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Closing The DealClosing The Deal

“Closing The Deal” covers everything you need to know, after you’ve had a job offer.

It guides you from deciding whether or not to accept, through negotiating your salary and quitting your old job with dignity.

Clare Jaques 2003 - 2006

rights reserved. You may circulate this book, free of charge, to friends, family and work lleagues, as long as you do not edit it in any way.

contents remain copyright of Clare Jaques and Interview Stuff.

http://www.interviewstuff.com/

Table Of Contents

---------- 1 Introduction -------

Introduction The 5 sections of this guide .........................4

---------- 2 Should I Say Yes? -------

Should I Take The Job? Not such a stupid question!..........................6

--------- 3 I've Still Got Questions ------

I’ve Still Got Questions Need to know more?..................................14

---------- 4 My Ideal Package -------

What’s My Ideal Package? How to negotiate your salary and perks ....17

Exercise

Exercise 6: My ideal package ....................18

---------- 5 Salary Negotiation -------

Salary Negotiation How do I negotiate a better package? .......20

---------- 6 When Should I Start? -------

When Should I Start? How to get the start date you want ............28

Reviewing The Contract Make sure you read it carefully ..................30

---------- 7 How To Quit -------

How To Quit My Current Job Handing in your notice without burning your bridges .......................................................35

---------- 8 Settling In -------

The First Few Days How to settle in well................................... 38

---------- Extra Resources -------

Want To Know More? Make the most of these free resources..... 41

---------- 9 Exercise Templates -------

Exercise templates 42

It’s up to you whether you work through this e-book in sequence or just pick the exercises that seem most relevant to you.

Bear in mind that some of the exercises build on previous topics, so you may need to go back and do some background thinking.

The instructions make it clear where this is the case

© Clare Jaques 2006 www.interviewstuff.com 2 Closing The Deal

1

Introduction

The 5 sections of this guide


1

Introduction The 5 sections of this guide

You’ve made it through the recruitment process and now you’ve had a job offer. Congratulations!

But before you rush to say “yes”, it’s worth taking a few moments to think about how you’re going to negotiate your package and start date.

Research has shown that it’s much easier to get a pay rise when you change jobs, rather than getting promoted within your current role.

At the same time, the recruiter will want to get the right person, but for as little outlay as possible. So you need to do some clever negotiating.

The good news is that getting closer to your ideal package is quite straightforward, as long as you’ve done your homework.

Closing The Deal takes you through a structured process of deciding whether to accept the job, negotiating a package, agreeing a start date and quitting your current job.

Deciding Whether To Accept

Just because you’ve been offered a job doesn’t mean you should go for it. Making an objective decisions pays dividends and means you won’t be job-hunting again in six months’ time.

Putting Together Your Ideal Package

It’s easy to miss something out, when negotiating a salary package. Usually employers have salary and benefits guidelines within which they can operate. But you’d be surprised how flexible things might be, if you’re a smart negotiator.

Negotiating A Start Date

Your future employer will usually want you to start “yesterday”. But, to be honest, an extra week or two is unlikely to make a huge difference. Think about when you’d like to move and whether you’d like a week or two off between jobs.

Quitting Your Current Job

This can actually be quite stressful,. It certainly isn’t recommended to march into your boss’s office with your resignation, based on a telephone offer. Your employer’s reaction can vary from trying to keep you (which can really drag things out) to escorting you off site!

Settling In

The first few days in a new job can be daunting and exciting. This section includes some top tips for making sure nerves don’t get in the way and you make a great first impression.


2

Should I Take The Job?

Not such a stupid question!


2

Should I Take The Job? Not such a stupid question!

Sometimes it’s eacarried away excitement of beina job, that we donthink about whreally want it.

After all, we’ve been through the and had the offer. Why wouldn’t we w

Well, it’s time for a sanity check.

Think about your current What would you miss about it?

Does what the new job has to omake up for that?

Can you imagine yourself worin the new company in 3 / 5 years’ time?

The following exercises help you omake the decision.

Even if you’re pretty sure it’s a “yes”,going through them, to see if there’syou want to add to your negotiation fr

The first stage is to think about your current role. This helps you work out whether the new job will fix the problems with the old one.

© Clare Jaques 2006 www.interviewstuff.com

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Exercise 1: Evaluate your current role

Take a minute or two to think about your current or most recent role.

How would you describe it?

What do you like about it? Which aspects you won’t miss?

Be as specific as you can, because this will help you start to gain an insight into what is motivating you.

It will help you find a new job that builds on the good features of your last role, but avoids the bad bits.

(An example is on the next page)

6 Closing The Deal

Click here for a blank form

My current / most recent role is: Example - Emma was fired from her recent temping job.

Temping for Mr. Hargreaves. Made it through 4½ months of a 6 month maternity cover contract. Responsible for all sorts of stuff that just didn’t rock my boat. Good luck to the new girl. I like…

Be honest with yourself. Even if things aren’t so well any more, there must still be something you like!

