Tips to Get the Best IT Salary

Tips to Get the Best IT SalaryTips to Get the Best IT SalaryYouve completed the interview process and decided that this is the right job for you. The position is a great match for your skills and the work environment is exactly what you want. Now its time to negotiate your IT salary.Before beginning a salary negotiation, its important to have a clear understanding of the objectives on both sides. Your goal should be to negotiate a fair, market-based compensation package thats competitive based on the unique combination of skills and expertise you bring to the new role, while maximizing your starting IT salary.Use our Salary Calculator to find the IT salary sortiment for your position and area.Your potential employers objective should also be to negotiate a fair, market-based compensation package for your skill sets while being a good financial steward of company resources. In the best case scenario, both parties want the same outcome a salary negotiation that results in a win for ev eryone.How do you achieve that goal? Here are five salary negotiation tips to help you get the IT salary you wantConduct your market research. Prior to your salary negotiation discussion, do your homework so that your salary requests are based on actual market data. Review salaries posted on current online job postings as well as reputable salary guides from industry experts. Your research is critical to your effectiveness and credibility in the salary negotiation process.Understand the landscape. While outside research is always valuable in the negotiation process, understand that there are equally important data points to consider based on the companys budget for the role, IT salary of the previous candidate in this (or a similar) role, and an understanding of how much flexibility the hiring manager has in salary negotiations.IT salary is only one aspect of compensation. While starting salary is an important component of the overall compensation package, its not the only one. A su ccessful salary negotiation should include a comprehensive view of the total package and an understanding that while there may be IT salary negotiation limitations, there also may be flexibility in negotiating time off, flexible work schedules or telecommuting options. Even if you cant negotiate a higher starting salary, you may be able to get an extra vacation week, for example.Take emotion out of the equation. Negotiating your starting salary can become personal. Resist the temptation to dig in your heels or become emotional or defensive. Nothing can make a positive situation (like accepting a new, exciting job) turn south faster than an intense and frustrating conversation around the IT salary. Keep the conversation professional while remaining open-minded to the hiring managers perspective and potential limitations of their flexibility. Dont let pride or inflexibility on your part prohibit you from getting the jobSet the stage for a future review. If you dont get exactly what yo u wanted in the initial salary negotiation, set the stage for a potential compensation review in the future. Maybe the offer is a bit lighter than your original expectation. Rather than dismiss it, inquire about the possibility of a time-bound review. For example, if you accept this offer, can you both agree to review your IT salary in six months and potentially increase it based on the quality of the work demonstrated throughout that time period? Get the agreement in writing.This post has been updated to reflect more current information.

Executive Resumes What Matters Most Must Appear First

Executive Resumes What Matters Most Must Appear First Executive Resumes What Matters Most Must Appear First Savvy executives dont beat around the bush. They want straight facts, fast. When it comes to their executive resumes, this same strategy must apply.Often, executive resumes are written with a text-heavy approach. Copious amounts of content with detailed work histories from the past 20 to 30 years in excruciatingly dry and dull verbiage are crammed into the file. The reason? Executives have a lot of experience and feel compelled to share it all.Yet the tactic to include everything ever done doesnt work in a modern resume. Nor does burying key facts. Recruiters want a quick read, with easy to absorb information and proof of ability and they dont want to hunt for it.To avoid smothering the audience with unrelated details and burying greatest achievements, employ these 3 simple, modern executive resume approaches1. Start Strong with Your Resume Headline and SummaryA weak resume op ening sets the stage for a weak reaction.Garner attention at the get-go by positioning your unique value-add in a strong headline and compelling summary. Leverage prime resume real estate the top 1/3 of the file to showcase why you are the candidate of choice. Be specific with who you are, what you are known for, how you can help the target company, and proof of ability. Keep content succinct and measurable so it can be easily absorbed and understood.Example of a strong resume headlinePresident and CEO Manufacturing Start-Ups and TurnaroundsPL up to $160M Global Teams of 300+ 300% Revenue Growth in 3 YearsExample of a clear headline + succinct (yet compelling) summarySenior Business Executive President OwnerPropelled Global-Reach Operations to $30M Revenue in 2 YearsEntrepreneurial leader who consistently delivers output on par with business goals. Proven success at growing revenue and profits, even within challenged economies. Built a private business with a global reach, boos ting revenue 165% in the first year alone. Steered business towards data-driven operations, implementing proactive and tangible infrastructure and high-ROI marketing and sales strategies which reversed declining revenues and solidified local market control.2. Compel the Reader to Keep Reading with Concise PointsInstead of a traditional reverse-chronological resume format, where a reader has to wade through each work experience to identify key facts, consider a combination (also known as hybrid) format and include a dedicated achievements section near the departure of the file.An achievements sections allows you to mine out top career achievements from throughout your career and position them near the forefront. Big impacts and hard results are difficult to overlook.Next, eliminate wordiness and excess details and just deliver straight facts. Lofty claims and overextended superlatives dont sell metrics do. If content near the start of the resume can capture, and keep, the hiring aut horitys attention they will be compelled to learn more and keep reading the rest of your career history. Honestly, it takes only seconds to read the following, and content is likely to stickACHIEVEMENTS SNAPSHOT20+ Years Sales Business Development Leadership10.2% Annual Sales Growth Average over 6 Years$160M Global Operations 465+ Employees46% European Business Expansion in 5 Years$1.8M Single Year Cost-Savings350% Growth to Single Customer Sales in 4 Years3. Front Load StatementsOne of the most important strategies for executive resumes is to prove your claims. The best way to backup abilities is with clear evidence measurable impacts, specific quantities, and strong metrics. To boost the value and impact of an executive resume, load it with relevant results. Even better, lead with them.Leading with results and front-loading points throughout the file generates a strong impression, eliminates guesswork, and decreases the risk of important proof being overlooked. Shorter statement s also pop off the page (as demonstrated in point 2) while totenstill offering loads of value.The difference between the two points below is discernibleWeaker, wordier statementDeveloped a product line with new features which helped decrease service by half for all end users while also increasing profits $32M over the course of three years.Succinct, front-loaded statementAdded $32M in new profit over 3 years by developing differentiated product line which decreased service time 50% for end users.Front-loaded points in a resume powerfully position strengths while spoon feeding the reader exactly what they need to know to support their decision are you the right candidate? To be selected, readers need to know you have what it takes to lead, create, generate, and be strategic all with positive business results.With these 3 strategies top of mind an executive resume can be cleared of excessive info, making personal value easy to identify and digest. Most importantly, what matters most appears first and a clear path is created to guide the reader through the resume, engaging them until the very last word.Adrienne Tom is a multi-certified, award-winning executive resume writer and job search strategist at Career Impressions. Here she partners with executives and top professionals from around the world, helping them level-up, land faster, and increase their earning power with compelling career tools.Have a couple minutes?Learn how Jobscan can help with your resume and LinkedIn profile.How to Scan a Resume with Jobscan (208)How to Scan a LinkedIn Profile with Jobscan (253)??Full text tutorialFull text tutorial

