The Anatomy of the Counter Offer

The Anatomy of the Counter Offer The subject of the counter offer is a very highly debated topic. If you are in a job search while currently employed and in fact entertain a new offer, it is a safe assumption that your current employer will do what it takes to keep you. And while having two companies fighting over your professional services can feel flattering, it is incumbent on you to fully understand the situation and not just take the highest offer. This article is not written to persuade candidates to not take counter offers. To make that claim would assume I know every detail of every position for every candidate. And here is a secret: I don’t.  So as far as I am concerned maybe that counter offer is the best thing for you. However the point of this article is to make sure that regardless of your situation that you are making the most informed decision for your career. If you are just looking at the dollar signs and making a decision from there you are sacrificing your long-term career goals for quick results. What is a counter offer? So my attempt in this article is to break down the anatomy of what makes a counter offer. By better understanding a counter offer, it will hopefully lead to more enlightened conversations, and in turn making the best decision for your career long-term. First we need to understand that counter offers are typically made from a reactionary position and not of what is in your best interest. Meaning, a counter offer is only being made because they are reacting to keep you; whereas if they really wanted to reward you for your performance, these conversations would occur without you having to threaten to leave. So while offering you more money may seem like having your best interest in mind, what your employer is really doing is just buying your loyalty for a little longer. Are you really that cheap? Now let’s dive into the counter offer conversation itself. There are a plethora of questions to ask when the topic of a counter offer arises. If you’re not asking informed questions during that discussion, beyond “how much money can you offer”, than you are only hurting yourself. Below I highlight some of those important questions you should be asking. You just got a salary increase. Where is this money coming from? Since you are getting this money now, will you be eligible for any scheduled bonuses in the future? Why are you only receiving an increased compensation now? Why weren’t you worth this money before telling them you were leaving? With an increase in money, are there now greater responsibilities being placed on you? Are you expected to perform at a level above you even though you may not be ready? Occasionally it’s not just money, sometimes you may ask for an increased level of responsibility. Would these increased responsibilities be available if you didn’t threaten to leave? How does this affect the working relationship? Will you now be the first one let go if the company starts experiencing layoffs? Does management no longer trust you? If your employer cannot confidently answer these questions, the red flags should be waving frantically. Remember, counter offers are made from reactionary points of view, so if they are really just trying to buy your loyalty, than that’s all it is, they are just purchasing you. You aren’t necessarily looked at as an asset as much as you are holding a seat they cannot afford to be empty. If they really do not want to lose you and would like you to be a valuable member of the team, these questions should be easy to answer. And in those cases I cannot fully say the counter offer is a bad thing. There are many statistics out there about how long employees last with their employer once a counter offer is made. The majority of the time people do not last 6 months to a year after a counter offer because the trust is gone and they have already began looking for a replacement. The reasons vary on why this is the case, but the root cause is because trust is broken. So it is important that you have a well thought out conversation to determine your future rather than take whatever money is being thrown at the higher number. As I mentioned earlier this article isn’t to tell you to take the offer or not. It is merely informing you of what you need to be asking if the subject comes up. Because ultimately this is your career, which by normal standards should last a few decades, so you should not be looking at the quick fix as much as what makes sense in the long run. RELATED: How to Avoid Candidates Dropping Out or Accepting Counter Offers