Like? Are you kidding? Ok, let’s take this seriously. I did like the fact it was close to the shops. And there was free mineral water and coffee. And I was paid quite well, for what I did. And I guess that the company was quite ethical, it was mainly the work I didn’t like, rather than the people.

I won’t miss…Be objective and specific.

Objective? Guess that means no emotions. It was too much detail. I just got bored – it wasn’t me. What else? Well, I guess I didn’t really know what I was doing. And everyone assumed I did, so I kept getting it wrong. Maybe they should have had some training, or something? And I would rather have worked with lots of younger people. Most of the people in the company were much older than me – the majority had kids my age. Nothing wrong with that; just not for me right now. What is motivating me to change? (Be honest!)

Duh! I was fired! Yeah, but I wasn’t really happy anyway. Right, I want a permanent job, where I can settle in and actually make friends. And get some training and development. And eventually more responsibility.

And finally… Is there anything my current employer could do, to make me want to stay?

Well, they put a stop to that. But seriously, I don’t think so. Even if they’d given me more responsibility and made me permanent, I think I’d have wanted to work with a company with a more dynamic outlook. I felt like I was being treated like a kid, which is what I was in most people’s eyes.

How did you respond to the final question? Is there anything your current employer could do to make you want to stay? Is that what you want? Are you moving for the right reasons?


Exercise 2: Four Questions That Can Make Your Head Spin

The next four questions can really help clarify whether you should move to the job you’ve just been offered. They’re specially designed to help you cut past your rational thinking and get to what’s going on underneath.

So if they make your head spin, that’s ok. Persevere with them and write down your answers, no matter how odd they seem.


What will happen if you do accept the job offer?

Let’s take Jude’s example – returning to work after 7 years of raising a family. I’ll be back in the marketing game, refreshing my skills and meeting new people.

What will happen if you don’t accept the job offer?

I’ll still be at home all day, looking after the house, and wondering what would have happened, had I gone back to work. I will eventually find it’s too late to go back.

What won’t happen if you do accept the job offer?

I won’t get to pick the kids up from school. I won’t have time to do the housework I currently do, which might make things a bit more stressful. I won’t be able to look after the kids, if they’re ill.

What won’t happen if you don’t accept the job offer?

I won’t regain my independence. I love being a mum, but I really want to go back to having a career, too, even if it’s on a different scale. I won’t have the stress of commuting, but I wouldn’t be earning money, either. I won’t be able to use my brain as much as I’d like to.

Has this exercise helped you clear things up?


Exercise 3: Deciding Whether To Accept

This exercise helps you work out what would be important to you in your ideal job. You may have considered this already, or this may be the first time you’ve thought about it.

The key is to check whether the job you’ve been offered is closer to your ideal job than your current role, or further away.

Being objective, how well does your potential new job meet your criteria?


Step 1 Write a paragraph describing your next, ideal job.

What will your team be like?

What role will you play?

What will your rewards be?

What will you see?

What will you hear?

What will you feel?

These last 3 questions might seem a bit strange, but they’re highly effective for clarifying your thoughts. Make sure you really get into the frame of mind you’d be in if you had the job.

Let’s follow Jude for this example.

What will my team be like?

At least 20 of us – big enough to get the job done – not just 2 or 3 people in a tiny company. With 20 there’ll be plenty of opportunity for socialising, but there aren’t so many people that you get lost in anonymity.

What role will I play?

I’d like to do something that involves working with the media agencies and advertising teams. Not too much pressure. Probably a Brand Manager role, so I’m responsible for decisions and strategy, but without having to manage too many people.

Exercise continues on next page…



Good pay and possibly bonus scheme. I guess my preferred reward would actually be recognition for my achievements.

What will I see?

Hmm… Not sure I understand this one. Ok, let’s give it a go. I’ll see smart, bright, airy modern offices; fairly open plan; lots of people smiling; clutter-free environment

What will I hear?

Phones ringing; people laughing; keyboards typing; coffee machine spluttering away

What will I feel?

Well, I’d like to feel confident and self-assured. I’d like to feel relaxed, but slightly excited. So probably enough of a challenge that I have to think, but not so much that I stress about it.

Step 2 Pull out the key elements from Step 1. They might include:

Whether you want to manage direct reports

The size of team you want to manage (or not)

Working hours, flexitime

Level of responsibility

Working environment

Training

Basic salary range

Paid overtime

Other benefits

Holiday entitlement

Career opportunities

Location

Amount of travelling

Which of your key skills you most want to use / develop

Which of your main values should be met



Then split them into one of three categories:

Essential These are things that are so important to you that you next job must deliver them. Without these, you would reject a job offer.

These items effectively provide your worst case scenario, when deciding whether to accept a job and negotiating a salary. Be careful not to put too many things in this category, or you’ll notice you find it really hard to get a job that meets your requirements.

Important Important, but negotiable. These are things that you want, but would be prepared to sacrifice, if you had to.

