

How to Write a Resume

A resume is the best time to make the perfect first impression. Though a great resume won’t necessarily get you a job, it will certainly get you in the door. Check out these resume tips that are sure to help you get noticed.

Having a Counteroffer Discussion

Accepting a new job is a life changing decision that will create a ripple effect for years to come. We believe that there are six pillars that everyone should consider before they decide to accept a new job. They are:

  • The day-to-day Job itself
  • The long-term opportunity created by the change
  • The company culture, mission, vision and values
  • The boss and the people you’ll work with and learn from
  • How the change will affect your lifestyle
  • Compensation and benefits

Carefully evaluating a new career opportunity and deciding that the change is in your best interest is just the beginning of a transition process that many find to be uncomfortable.

Most would agree that resigning from a job that at one point was fulfilling isn’t fun and can be made more challenging when a counter-offer is used to induce you to reconsider a well-thought-out decision.

Handling these conversations effectively to strengthen your brand and your professional situation is an opportunity.

Despite what you may hear from many thought leaders in the staffing and recruiting industry, there are both benefits and pitfalls to accepting a counter offer after tendering a resignation, so you should continue to be thoughtful about your decision making during this stage.

So what are the benefits to accepting a counter-offer?

  • You don’t have to change
    • Change can be intimidating and familiarity comforting. It’s instinctual to many and it’s okay to admit that.
  • Satisfaction
    • This is huge! You get the recognition you want immediately and there is a chance that the commitments made to keep you will be followed through on.
  • Immediate income increase
    • This is usually an easy move for an employer and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to make more money?
  • You don’t have to live up to the hype
    • You’ve created a buzz with another employer and they’ve developed some expectations of you along the way. By accepting the counter-offer, you won’t have to run the risk of underperforming against a new set of expectations.

We believe these are real benefits that everyone should consider as part of their career growth.

Now, let’s also consider the following pitfalls:

  • The counter-offer is highly unlikely to change the root cause of your concerns.
  • The commitments made in response to a resignation are highly unlikely to be followed through on because there is not a well-established infrastructure to support the changes.
  • Your commitment as a loyal employee comes into question in overt and subtle ways going forward and, in many cases, limits future opportunities for advancement within the organization.
  • It is likely that you will miss out on the other opportunity that you thought was so valuable.
  • Since the large majority of counter-offer acceptances don’t work for the long-term, it is highly likely that you’ll be evaluating new opportunities again shortly with more urgency and less strength in your current professional situation.

Our experience, which includes thousands of placements since 1979 across a diverse cross section of industries, has led us to believe that accepting a counter-offer is a highly risky proposition that rarely results in a positive situation for the candidate, or the employer. That said, it is wise to consider honestly what your real motivations are and whether or not the new career opportunity you are evaluating will offer you more professional and personal fulfillment.

Interviewing Tips

Getting a job interview is exciting as it means you are one step closer to landing the position. However, there is a lot of preparation that comes with interviewing. Below we list some of our tips for both phone interviews and face-to-face conversations.

Phone Interview Tips

  • Schedule the interview for a quiet time. Preferably when you are home or if traveling, in the hotel room when distractions can be eliminated or minimized.
  • Have your resume next to the phone and be sure it’s the same copy you have provided to the company you are interviewing with as well as the recruiters you are working with.
  • Prepare notes and have answers to some basic questions written down. Take advantage of the fact that you can use your notes to help you say exactly what you want. However, try to make sure you don’t sound too scripted.
  • Plan a closing so you end the interview on a good note.
  • Know your schedule so you can adequately schedule a face-to-face interview if the employer is interested.

Face-to-Face Interview Tips

  • Always arrive on time for an interview. If you cannot keep an appointment date, contact your recruiter immediately to reschedule. If you are going to be late, call  the company and inform the employer.
  • Dress in business attire. Most people do best by dressing conservatively.
  • In the presentation, the employer will ask questions to determine if your qualifications fit the culture of the company and the job up for discussion. This is the opportunity to relate your qualifications as they fit the position and ask questions about the company.
  • When asked a question, be brief and positive.  Elaborate on points of mutual interest and where they relate to your fit for the position.
  • The easiest way to help the interview flow is to ask intelligent questions about the company and the  position. Have questions ready from the research previously performed.
  • Always be positive and enthusiastic (even if you think the interview is not going well). Show excitement about the company and position.
  • Be cautious in explanations for leaving past jobs. Don’t speak negatively of past employers.
  • If you are asked if you have ever been fired, and you have, frankness is the key. Tell the employer you have learned from your mistakes and/or there is the possibility you were in the wrong position through a misunderstanding.
  • If you are invited to lunch or dinner, do not select hard to manage foods, or sloppy dishes. Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
  • If you are asked to share your current compensation, we advise that the question be answered honestly. Otherwise, avoid discussing specific salary or benefit expectations. Doing so may risk the possibility of you losing the offer or settling for less than you deserve. Remain “open to a reasonable offer,” but never state a dollar figure. Your recruiter can assist in offer negotiations to help you secure the best possible compensation.

The Close

Not concluding the interview correctly could hurt your chances of being hired. Regardless of if it’s a phone interview or a face-to-face conversation, always end with these three points:

  • TELL the interviewer why you are interested in the position and the company.
  • TELL the interviewer what you can do for the company. Review points in the interview where this is evident.
  • ASK for the position. After you summarize why you are interested in the position and what you can do for the company, simply ask for the job. Here are two ways to do this effectively:
    • “I would like to work for you and your company. When can I start?”
    • “I want the position. What’s the next step for me to secure it?”

If the employer offers you the position on the spot and you are absolutely sure it is the one you want, accept with a definite “yes.” If you are not absolutely sure, express interest and ask for a day or so to consider the offer.

Always express thanks for the opportunity to interview. Ask for a business card for your follow up letter.