New Grads When to Take The Job Offer and When to Keep Looking

New Grads When to Take The Job Offer and When to Keep LookingNew Grads When to Take The Job Offer and When to Keep LookingIf you are one of the 1.85 million students entering the workforce after graduation this year, you may have received your job offer in April. It might seem like youve got it made if you got an offer before graduation. Theres nothing left to do but graduate, travel and get to work. (If you didnt, dont despair. Simply Hired data shows job listings targeted toward new grads will peak again in July and October.)Many new grads wonder if they should continue interviewing, hunting and networking after they receive an offer in hopes of getting a better one. Heres a breakdown of the pros and cons that come with job hunting after youve landed a job offer.Benefits of Going with the First Job OfferThere are several reasons that it might be in your best interest to settle for the first job offer. First, you can save yourself a lot of hassle. If you know that this is the best o pportunity for you based on your needs for company culture, salary, benefits and location, then accepting your first offer will save you time, stress and money.Next, you can avoid an uncomfortable philosophical trap. Pursuing the thought that Perhaps theres a better offer out there can lead to an endless drain on your plans and your emotions. You may even talk yourself out of a legitimately good offer or ignore opportunities that will mora than meet your needs to chase the elusive perfect opportunity.Finally, fully committing to the job offer you receive allows you to invest that time and energy into the workplace youre soon to be part of. Instead of spending time learning the names of potential interviewers, you can start building connections and relationships with people youll actually be working with.Disadvantages of Settling for the First Job OfferThe most obvious disadvantage of settling with your first job offer is that you might miss out on a better offer. What if your dream company is still out there, and you dont know it? What if companies in other areas are hiring at significantly higher entry-level salaries? Or what if the perfect opportunity is waiting for you, but it doesnt exist yet because the company is expanding and the company wont list the position for another 30 days?Settling for the first job offer could also put you at a uninformed disadvantage. Without interviewing and receiving other offers, you dont have any firm numbers or benefits to compare. Youre stuck relying on outdated or anonymous industry data to determine whether or not your offer is competitive, and you certainly dont have the pull to negotiate hard.Finally, your network is just growing as a new grad. If you settle for the first offer that comes along, youll miss out on taking in more learning and networking opportunities by interviewing at more companies within your industry. Ive often heard stories about people recognizing and assisting other people who sat in on their int erview committees many years prior. You simply never know who could help you in your career 15 years down the line or vice-versa.Ethics and Manners for Continuing Your Job Hunt If you decide to continue looking for a job after accepting a job offer, you should abide by the same professional rules that govern your initial job search.Always be honest. If someone asks if youve accepted an offer (or if your new company asks if youre still looking) tell the truth in a straightforward and professional way. Work in the phrase, I am always interested in understanding the market value of my skills, to reassure your future employer that youre not necessarily trying to get out of their offer but simply gathering information.landsee beyond salaries. Companies are notoriously less flexible when it comes to negotiating entry-level, new grad salaries. Keep an eye out for the benefits youre looking for a competitive field or industry, autonomy and the interest level of the work itself. Look beyond the salary numbers of each offer to see how each offer will affect your quality of life and career trajectory.Give notice if you change your mind. If you do discover an offer that is a better fit for you, give as much notice as possible. The employer will need to invest resources and time into securing a replacement, and the last thing you want to do as a new grad is burn bridges that you may need in the future.Understand your positioning. If you decide to pursue other offers, try to identify exactly what youre looking for. Is it all about the numbers? If you find a better offer, and your current employer provides a counter-offer, will that change your mind? Explore the circumstances under which you would stay with your second or first offers.Are you on the job hunt with an offer in hand? Leave a comment below to see if we can help you sort out your decision