Nice to have The icing on the cake. These are things that would be a real bonus for you – they might make the critical difference between two jobs. When you’re deciding whether to accept a job offer, beware choosing your “nice to have” items instead of your “important” items.

The nice to have section is really about things you’d like to aim for, but wouldn’t miss too much, if you didn’t get them.

Essential Important, but negotiable Nice to have

Managing a team of 2+ Ability to take unpaid leave if children are ill

Health insurance

Bright, airy office with good parking & access to healthy lunches

Flexible working hours Company car

Other mothers in the team – so people understand the challenges

Support next level of study for Chartered Institute of Marketing

Option to work 4 days a week

Salary enough to cover at least twice the cost of childcare, to make it worth working

Minimal international travel Time off in lieu for overtime

Responsible for decisions on a minor brand

Good pension scheme Bonus scheme

Responsible for sign-off of all aspects of the advertising campaigns

Opportunity to use my foreign languages

Company-organised social events for teams & their partners

Recognition of achievements – formal scheme

Annual pay review scheme Flowers and plants in the offices

The most important column is “essential”. You should check the job you have been offered against this list. What you are saying with these items is that, if the job doesn’t offer these (or equivalent), then you will reject it.


Exercise 4: Visualisation

And finally…

You’re pretty sure you want to accept or decline the job offer.

Spending five minutes on this visualisation helps you work out the longer-term consequences

of your choice.

1. Imagine you accepted the offer of a job, which fulfilled your “essential” criteria, but few of your “important” ones and none of the “nice to haves”.

Then pretend you could float 5 years into the future. What is your life like?

What would you see?

What would you hear?

What would you feel?

2. Is that what you really want?

3. If not, what would have to change, for your future to be what you want?

4. Go back and make the necessary changes to the table in exercise 6.

So where are you now?

Definitely accept it

Probably accept it

Probably reject it

Definitely reject it

Really can’t decide


3

I’ve Still Got Questions

Need to know more, before you can make a decision?


Nice to know

3

I’ve Still Got Questions What’s the canteen like? Need to know more? Do they have a Christmas party? (Again,

If there are still want to know company, before a decision, you yourself to get ans

Exercise 5: What information do I to help me make my decision?


Critical

Let’s continue with Jude’s example: Do they offer flexitime? Is it somethinnegotiate? Ideally, I don’t want to work their hou5:30. My youngest would be in bed bhome, if I had to work overtime. I’d rto 4:30. Can I change that?

Useful

Do they have plans to open a crèchefuture? How many of the employees are par(Checking potential attitude to familycommitments)


checking attitude) things you

about the you make owe it to wers.

Do you really need to know all this?

Sometimes we put obstacles and extra requirements in the way, to avoid having to make difficult decisions.

still need,

So before you spend time, finding out what you want to know, just double-check whether you’re using it as a means to procrastinate.

Once you’ve done that, revisit your answers to exercise 5 and highlight the bits you really want to know.

g I could

rs of 9 to efore I got

ather do 8

There are many ways to find out the information you need.

Sometimes you can do “desk research”, which means looking on the internet or in magazines, to find out the information “second hand”. in the

ents? Or you can do “primary research”, which

means going and asking the questions yourself: maybe to the person who offered you the job, the HR team, the recruitment agency or people you met on your interviews.

14 Closing The Deal

Whichever option you choose, researching the company is covered in much more detail in The Interview’s Looming.

Use the space below to make notes from your findings.

End of exercise


4

What’s My Ideal Package?

How to negotiate your salary and job perks.


What’s My Ideal Package? 4How to negotiate your salary and perks

You may be perwith the job obeen made. And

However, it’s checking it agcurrent total because it’s easy

something and suddenly realisegetting the deal you thought.

Bear in mind that a job offer painclude many things, other than sal

To help you work out your ideal pcreate a strong negotiating positiotable in Exercise 6.

Bear in mind that a “package” mayof the following – and more. Sombe company policy – set in stone;be more flexible.

Basic salary

Percentage pension contributionemployer

Number of days of vacation

Relocation allowance (e.g. solicestate agent’s fees, stamp duty, mtemporary accommodation, allocarpets & curtains, etc.). Note: yrequired to repay these, if you lea

certain time period.

Car allowance (with or without fuel). Note: this can hit your tax bill.

Bonus scheme

© Clare Jaques 2006 www.interviewstuff.co

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Employee discounts

Working from home

Flexitime

Paid overtime / time off in lieu

Pay reviews. Note: if you negotiate a higher salary, they may not give you an increase at the next pay review.

Be careful about checking the policy for sick pay and maternity / paternity leave, before you have a written contract. It may make the employer nervous! See When Should I Start? for more information.

Before you negotiate, you should note the following:

• Research your expectations, to make sure they’re realistic for the industry, the company you’ll work for and their geographic location.

• Justify why your new role deserves more remuneration. 10% is a typical maximum increase in base salary, but there are plenty of other areas you can negotiate.

• Minimum: be clear about the minimum you’d settle for and why. Be prepared to walk away.