Top 17 Customer Service Representative Interview Questions

Top 17 Customer Service Representative Interview Questions Top 17 Customer Service Interview Questions Interview Questions and Answers / https://www.edenscott.com/blog Interviewing for customer service jobs? Weve got you covered!Were going to look at 17 sample customer service representative interview questions, including the top behavioral customer service interview questions.These are the questions you can expect to hear in any customer service interview whether its a first phone interview or face-to-face interview.Make sure you can answer ALL 17 before going into your interview. Lets get startedSample Customer Service Representative Interview Questions1. Do you have any previous customer service experience?Not everyones great at dealing with customers, and employers want to make sure youll do a good job before they hire you.So theyre going to want to know if youve done similar work before.Theyll start by asking if you have any previous customer service experience, and if you do, then the hiring manager will ask a lot more about it.Theyre going to ask for details like:How you interacted with customers (phone, in-pe rson, etc.)How many customers you served per day/weekThe types of customers you served (retail customer service, business customers, etc.)So brush up on your past experience and review your own resume when preparing for your interviews.Be ready to go into detail about everything youve done in the past in the field of customer service.If you dont have any previous customer service experience, dont worry. They obviously liked SOMETHING on your resume or they wouldnt have invited you to interview.So you can be direct and say, no.Or if you have some other experience you think is relevant even if it wasnt exactly customer service, you can say, no but and then talk about what else youve done and why you feel itd help you succeed in this customer service job.2. What does good customer service mean to you?Next, the interviewer is going to want to see if you have a basic understanding of the purpose of customer service.This is a tough interview question because its so open-ended.Id recommend saying something like, To me, great customer service is going above and beyond what a customer expects to make sure they have an outstanding experience and want to tell friends about how positive their interaction with our company was.Its important to show that you know your job involves making sure customers are happy with the company, not just you as a person.Youll notice a lot of customer service surveys say, From 1-10, how likely are you to recommend the company to a friend?And thats how they evaluate their customer service representatives.Theyre not asking customers, Was Jake a nice guy when he helped you?Theyre asking whether youd recommend the company. So thats what your job really is as a customer service representative to help customers and give them a positive impression of the company overall.3. What motivates you in your career?Employers want to know what motivates you and keeps you going aside from money especially when you interview for a difficult/stressful job like customer service representative positions.These jobs are DEFINITELY stressful at times.So employers want to make sure theres something that will motivate you and keep you going when a day gets difficult.Dont say money when you answer this question.They want to know whats going to keep you motivated besides the paycheck.Thats what hiring managers are curious about this when they ask this question in a customer service representative interview.Heres some further reading on answering the what motivates you interview question.4. What are your career goals/Where do you see yourself in 2-5 years?Most people dont dream of being in customer service and dont want to stay there forever.So employers are probably going to ask about your long-term goals in a customer service representative interview.You dont need to lie and say this is your dream jobYou just want to show that this customer service representative position fits into your overall goals, even if its not where you want to be forever .For example, do you want to become a manager? Learning the ins and outs of customer service can boost your people skills and help you learn about a vital part of the organization.Want to work in sales eventually? You can say that you hope to build A+ interpersonal skills and communication skills, and you thought customer service was a great place to build that foundation.Thats the basic idea when answering this interview question.Further reading:Answers for what is your dream job?Answers for where do you see yourself in 2-5 years?Must-Know Behavioral Customer Service Interview QuestionsNext, youll want to prepare for behavioral questions. These are questions that start with phrases like, tell me about a time you had to ___.Behavioral questions are very common for customer service representative jobs.Employers want to make sure you can handle difficult situations with customers BEFORE they hire you.They also want to make sure you wont do anything to harm the companys reputation, lik e yelling at a customer, walking out, etc.Here are some sample behavioral interview questions to make sure youre ready to answer for any customer service job:5. Tell me about a difficult customer you had to deal with and how you handled it?For answering behavioral interview questions, I like the S.T.A.R. method.Situation. Task/Challenge. Action you took. Result.Thats a good way to organize your answer.So when youre in a customer service job interview and they ask about a difficult customer you encountered, you could say:It was Friday afternoon and we were about to close the store. (Situation)A customer came to me extremely unhappy because __ (Task/Challenge)So I quickly did ___ and decided to offer her ___ to rectify the situation (Action you took)She was very grateful and completely understood after I explained ___. And she was thrilled that I was able to give her ___ as compensation for her hassle. She said shed be back soon to shop again. (Result).Id recommend using this method t o break down your answer into smaller pieces and tell clearer and better stories.This is useful for any behavioral customer service interview question.6. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond what was expected to please a customer?Employers dont just want someone who does the bare minimum or sticks to their exact job description as a customer service representative.So they ask behavioral questions like this one to see if youre able to really please customers and go above and beyond the basics.If you have any previous customer service experience, be ready to go into detail about a time you got creative or put in the extra effort to please a customer.For example, if you worked in a grocery store, what was something you did that they really didnt expect, and made their day?Maybe you helped them find their lost child as the store was closing.Maybe you special-ordered a product that you dont normally carry.Think about those things that arent on the job description. Thats what to talk about when answering this interview question.If youve never worked in a customer service role before, they might ask a similar question like, tell me about a time you went above and beyond what was expected of you at work?So even if youve never worked in customer service, be ready to talk about a situation where you did more than what was expected in your job.7. Tell me about a difficult day you experienced at work. What happened and how did you handle it?Youre going to have difficult days as a customer service representative.So employers want to know that youre resilient and can handle it.They want to know that you wont freak out, throw your uniform and quit.So show them you know its not always easy being in customer service, but that youre able to stay professional and come back the next day no matter what happens.Use the S.T.A.R. method (mentioned earlier!) to tell a clear story about a day that really didnt go your way, and what you learned from it and how you turned it in to a positive experience.What were you able to improve from that experience?How did you make sure the customer was satisfied?How did that experience help you avoid problems/mistakes/difficult situations later in your career?Thats the general approach Id take when answering this type of question in your customer service interview.8. “Give me an example of a time when you had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated client or coworker. How did you make sure they understood you?”Communicate skills are vital for any customer-facing job, so employers want to see how you explain yourself and communicate.Theyll judge this throughout the interview with EVERY answer you give them, too.So make sure all of your answers are clear, concise, and to-the-point.9.“Tell me about a time you thought you communicated clearly but were misunderstood. What happened and how did you handle the situation?”This is another customer service interview question designed to measure your communica tion skills and your ability to recover when things dont go exactly as planned.Theyre looking to hear a story showing your ability to solve a problem/issue after your first attempt to communicate didnt go so well.If you work in customer service long enough, youll be misunderstood once or twice. (No matter how great you are).So the hiring manager or interviewer wants to see you can keep your cool and recover even if a customer totally misunderstands you and gets upset.10. “Describe an instance when you had to improvise or think on your feet to solve a problem”Another part of being great at customer service is solving problems and improvising on the spot.Sometimes the unexpected happens.A power outage.An injury to a customer (if youre in retail, etc.)So try to use the S.T.A.R. method that we discussed earlier to tell a story of how you improvised in the past to find a solution to an unexpected problem.7 More Sample Behavioral Customer Service Interview QuestionsWeve looked at 10 o f the most common questions youll hear in a customer service interview now.There are 7 other behavioral interview questions that youre very likely to hear, too, though.So Im going to leave you with those as well.Answers to all of these are in our Complete Guide To Job Interview Answers.11. “Tell me about a time you were under a lot of stress at work and how you dealt with it”12. “Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work, what happened?”13. “When you’re working with a large number of customers, it’s tricky to deliver excellent service to all of them. How do you go about prioritizing your customers’ needs?”14. “Describe a time when you had to interact with a difficult client. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?”15. “Tell me about a time a customer was pleased with your service”16. “Give me an example where you did not meet a client’s expectations. What happened and how did you attempt to fix the situation?”17. “Describe a time wh en it was especially important to make a good impression on a client. How did you approach things?”Word-for-word answers and detailed explanations of EXACTLY what the hiring manager is looking for can be found in our Complete Guide To Job Interview Answers.If you follow the advice above and practice these common customer service job interview questions, youll be better prepared than most candidates, and youll give yourself a great shot at getting the job offer!If you want more help succeeding in your interviews, here are two additional free resources to check out:The top 14 must-know interview questions and answersHow to send thank you notes/emails after your interview