How to Sell Yourself to a Hiring Manager

How to Sell Yourself to a Hiring ManagerHow to Sell Yourself to a Hiring Manager Youre ready to make a change, so you throw your hat in the ring for a few opportunities that look interesting. You quickly get a couple of calls to set up bewerbereinstellungsgesprchs, talk to a couple of hiring managers, andyou dont hear back.This is frustrating because the company wouldnt interview you if you didnt look like a reasonable candidate on paper or if you didnt come with a recommendation from your professional network.So your resume and recommendations are strong enough to get interviews, but then the opportunities just sort of dry up.This is almost always a sign that you need better positioning .Your job interviews are a part of your negotiation. The better you perform, the better your offer will be and the better youll be able make your case when you begin the formal salary negotiation.Every question youre asked is a chance to move them in this direction. Imagine you have a power meter that fills up a little mora every time you give a great answer to an interview question. The more full that power meter is when they make you an offer, the better the offer will be.Once you get into your interviews your job is to change the companys thinking from Whats the minimum we can offer this candidate to get them into this role? to Whats it going to take to convince this candidate to take this job?See the difference? You want to shift their thinking from Whats the minimum salary we can offer? to Whats it going to take?Positioning is how you describe yourself as the hero this company needs, turning your skillset and experience into superpowers by matching them with the outcomes the business wants.Lets illustrate this with an example you may have experienced Lets say youve applied for a job as a software developer and youre being interviewed by someone on the gruppe you might work with.Suddenly, youre asked a common interview question that scares most peopleYoure definitely qualified for the job, but this question catches you off guard, so you freeze up and say something like thisMaybe you elaborate a bit and mention the school you went to or the programming languages youre familiar with. But in the end, your answer doesnt really tell the interviewer anything new or compelling.Youre not alone- thats what most people would say They might use more words, but their answer boils down to I read the job description and I think I can do that job.Heres what your answer might sound like when you leveraging strong positioning to stand out as the candidate for the jobYoure transitioning your application to Ruby on Rails, and Ive been using Ruby on Rails for production client projects for two years. I can save your team a lot of time because I can start writing production code right away.Well, hello there Thats a compelling answer that will impress your interviewer and significantly increase your chances of getting another interview and ultimately getti ng a high-quality job offer. And theres a straightforward process you can follow to consistently give strong answers like the second one.In a nutshell, positioning is how you show a company that youre the person they need for a specific job.But how do you do that? How did the Software Developer know the company was transitioning their application to Ruby on Rails?Youll start with basic research and careful preparation for your interviews. Your goal is to learn enough about the company and job youre pursuing so that you understand exactly what they need. Once you have that information, will tell them why you are exactly what they need.Heres a short list of things you should look for as you discover exactly what the company needsKnowing that information before you go into an interview will help you be prepared to talk about the specific company and job youre considering. And, more importantly, youll be able to tell a more detailed story about how their company will be better if youre a part of it.So where do you start? There are three main places where youll find pretty much everything you need their company website,Google and Glassdoor .This doesnt need to be complicated- youre simply doing the work that others wont do. Here are the types of information youre looking forIn general, bigger companies will have more information available than smaller companies. Thats ok. For now, all youre doing is building a list of data sources you can use.Use the short list of above to discover exactly what the company needs. Most of the information is publicly available, and some companies will have more information than others. But thats ok because you just need basic information to get through the first interview or two.This is the key question you want to answer before your interviews. When you can tell the hiring manager how youll help the company or team achieve its goals and address its challenges, they will want to hire you.Remember, theyre interviewing you because the y need to fill an open position. That position is open because the company has needs or challenges that the person who does that job will help address. So when you tell them that youll help them address those needs and challenges, and you tell them how youll do it, youre saying, I am the candidate you opened this job for.Lets go back to the very beginning. The question were considering isMost people are intimidated by this question because its so vague and open-ended. Usually, theyll say something like, Because Im a software developer.A more experienced interviewer might say something likeIve been in this industry for 10 years, and I worked on a major project for ACME Corp and carried a lot of responsibility there. I also have experience managing teams and I have published five white papers on various topics.But look at who this candidate is talking about Ive, I, I, I.Dont just talk about yourself. Talk about how you can help the company achieve its goals or address its pain points. Youll still say I, but youll say it in the context of you.This is a softball question, the perfect setup for you to tell them how youll help them meet one of their goals or resolve a challenge theyre having Take advantage of itIf youve done your research before the interview, then the first thing youll do when confronted with this question is think, What is their most urgent need or challenge? It will probably be pretty obvious since youve spent time reading about their company, but its ok to just pick something from your list if there isnt any particular outstanding one.Now that youve identified their most urgent need, ask yourself, How can I help them address that need? Youve already been thinking about this before the interview, so its a slam dunk.Then you put them together into a nice, short answer that tells them how youll help them address their most urgent need with your skillset and experience.When companies hire people, they have a sortiment theyre able to pay to fill the position, and theyre more inclined to pay at the higher end of that range if they find the right candidate. You want to be that candidate.Before we wrap up, lets jump back to the software developer example we saw earlier. Now that you know how to use positioning to answer interview questions, see if you can spot the need and how the developer describes the solution when asked Why should we hire you?Youre transitioning your application to Ruby on Rails, and Ive been using Ruby on Rails for production client projects for two years. I can save your team a lot of time because I can start writing production code right away.Do you see it now? This answer is much more focused on the company and their needs.The most urgent need this developer identified was a big transition to a new technology. The developer could directly help address that need because he had a few years experience with that specific technology.All he had to do was tell the interviewer how he could help meet that need.That s an excellent use of positioning to answer a tricky interview question.Lets go back to our Positioning definition from the beginning of this seriesPositioning is how you describe yourself as the hero this company needs, turning your skillset and experience into superpowers by matching them with the outcomes the business wants.For each opportunity you pursue, do the research described above, and consider the companys goals and challenges. Then think about how you can use your skillset and experience to help the company address those goals and challenges.Do that for every opportunity and youll stand out from other candidates and get more high-quality job offers.A version of this article was originally published on FearlessSalaryNegotiation.com . Reprinted with permission