• Don’t suddenly increase your expectations from anything discussed during the recruitment process.

m 17 Closing The Deal

Exercise 6: My ideal package

3-5 reasons why I’m worth the package I’m asking for. (If you can’t answer this, you’ll feel weaker, when negotiating).

What were your “essential” items from Exercise 3? Can you put numbers against them?



What were your “important” items from Exercise 3? Can you put numbers against them?

Salary and benefits package – current

Salary and benefits package – desired

Best case Worst case

Time to go and negotiate!


Salary Negotiation How do I negotiate a better package?

Congratulations! You’ve had the job offer and you want to accept! All that hard work has paid off.

Hopefully you did your homework before your job interview and have checked the salary range for the job fits with your expectations?

We’re going to assume a “yes” to that one!

Many people don’t bother negotiating their starting salary, simply accepting the company’s first offer. But this is a real waste.

Employers usually understand that they have to pay the going rate to get the right candidate. However, often their budgets mean they’ll try to recruit you at the most affordable rate.

Your agenda, conversely, might be to get a pay rise or increase in benefits from your promotion or job move.

This means that you have to work to find a win-win solution.

Once you work for the company, salary and benefit reviews tend to become an annual

affair and may be relatively small. This is your chance to take a step up.

So before you accept, it’s worth taking a step back, to let the excitement die down a bit first.

When you accept a job offer, that’s when your bargaining power ends. So it’s important to make sure you have done whatever you need to, to ensure you’re getting a fair deal.

So one of the first things you should do is revisit Exercise 3: Deciding Whether To Accept. Remember? The exercise where you worked out what was essential for you and what was negotiable?

By being clear about this, it puts you in a much stronger position for negotiation.

The key to good negotiation is knowing where you’ll quit, and being prepared to do so.

What you’re effectively saying is that, if the company can’t meet your essential list, you’ll walk away from the job offer.

This is what gives you your bargaining power.


So here are the top tips for win-win salary negotiation:

1. Understand what's important to you about the job.

You have completed exercises to help you clarify this.

It will help you decide how far you're prepared to compromise.

2. What's your current package?

Include salary, bonuses, perks such as health care, paid overtime, relocation allowance, company car and holiday entitlement…

See the answers you gave in the last section.

3. What is your "best case" package?

Keep it realistic, but optimistic. What would you really like as a package?

4. What is your "minimum offer" position?

... below which you will reject the job offer?

Once you know this, the salary negotiation call is simple.

If you're feeling nervous, then practise with a friend or family member first.

Exercise 7 helps you prepare for this call – you only get one chance to get it right.

Recruiters are used to people negotiating so, as long as you're realistic and polite, and can justify your requests, then it's likely to be a win-win outcome.

Remember that salary and package are about more than just cash.

You can negotiate on, for example, monthly salary, bonuses, car allowance, pension contributions, healthcare contributions, number of days' vacation or even future salary review dates.

Bear in mind that some companies have fixed policies about benefits, depending on the seniority of the position. This can make negotiation tricky, as the recruiter may have little say over the package.

If this is the case, simply ask them where they could be flexible - and negotiate from there.

Be prepared to reject the job offer, if the package doesn't meet your minimum requirements.


-------------------- TOP TIP --------------------

Get the complete job offer and contract in writing before giving anything other than a conditional acceptance.

-------------------- TOP TIP --------------------

Unfortunately, we sometimes come across candidates who were offered salaries and perks "at the end of the trial period", but never got written confirmation and - surprise, surprise - they never materialised.

Often promises of big rises "at the next review" aren't delivered - sometimes because the "promiser" has left the company and no record was made of the offer.

We're not suggesting you be cynical; simply reminding you that this is a business negotiation.

You owe it to yourself to deal with it professionally, which means getting your terms and conditions in a written contract, before you quit your current job.

Exercise 7: Phoning the recruiter: salary negotiation

Before you pick up the phone, do some quick preparation.

You’ll only get one chance to get this call right. If you go through this exercise, you’ll increase your chances of getting the salary and package you want!

It’s usually best to call the relevant member of the company’s Human Resources team, unless you have been told otherwise. The recruiting manager tends not to handle the legal side of recruitment, once a job offer has been made.

If you have been offered the job verbally, during a phone call, it’s perfectly ok to tell them that you’re very interested, but would like 24 hours (or a few days) to make a decision. This buys you time to negotiate your package.

Whatever you do, try not to accept there an then, or it greatly reduces your negotiation power.



Before dialling:

• Work out your current salary and benefits package and what range you are looking for. In detail! Use Exercise 6 to help you do this.

• Note down any other questions you have and decide your objective(s) for the call.

• Take a deep breath, relax and smile. It might sound silly, but being tense and nervous really shows on the phone. A relaxed, friendly smile affects your voice (try this one out!) and makes a better first impression.

Typical objectives for the call include:

• Find out more about the job.

Is there anything else you would like to know, to help you decide whether or not to accept this job offer?

• Negotiate a salary or package.

