For some reason, I can’t get CCR’s “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” out of my head. This might be a result of watching The Big Lebowski a few days ago. Or, it could be that I’ve recently encountered some candidates attempting to “backdoor” the stated hiring process.

Here’s the scenario:

The job advertisement asks candidates to send application materials to a hiring manager (a department head, an HR team member, or, in Talent Market’s case, a third party entity assisting with the search). The candidate, in a moment of enlightenment, decides instead to send his/her application directly to president, CEO, board member, or other VIP involved with the organization. It’s hard to fully grasp the candidate’s motives, but one would suspect the candidate believes this approach will serve him well in the hiring process.

The only hitch in his giddy up, though, is that it usually works against him.

In my experience, this leads to one of three typical outcomes:

1. Over Before It Started: In this case, the back door leads you nowhere. On the rare occasion a candidate attempts to back door the hiring process with one of my clients, I often get the application forwarded to me with a note indicating displeasure that the candidate didn’t follow instructions. Case in point, I recently received a forwarded application from my client with a note that read, “FYI only. Please do not pursue this candidate. We have no interest in someone who can’t follow instructions.” And that was that. It doesn’t matter how nice the resume is, my clients are turned off by someone who either doesn’t read instructions or believes he doesn’t need to follow them like everyone else.
2. Starting With A Deficit: In this case, you start out in the hole. The VIP receiving the application is irritated and sends it straight to the hiring manager who was supposed to receive it in the first place. Now the hiring manager is irritated, too. Yikes – the candidate has turned off two key people without even meeting them! He may or may not be considered as a candidate at this point; but if he is, he’s starting the process with a deficit.
3. Back In The Stack: In the very best scenario I’ve seen, the candidate’s attempt to backdoor the stated process has a neutral impact on his chances at the job. The organization puts the candidate right back in the stack of applicants and considers him just like everyone else.

So, here are some tips for candidates considering the back door route:

1. Follow the application instructions.
2. If you have a personal connection with someone in a VIP role, feel free to alert that person to the fact that you have applied for the job. Heck, you can even ask him to put a good word in for you if you think that makes sense.
3. See #1.

So, candidates, I’ll see you at the front door – not the back door. And remember, the Dude abides.

You know that I’m always talking about resumes, resumes, resumes. I beat on the topic like a drum on Christmas morning.

So, when two free-market friends recently recommended a post about creating a great resume, I was all over it.

And this isn’t just any piece about resumes. It’s written by Laszlo Bock, the SVP, People Operations at Google.  Bock’s post, My Personal Formula for a Winning Resume, outlines how to make your accomplishments more impactful.

Bock writes:

“…how do you make your accomplishments stand out? There’s a simple formula. Every one of your accomplishments should be presented as:

Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]

In other words, start with an active verb, numerically measure what you accomplished, provide a baseline for comparison, and detail what you did to achieve your goal.”

Brilliant! Bock illustrates his point using several examples inspired by actual resumes.  For each, he provides three bullets. The first is fine, but nothing notable. The second is an improved version of a similar accomplishment. The third includes Bock’s suggestions in italics. Here are two of the examples he provides:

    “College student participating in a leadership program

• Member of Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)

• Selected as one of 230 for this 18-month professional development program for high-achieving diverse talent

• Selected as one of 230 participants nationwide for this 18-month professional development program for high-achieving diverse talent based on leadership potential, ability to contribute to this MLT cohort, and academic success

    Finance or consulting professional

• Responsible for negotiating service contracts with XYZ

• Negotiated 30% ($500k) reduction in costs with XYZ to perform post-delivery support

• Negotiated 30% ($500k) reduction in costs with XYZ to perform post-delivery support by designing and using results from an online auction of multiple vendors”

I’m already imagining how Bock’s advice could transform many of the resumes I see – from executives to interns, from communication managers to technology gurus, from fundraisers to financial officers.

For more details, check out Bock’s post. A big thanks to Victor Joecks and Richard Lorenc for pointing me to this article!

Remember the fairy tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears?” Our girl Goldi didn’t want the porridge too hot or too cold; she wanted it just right.

And so it goes with salaries and job applications. We don’t want to list a salary that is too high or too low; we want to list one that is just right.

A big thanks to my friend Alex in Kentucky who suggested this topic (which we started to address in last month’s e-newsletter). He wrote:

“Can you provide guidance on how to handle salary requirements on a job application? I don’t want to lose out if an organization is willing to pay more than the salary I provide. On the other hand, I don’t want an organization to look at my salary requirement and say, ‘That’s so far beyond what we want to pay. Toss that resume in the trash!’ ”

Alex raises the same concerns I hear frequently from candidates. Let’s address both issues.

What if my salary range is higher than what the organization wants to pay? 

The concern here is that an organization will dismiss your candidacy immediately, if not sooner, when they discover your price tag. Some things to consider:

• Better to find out now! – I have a friend who interviewed a candidate five times before asking about salary. Sadly, the candidate needed to earn about 50k more than the organization could afford for that role. Yowsers. I bet both parties wished they had addressed the salary question much earlier in the process! This is precisely why my clients insist on knowing a salary range up front – out of respect for their time and yours. Take this as a positive.