Break through digital distractions to make a real connection

Break through digital distractions to make a real connectionBreak through digital distractions to make a real connectionEver conducted a meeting only to find yourself looking at the tops of digitally distracted heads?Have you ever used your device or checked it for messages while another person spoke?Digital distractions have become the new workplace normal. Having 24/7 access to emailles, texts, and calls is considered a competitive advantage in the business world. While real-time communication is beneficial, devices pose a challenge for leaders to maintain and grow influence with clients, colleagues, and employees. Many clients express concern that technological distractions make it difficult to capture their teams attention. They also worry the overuse of digital communication creates inefficiencies as it lacks the clarity other communication methods provide. Leaders I work with recognize the challenge of growing their influence when others are too distracted to tune in to what th ey have to say.Surveys indicate two out of three people dont know how to stop others from insensitive technology use. Here are eight ways leaders can unplug from digital distractions, use it to grow their level of influence and teach employees how to disconnect from technology and plug into conversations that matter.Create a no-phone zoneFew things are as challenging to communication than the ongoing distractions of phone alerts, chirps and calls. Studies have shown people who switch back and forth between tasks, such as listening and texting, can lose up to 50% of efficiency and accuracy. Their ability to pay attention to what is being said in an accurate and clear manner becomes challenged. To combat this problem in meetings, consider creating a no-phone zone. Request phones are left behind, silenced or turned off entirely throughout meetings. Ask everyone to keep phones out of site so undivided attention can be respectfully given to the speaker or topic of discussion.Hang up the email. Pick up the phoneProfessionals are far too dependent upon email to be their source of communication. The back-and-forth dialogue of emails can be time-consuming and create mora confusion than clarity. They lack the tone needed for listeners to understand what is truly being said. Challenge yourself and employees to refrain from emails when a simple phone call would do. Implement a rule of thumb that if an email is going to require three or more exchanges to clarify a question or message, pick up the phone instead.One conversation at a timeFew things signal a lack of respect as a listener taking a phone call while someone is talking. No matter if youre in a meeting or a simple hallway conversation, taking phone calls during another conversation is off limits. Silence incoming calls while others are talking. Refrain from interrupting to take a call or send a text. If you are expecting an important call, preface the information at the beginning of the conversation so expectation s are respectfully set.Out of sight. Out of mindWhen conducting one-on-ones, hosting client luncheons or coaching employees, refrain from having your phone in sight. The mere presence of a phone creates a subconscious expectation of interruptions and distractions. It can prevent you and your listener from truly connecting in a deep, meaningful manner. Studies show the significance and depth of conversation increases substantially when smartphones were absent from sight. By keeping the phone out of sight, everyone can remain focused on conversation, verbal and non-verbal messages.Text to thank, not to talkFew things are harder to understand and easier to misinterpret than a text message. No matter how many emojis are used, text is absent of tone and vocal inflections while littered with acronyms and shorthand not everyone understands. Instead of talking to someone via text message, pick up the phone and call. The five-minute conversation could save a countless amount of time back-and -forth text messages steal. If you want to increase your influence with text messaging, use it only for meeting and appointment confirmations or to thank someone for their time.Disconnect to connectWith so many digital communication options available, its no wonder we rely on them more often than traditional means of connecting. If a leader wants to truly grow their influence and earn employee trust, its better to disconnect from devices and connect face-to-face. Get out of the office and visit employees in their workspace. Get to know your team by learning their preferred methods of communication. Learn how individual employees like to be recognized and do so accordingly.Be the exception, not the ruleIn a world where everyone is using digital devices, be the exception, not the rule. Rely on your digital devices only for research, reports and quick tasks. When it comes to conversations, leave the device at the door. Instead, use face-to-face conversations to engage with others. Util ize your active listening skills to better connect with others. Communication skills such as eye contact, posture, and body language can help you gain trust from others, build credibility and make a real connection digital devices cant.Lead by exampleIf a leader wants to improve overall team communication, they must lead by example. The notion that tone comes from the top rings true. If leaders want their employee interactions to be more meaningful, they must incorporate these rules first. When leaders choose face-to-face communication over digital methods, employees recognize the value their leader has on personalized connections. When leaders respect the time of others by ensuring devices dont cause distractions, employees will do the same. If leaders utilize active listening skills when connecting with others, employees will too.Are you ready to stop digital distractions and make a real connection? Begin by implementing these eight ideas into your workday. Encourage employees to do the same. Establish workplace ground rules and begin challenging your team to connect with each other by unplugging from devices.