Don’t expect an immediate answer. It’s common for the human resources person to have to check against company standards and available budget. Be prepared to justify your requests.

• Agree start date / relocation.

It’s dangerous to give notice on your current job, before you have everything from the new job in writing.

Usually your new employer will want you to start as soon as possible. However, realistically, they probably won’t notice if

you start a week or two later than they want.

Unless you’ve already handed in your notice (bad idea before getting a written job offer and contract), then it’s hard for you to set a start date.

Your notice period won’t have started and you never know whether your current employer might want you to leave earlier – or beg for a few more weeks.

So try to be vague at this point. Explain that you need to discuss it with your current manager, but will give a concrete answer as soon as possible. See When Should I Start for more advice on this.

Remember that recruiters are busy and speak to many applicants each day, so thank them for their time and be polite, but friendly. Until you have a job offer in writing, it’s not official…


Salary Negotiation Phone Call

Keep these notes in front of you as you make the call. Not only will it make you more confident, but the confidence and rational thinking will help you increase your chances of getting the package you want.

Objective of the call

Do I have any questions about the job, to help me make my decision?

3-5 reasons why I am interested in the job (you may be asked this)



3-5 reasons why I’m worth the package I’m asking for. (If you can’t answer this, you’ll feel weaker, when negotiating).

Salary & benefits package: current and what I’m looking for

Best Case Worst Case

Earliest start date (assume current notice period plus 1-2 weeks for signing the contract or a short holiday)



Any other questions

Name & number to call:

Notes from the call

Well done! You’ve completed your preparation.

Now all you need to do is make that call.

Sit somewhere quiet and comfortable, where you can feel relaxed and confident. Take a deep breath. Smile and pick up that phone!

Good luck!


5

When Should I Start?

How to get the start date you want, without feeling under pressure.


5When Should I Start? How to get the start date you want

Usually, the earliestart your new jobby your curreperiod.

However, this clock doesn’t start tyou actually hand in your notice, shouldn’t do until you’ve had a woffer and seen a contract you’re h– or you could end up unemploye

Yet one of the key questions employer will be pushing is “Whestart?”

The most important thing is noyourself to be pressured by the recru

Chances are they’ve kept you hangfor long enough, reviewing CVs, discresults of interviews and agreeingany delays are their responsibility, n

But once you’ve decided to leavekeen to do it as soon as possible.

So how do you agree a start date?

1. Explain to the recruiter that you nreview a written job offer and conbefore you can hand in your noticcurrent position.

As long as you’re polite and firm about this, they’re unlikely to object. After all, you’re just being professional.

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can even dress this up as “wanting to make sure I’ve had a chance to understand everything we’ve discussed.”

Remember the old English expression: “There’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.”

2. Review the contract.

See below for more tips. There may be clauses in the contract that would prevent you from accepting the job offer. You have to iron these out, before handing in your notice.

3. Check your current notice period.

In the UK this is typically one or three months. It’s usually a worst case scenario. Your employer may let you leave earlier, particularly if they know your heart won’t be in your job any more.

However, others will hold you to every day of your notice period and may even ask you to work longer, to complete any outstanding projects.

They may even refuse to accept your resignation and try to find ways to make you stay, which can add more time – unless you’re really clear about wanting to leave and make them understand there’s nothing they can do.

You won’t know their reaction until you actually quit.

4. You may feel you need a short break between jobs.

This will obviously be unpaid, but it can really help you let go of the old stresses and politics, helping you feel refreshed for

28 Closing The Deal

your new start. It’s worth considering.

Don’t be worried about factoring this in to your start date. Most companies are reasonable about this. And it’s a chance you don’t get very often!

You might also need a week, if you’re relocating. It can be worth negotiating it into your contract.

Many employers understand that you’ll need occasional time off to view properties and eventually move. Try to get this agreed up front. It’s usually easier, if they’re paying you a relocation allowance.

So, say your notice period is one month; adding up the time above might mean:

Date of telephone offer Time required Total

Written offer 1 week 1 week

Finalising contract & negotiations 1 week 2 weeks

Current employer tries to get you to stay 1 week 3 weeks

Clock ticks on your notice period 4 weeks 7 weeks

1 week’s holiday 1 week 8 weeks

A one month notice period can easily turn into two months of real time, once you add in all the extra waiting and negotiating periods.

So be careful of committing to start “next month”. Employers will usually be flexible, but do tend to get annoyed if they’ve arranged induction programmes for new recruits, who then change their minds about start dates.


Reviewing The Contract Make sure you read it carefully

Your formal, written job offer should come with a formal contract of employment.

Usually these are quite straightforward.

However, there can be unusual clauses.

We have included some common things for you to check in the list below.

However, it is not exhaustive and, if there’s anything that concerns you, you should take professional advice before signing.

If there’s a clause you’re really not prepared to accept, then you may need to reject the job offer.

If you manage to negotiate a compromise with the company, get it in writing – or you can’t prove anything.

Probation Period

This is becoming increasingly common. It typically lasts 3-6 months.