Fire Direction Specialist

Fire Direction SpecialistMOS 13P- MLRS Operations/Fire Direction SpecialistA Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Automated Tactical Data Systems Specialist is an important part of the Armys combat team. MLRS teams are used to support infantry and tank units while supplementing cannon artillery in combat, but they also have responsibilities during peacetime. The MLRS launches various missiles and ammunitions in quick strikes during combat. The MLRS Automated Tactical Data Systems Specialist records and transmits the firing data for the MLRS. Duties Records and transmits firing data using the fire direction system and voice radio. Operates fire direction systems, Platoon Leaders Digital Message Device, and Multiple Launch Rocket System communications equipment. Participates in gathering of operations and intelligence data. Plots using fire capability charts and friendly and enemy situation maps. Records ammunition expenditure, equipment serviceability, situation, firing point, tar get, and mission reports. Drives section vehicles, performs operator/crew maintenance on section vehicles, generators, and equipment. Aids in collection and transmission of data. Installs, maintains, and operates radio wire communications, digital communications devices, and secure voice equipment. Assists in leading and directing fire direction personnel. Leads MOS 13P soldiers in MLRS Platoon FDC. Plots information using firing capabilities chart, friendly and enemy situation maps. Operates fire direction systems, platoon leaders digital message device, and multiple launch rocket system communications equipment. Converts fire orders to fire command. Initial Training Information Job training for fire direction specialist requires 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training and seven weeks of Advanced Individual Training with on-the-job instruction. Part of this time is spent in the classroom and in the field under simulated combat conditions. Some of the skills youll learn are Calculati ng target locations manually and electronically, plotting points using different types of maps, operating communication systems specifically and artillery tactics and battle strategy. ASVAB Score Required 96 in aptitude area FA Security Clearance Secret Strength Requirement heavy Physical Profile Requirement 222221 Other Requirements Color discrimination of red/greenThis job is closed to women.Must be a US Citizen Similar Civilian Occupations There is no civilian occupation that is directly equivalent to MOS 13P. However, the following civilian occupations make use of the skills developed through MOS 13P training and experience. Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsBusiness Operations SpecialistsComputer OperatorsData Entry KeyersDatabase AdministratorsFirst-Line Supervisors/Managers of Mechanics, Installers, and RepairersGeneral and Operations ManagersMobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except EnginesNetwork and Computer Systems AdministratorsTelecommunication s Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line InstallersTraining and Development Specialists