Archive for January 2018

Wait to give your two weeks. If you’re interviewing for a new position and it seems promising, you might be tempted to put in your two weeks now, and take some time off while finalizing details at your new company. However, you should wait until you have a few things in place before telling anyone you’re leaving. Make sure you have a written, signed and firm acceptance letter in hand from your new company. 13% of employers say they’ve pulled an offer during negotiations, so while it may seem like a sure thing, don’t assume you’ve got the job before it’s absolutely final. Also, make sure you have any files, emails and contacts that you’ll want (within your legal rights) before you announce your departure. Certain industries will end your employment immediately upon your announcement – particularly if you work with proprietary information. So don’t assume you’ll get to go back to your desk to gather files or portfolio pieces after you speak with Human Resources.

Practice patience with the process. When you’re in the hiring process, it’s important to follow up, but don’t be too pushy about hearing back. If securing a start date seems like it’s taking longer than ever, that’s probably because it is. Fast Company says that the average hiring process from first interview to first day now takes around 23 days on average. That’s up significantly from the average of 13 days that it took only four years ago. Be sure to send thank you notes to all of the interviewers you meet with, but resist the urge to send additional communications asking about next steps or inquiring on whether or not they’ve made a decision.

You need friends in high places. Referrals are critically important when searching for a new job. Referred candidates are hired over their non-referred counterparts about two out of three times. But your referral becomes even more valuable the higher they are within the company. If your reference is working in an entry-level position, your chance of being offered the job is around 53%, but if you can secure a reference from someone in a director-level position or higher, those odds skyrocket to nearly 91%. If you’re applying with a company and have a few references to choose from, always choose your higher-ranking acquaintance.