During this period, you may not be entitled to all the benefits mentioned in your contract, so it’s important to check this out.

During probation, your notice period may be shorter (even just a week, in some companies) and you may find it difficult to take vacation, unless you can prove it was already booked.

The reason for having a probation period is so the company can give you a “trial period”, to make sure they’ve made the right recruiting decision. It’s very hard to dismiss someone, once they’re a full employee, but it’s much easier if they’re “on probation”.

The key is to make sure you get defined objectives from your boss, so you understand what you will be expected to deliver, in order to pass.

Should you not pass your probation, the company is required to prove it has given you adequate warning and support, to improve your performance. It shouldn’t be a shock to you.


Relocation Allowances

If you’re being offered relocation allowances, it’s to compensate you for uprooting your life to a different part of the country. It can be an expensive business.

Companies understand this.

It may mean that they include clauses in your contract that you have to repay a percentage of your relocation allowance (up to 100%), if you leave within a set time period. This is usually a sliding scale, but can be a real stinger; particularly if you don’t make it through your probation period, but have already moved house.

Holiday Entitlement

The number of days’ holiday you’re entitled to is usually specified, as part of the job offer.

The small print you might find in the contract could make a difference to whether you accept the job. Examples include:

• You might have to reserve 5 days for use at Christmas

• You might have to take holiday during company shutdowns (e.g. Christmas and summer). This may leave you with only 3 or 4 days that you can use at your own discretion.

• You may be limited to taking a maximum of 2 weeks off at any time (may rule out long-distance holidays)

• You might not be allowed to take holiday at the same time as any of your team members (leads to a rugby scrum at holiday booking time and moans of “not fair!”)

Sick Pay

Companies are legally required to provide statutory sick pay for employees. However, actual provisions can vary enormously.

We have seen everything from 22 days to 6 months at full pay.

Some companies have slightly unusual “twists” to the sick pay rules. These are worth being aware of. For example:

• You get up to 22 days paid per rolling 12 month period. However, only the first 3 incidences are paid – even if one is only a half day because your boss sent you home. So, in other words, if you have a headache, a cold and a bad back incident, that’s it for the year.

• You only get sick pay if you phone in before 9a.m. Otherwise you are considered absent without pay.

• Sick pay converts to holiday pay, if you’re ill during a company shutdown.

• You aren’t paid for the first three days of any period of illness.


Maternity / Paternity Pay

This can vary wildly between employers, with some being very generous and others offer the statutory minimum.

If you’re planning on having a family, it’s worth checking out.

However, be subtle about how you do this, because you don’t want your new employer to think you’re going to “disappear” for six months, as soon as you’ve completed your probation!

Extremes we have encountered include:

• Statutory minimum of six week’s paid maternity leave, with the government minimum thereafter.

• One year at full pay and a second year unpaid, during which your job is still held open for you.

Medicals

Many companies now ask about your medical history. This is ok, if you’re ok with it.

However, it shouldn’t be a condition of employment. It’s worth taking professional legal advice, if you think you’re going to have an issue.

Sometimes a company will want a formal medical from your GP or will ask you to visit their company doctor. You are entitled to ask to see a copy of the report, before it is sent, and may formally object to anything you disagree with.

Another common practice is requiring you to

complete a medical questionnaire, which is returned to the company’s HR department.

Technically, they have no medical expertise and aren’t in a position to review your answers.

Also, many people feel their medical history is personal and only to be shared with nominated medical professionals.

You are perfectly entitled to ask what this information will be used for and how your patient confidentiality will be maintained.

Most HR departments believe they have good reason for asking for this information. If in doubt, take professional advice.

Travel

Your contract may stipulate that “reasonable travel on company business” is expected of you.

It’s worth clarifying what that means. For some, it might mean the occasional overnight stay in Milton Keynes. For others, it could mean a compulsory three-month secondment to Malaysia.


Overtime

Make sure you understand up front whether you will get paid overtime, time off in lieu, or whether it’s just “part of the job”.

Some companies have slightly odd rules. For example:

• You get paid overtime, but only for weekend working.

• You get paid overtime if you’re working, but not if you’re travelling.

• Time off in lieu is at your manager’s discretion (good luck!)

Most contracts are written in legalese and cover all scenarios. This can make them sound more daunting than they’re actually intended to be. Chances are that the clauses that make you nervous are, in fact, harmless.

So if you have a question, start with the company’s HR representative. If they can’t answer the question for you, then take professional advice.

“Ask now, or forever hold your peace.”


6

How To Quit My Current Job

Departing with dignity, without burning your bridges – it’s a small world out there!


6

How To Quit My Current Job Handing in your notice without burning your bridges

So you’ve decided to

You’ve had the writtenYou’re happy with theIt’s the big Decision D

How do you do it?

Before you go to see your bosrepresentative, be clear about:

• When you want to leave

• Why you’re leaving

• What the company could do to stay / Why there’s no chance that

• Be prepared to explain how you to go to all those interviews – theyyou on the spot!