• You aren’t necessarily toast. – Just because your stated range is higher than what an organization has in mind doesn’t necessarily mean it’s over. If your background is appealing to the hiring manager, he/she may well continue the dialog. Or, he may ask how firm your salary range is. Finally, the organization may decide to increase the budget for the role or consider you for another position.

What if my salary range is lower than what the organization is willing to pay? 

The fear here is, of course, no one wants to leave money on the table. As a capitalist pig, I completely understand this trepidation. Some thoughts:

• Organizations do their homework. – Candidates sometimes think along these lines, “I’m currently making 60k and my stated desired salary range was 65-70k. But I just learned the organization was willing to pay 100k for the role they offered to me at 67k. I left money on the table!” Um, probably not. And here’s why: most organizations do their homework before they make you an offer. They find out what your last salary was; some even ask for a salary history. They base the offer on those numbers, your experience, work history, and how much value they think you will bring to the role (among other things). Just because they allotted 100k for the role doesn’t mean they will blindly make an offer without making sure the offer makes sense for that candidate.

• You may be a more appealing candidate if you’re a bargain! – If you’re a solid candidate who has a reasonable price tag, many organizations will be attracted to you – especially when they look at the comparable candidate with an outlandish salary sticker. Of course, you don’t want to look like you’re in the scratch and dent section, either; so, don’t low-ball yourself too much!

• It is what it is – I love it when people use profound yet nonsensical sayings like that. Anyway, what I mean is that the job application process doesn’t provide us with perfect information. We can look at 990s and study salary surveys; but at the end of the day, it’s possible we’ll leave money on the table. It stinks, but it is what it is. (See what I mean?) Just remember this: if an organization asks for salary information, provide it. You can argue, put up a fuss, stomp your feet, or just flat refuse to offer it. But that’s only hurting you. My advice is to give a reasonable range based on your experience (and all of the other factors we went through last month) and kick rear end in the interview process.

With these thoughts and our tips from last month, you are sure to pick a range that is not too high or too low – but is just right. Goldilocks would be proud.

If there’s one topic everybody wants to know more about, it’s salary. (Well, that and where socks go when the dryer eats them.)

My friend Alex in Kentucky requested that I write a tip on handling salary when it comes to job applications.  He sums up the salary dilemma perfectly:

“Can you provide guidance on how to handle salary requirements on a job application? I don’t want to lose out if an organization is willing to pay more than the salary I provide. On the other hand, I don’t want an organization to look at my salary requirement and say, ‘That’s so far beyond what we want to pay. Toss that resume in the trash!’ ”

With Alex’s thoughts in mind, I’m going to provide some guidance about the factors involved in determining the “right salary” on a job application and then reveal the magic formula for finding your exact number.

1. Start in Reality – The first thing I tell folks is that your desired salary needs to be based in reality. It shouldn’t be a wish-list or a pipe-dream. The figure should be a reflection of market forces; that means you probably won’t be asking for a 50% bump in pay.
2. When in Doubt, Go with a Range – I often suggest candidates use a range instead of just one number so that they have built-in flexibility. A range should span roughly $5-10K for mid level employees and $10-20K+ for senior staff with higher salaries. This flexibility will allow you to account for things you learn as the interview process moves along, including work schedule, telecommuting options, etc. For instance, if you find out you’ll be expected to work long hours and commute to the office every day, you may decide you won’t take the job unless it’s at the top of your range. Conversely, if you learn you can work from home several days a week and hours are flexible, you may be quite happy at the bottom end of your range.
3. Do Your Homework – You are probably thinking, but how do I know what my range should be? Good question. To determine your range, you should take into account a laundry list of factors, including but not limited to:

• Your experience – Years of experience? Work history? Quality of employers? What rock star stuff have you done? Are you currently employed? Have you been out of work for a while?
• Current/most recent salary – How long have you been at that figure?
• Salary history – Has your salary consistently increased? Has it been all over the map? Did you take a big pay cut and want to make up for lost ground?
• Geography – Where is the job? What is the cost of living there? Is it a desirable place to live? Can you work virtually?
• Education – Do you have any fancy advanced degrees? And are they relevant for this job?
• Market conditions – What is the demand for your skill set?
• Longevity – Have you changed jobs with the frequency of a cheap ham radio?
• Reputation/recommendations – Who is willing to go out on a limb and say you rock?

4. The Role – The list above is a good start, but you also have to consider the role at hand.

• Type of role- What level is the role? What are the responsibilities?
• Type of organization – What is the type and size of the organization? Is it a $50M behemoth in DC or a $500K mom and pop shop in Poughkeepsie?
• Competition for the role (or lack thereof!) – Is this a role that will attract dozens of qualified folks? Or are you one of just a few credentialed candidates?

This all makes sense, right? Now, you just need the magic salary formula into which you can plug all of this information.

Folks, for the first time ever, I am about to reveal it to you. I’ve been holding back for years, but it’s now time for me to share with you – with the world – this long-sought secret. Drum roll, please…….

Right…so, I’m just kidding. There is no magic formula!

Your best bet is to combine all of the factors listed above, as well as information from trusted associates and online salary sources. Throw in some turmeric and puppy dog tails (figuratively speaking, says the animal-lover!) for good measure, and mix it all together. Voila! That should give you a pretty good range.

Next month we’ll tackle Alex’s concerns about providing a salary that is too high or too low. Until next time, my friends.