Be prepared for your boss’s reaction

All the reactions below are perfecthuman responses to the news thgoing to lose a member of their temight feel proud of your achievemeand rejected.

If they criticise you, then remember tbaggage, not yours, and is unlikely toreflection of your performance in thnot to take it personally.

• Disbelief – “Why would they offer that to you?” or “How could you leave us?”

• Joy – either because they’re proud of you or glad to say goodbye…


quit!

job offer. contract.

ay.

s or HR

make you you’ll stay

found time could fire

.

ly natural, at they’re am. They nt or hurt

hat’s their be a true e job. Try

• Putting you down – “Well, you’ve not really added much here, anyway.”

• Telling you you’re an idiot for leaving

• Dropping a bombshell like, “But you were about to get promoted”

• Make you feel guilty: “You’re leaving me in the lurch”

• Being supportive: “We’ll miss you. I’m really pleased for you and I’ll make sure you get an excellent reference.”

Also be prepared for a potential counter-offer. Your employer might want to keep you by matching or beating the package or responsibility level you’re being offered by your future employer.

Ideally, you should decide whether you will consider a counter-offer, before you hand in your resignation.

Whatever happens, beware playing the companies off against each other – you could lose both jobs.

If you decide to go through with resigning, follow these useful tips:

35 Closing The Deal

It’s usually a good idea to put your resignation in writing, before you talk to your boss.

Hand deliver the letter to your boss or HR representative, rather than emailing it. It makes you look more serious and means you’re less likely to be talked out of your decision.

If they can see you’re really going to leave, then they will probably accept your resignation – without trying to persuade you to stay.

Don’t feel guilty.

Yes, it starts a recruiting saga for your manager, but that’s not your concern. It’s part of being a manager.

You’re taking the next step in your career and there are good reasons why you’re leaving your current job. Remember them, if you’re nervous about quitting.


7

The First Few Days

Settling in well and making an excellent start


7

The First Few Days How to settle in well

Sometimes thedays in a newpass in a blur –people to meetto learn; you’r

adrenaline rush.

But sometimes it’s like being bainterview. Nerves can creep in adetermined to make a good first impr

The tips below are a whistle-sdesigned to help you take the strestarting your new job.

Ask questions!!!

Assume nothing! You’re not studon’t know something. You caprecede it with “how’s it done here

Take notes

It’s not a memory test. You shouldyourself to remember everything in the first few days and weeks. Tthings down at the time, or imafterwards, if that’s more appropri

Remember People’s Names

This can seem daunting, but itway to make a strong first imprecould do this by simply concentramaking your notes, or maybcompany organisation chart, wand photos.

-------------------- TOP TIP --------------------

How to remember people’s names:

1. Repeat their name when greeting them – it helps your brain store it.


first few job can so many

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top tour, ss out of

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n’t expect you’re told ry to write mediately

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’s a great ssion. You ting, while e find a ith names

2. Mentally write their name on their forehead, while they’re talking to you.

It helps your brain create a strong link between their face and their name.

-------------------- TOP TIP --------------------

Get the complete job offer and contract in writing before giving anything other than a conditional acceptance.

Be assertive

If you need to stop and think, do so. If you’re not sure about something, ask. You’re responsible for making sure you get the induction and introductions you need, when starting your new job.

Understand your boss’s expectations

Does your boss want you to deliver results in your first few weeks, or are they willing to cut you some slack, as you settle in?

Don’t assume anything on this one. It’s ok to ask.

Your boss may be really busy. It’s not uncommon to get less than an hour with them, in your first week. If you need more, ask for it. Be considerate, but don’t let their busy schedule impact your ability to make a good first impression.

They believe you can do the job

If nerves are kicking in, it’s usually in the form of “have I made the right decision?” or “am I good enough to do this job?”

38 Closing The Deal

It’s important to remember that your new employer recruited you because they can see your potential. They must believe you’re up to the job, or they wouldn’t be paying you to do it.

Early nerves are more likely to be because you’re feeling slightly overwhelmed with all the new processes, people and information, rather than reflecting your ability to do the job.

Remember all the reasons why you left your old job and took this one – you’ve made the right decision. You just need to give it time.

And that brings us to the end of these workbooks. Congratulations on getting this far. You’ve worked hard and deserve the success you’re experiencing.

We’d love to hear your stories. If you’d like to get in touch, send us an email, to let us know how you’re getting on.

contact us online

We’d also like your feedback. It’s our aim to continually improve the products we offer job-hunters. So if you’d like to tell us about what’s worked for you and any bits that haven’t or you think should be added, send us an email. In return, we’ll send you links to download updated versions of these books, whenever they’re launched – free of charge.

fsend us feedback online

Thank you for taking this journey with us. And good luck for the future!!!

Clare Jaques

On behalf of the Interview Stuff Team


http://www.interviewstuff.com/contact-us.html


8

Want To Know More?

Remember to make the most of the free extra resources that come with this e-book.


8

Want To Know More? Make the most of these free resources

This e-book is designed to help you nega fair salary and quit your old job with dign

If you want support on any other aspect hunting, they are covered in more detail following online resources.

Where Do I Start? Free online cours

http://www.interviewstuff.com/where-do-i-

Knowing why you want the job

Where do you want to be in 5 years’ time

Why do you want to leave your current ro

How to make sure your next job is better

Reading between the lines of the job adve

CV-Confidence Free E-book

http://www.interviewstuff.com/cv-confiden

140 page ultimate guide to creaticompelling CV / Resume that will get youinterviews

How to create a master CV / Resume

How to quickly tailor your CV for each job

How to fill “gaps” in your experience

Cover Letters Free E-book

http://www.interviewstuff.com/cover-letter

Jimmy Sweeney’s expert guide to writcover letter that gets interviews.

24 Hours To Go £25 E-book

http://www.interviewstuff.com/24-hours-to-go.html

All the last minute job interview advice you


otiate ity.

of job in the

e

start

le?

rt

ce

ng a more

s

ing a

need in a concise, valuable e-book that will take you no more than 2 hours to go through.

The Interview’s Looming £25 E-book

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Everything you need to know about job interviews and how to prepare

Includes specially-developed exercises to help you train yourself to answer even the trickiest questions

After The Event Free E-book

http://www.interviewstuff.com/after-the-event

Trade secret follow-up strategies to help you increase your chances of a job offer

How to learn from the interview and then let go, whilst waiting to hear the result

What to do if things didn’t work out

All these resources are available to you, whenever you need them.

If you’d like to give us feedback on these resources or tell us about your job hunting, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us. Good luck! Clare Jaques

On behalf of the Interview Stuff team

41 Closing The Deal

http://www.interviewstuff.com/where-do-i-start

http://www.interviewstuff.com/where-do-i-start

http://www.interviewstuff.com/cv-confidence

http://www.interviewstuff.com/cv-confidence

http://www.interviewstuff.com/cover-letters

http://www.interviewstuff.com/cover-letters










http://www.interviewstuff.com/

Exercise templates

Print these forms out to complete the exercises as often as you need to.

Exercise 1: Evaluate your current role.................................................................................... 43

Exercise 2: Four Questions That Can Make Your Head Spin ............................................... 44

Exercise 3: Deciding Whether To Accept ............................................................................... 45

.................... 47 Exercise 5: What information do I still need, to help me make my decision?


Exercise 1: Evaluate your current role

My current / most recent role is: Example - Emma was fired from her recent temping job.

I like…

Be honest with yourself. Even if things aren’t so well any more, there must still be something you like!

I won’t miss…Be objective and specific.

What is motivating me to change? (Be honest!)

And finally… Is there anything my current employer could do, to make me want to stay?

Back to Evaluate Your Current Role


Exercise 2: Four Questions That Can Make Your Head Spin

What will happen if you do accept the job offer?

What will happen if you don’t accept the job offer?

What won’t happen if you do accept the job offer?

What won’t happen if you don’t accept the job offer?

Back To 4 Questions That Can Make Your Head Spin


Exercise 3: Deciding Whether To Accept

Step 1 Write a paragraph describing your next, ideal job.

What will your team be like?

What role will you play?


What will you see?

What will you hear?

What will you feel?

These last 3 questions might seem a bit strange, but they’re highly effective for clarifying your thoughts. Make sure you really get into the frame of mind you’d be in if you had the job.

Step 2 Pull out the key elements from step 1. Write them in the table below. They might include:

Whether you want to manage direct reports

The size of team you want to manage (or not)

Working hours, flexitime

Level of responsibility

Working environment

Training

Basic salary range

Paid overtime

Other benefits

Holiday entitlement

Career opportunities

Location

Amount of travelling

Which of your key skills you most want to use / develop

Which of your main values should be met



Then split them into one of three categories:

Essential

These are things that are so important to you that you next job must deliver them. Without these, you would reject a job offer.

These items effectively provide your worst case scenario, when deciding whether to accept a job and negotiating a salary. Be careful not to put too many things in this category, or you’ll notice you find it really hard to get a job that meets your requirements.

Important

Important, but negotiable. These are things that you want, but would be prepared to sacrifice, if you had to.

Nice to have

The icing on the cake. These are things that would be a real bonus for you – they might make the critical difference between two jobs. When you’re deciding whether to accept a job offer, beware choosing your “nice to have” items instead of your “important” items.

Essential Important, but negotiable Nice to have

Accept the job? Yes No

Back to Accept The Job?


Exercise 5: What information do I still need, to help me make my decision?

Critical

Useful

Nice to know

Do you really need to know all this?

Sometimes we put obstacles and extra requirements in the way, to avoid having to make difficult decisions. So before you spend time, finding out what you want to know, just double-check whether you’re using it as a means to procrastinate.

Once you’ve done that, revisit your answers and highlight the bits you really want to know.

Back to What Information Do I Need?


closingthedeal

Education