How to Make a Career Change Late in Life

How to Make a Career Change Late in Life You spend the majority of your waking hours at work. So you want to feel good about your job on some level. Maybe you enjoy the tasks you perform, or really like the people you work with. You might even feel like youre making a contribution to the world every day. But there may  come a time when you decide to search for something entirely different. And maybe youll be 40+ years old when you do it. Making a career change can be challenging. But its even more challenging to attempt such a move later in life. Here are some tips to consider: Make Sure You Know Why There are many reasons why you might consider a career change. But before quitting your job, you must identify why youre craving such a change. If you dont make the effort to analyze why you are dissatisfied with your current situation, a career change might not actually be the answer that you’re looking for. First, try to pinpoint what you find unacceptable about your current job. Things like: “All I do is sit in a cubicle all day. My job is mind numbingly boring.” Boredom and annoyance with your job is a prime motivator for considering a career change. “What do you mean the paper is closing?” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of reporter jobs available is likely to decline by 6% by 2020. That’s 3,200 jobs that will be lost in the next 7 years. If you fear that you will eventually be one of those 3,200 people that will lose their jobs, or are in another field with declining employment, you might consider a career change. “This job is killing my body.” Some professions involve hard manual labor that could cause injuries that linger. Some workers may be forced to change professions because they were injured, or choose to change professions because they fear that they will be injured in the future. Research Your Options Research your options before making any moves that will significantly impact your quality of life. You can check the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the starting salary, the minimum level of education required, and the job outlook. Be prepared to fight for a job in your new career, although picking the right battles can streamline your job search significantly. Conquering Age Bias in a Career Change Age bias is a reality that can prevent you from effectively making a career change. While age bias is illegal, you might have a hard time proving that your interviewer decided not to hire you due to your age. Prepare for the fact that a potential employer might be a bit age biased in some cases they dont even realize they are. It can be helpful to position your age as a benefit rather than a limitation.  Make it clear that you bring experience and wisdom to the table. The cliché states:  You can’t teach old dogs new tricks. It presumes that as you age, your ability to learn new skills decreases. When entering a new career, the ability to learn new skills is paramount. Employers that fear you are incapable of acquiring new skills might pass you over for less qualified, younger workers. With a few steps, you can prove to future employers that your mind is just as sharp as it ever was. Attend a technical school or college before pursuing your new career. Acquiring an information technology degree can be a feat for certain fields that will make it very clear to your interviewer that you are still capable of learning. Be exuberant and excited about your potential new job at the interview. Employees that demonstrate enthusiasm are often considered harder workers. While you may have a few years more behind you, there’s no reason you can’t demonstrate some youthful spirit. Technologically Challenged We’ve all seen it: older individuals who do not know how to search the internet or even start their computer. Unfortunately, they make it harder for the skilled folks in their same age range. If you are within the 40 to 80 range, you might be dealing with employers that believe that you are incapable of using modern technology. No matter what field you’re pursuing employment, it can help to show that you’re as tech-savvy as any twenty-something. In order to turn this bias on its head, you can: • Create an online portfolio with a resume using WordPress or Blogger. Put the URL to your online portfolio in your resume. • List your computer and software skills. If you only have  basic skills, you might want to spend a few weeks taking online tutorials to boost your abilities. The key to successfully changing careers is to research, conquer any potential age biases, and make use of skills   experience from your former profession. It can be challenging, but with careful planning, you can successfully change careers, even later in life. About the Author: Kate Gredley is an elementary school teacher who made a career change from a retail environment long after her friends found their dream jobs. She currently writes to promote Globe University’s programs.

10 CV Mistakes That Put Employers Off Your Candidates

10 CV Mistakes That Put Employers Off Your Candidates If your candidate is applying for new opportunities, you need to see off their competition and show that they are the best person for the job. This starts with their CV. Their CV is generally the first opportunity they get to make a great impression and to sell their skills and experience. If it doesn’t make an impact, you won’t secure that all-important interview for them. One key thing that many job seekers neglect to think about when preparing their CV is what the client  for each particular role wants to see. It’s easy to fire out a generic CV for every job, however tweaking their personal profile and tailoring their skills will significantly improve their chances. How can you get them to think like you? Well, CV-Library have conducted some new research that will help them. Having spoken to 200 recruiters about their biggest pet peeves, they can now reveal exactly what is putting them off their candidates CV. Use this handy checklist for your candidates to check their CVs. 1. Spelling mistakes This one is obvious, right? Well it’s a recruiters biggest pet peeve and you would be surprised by just how many CVs do have spelling and grammatical errors. Spelling mistakes are easy to fix, just ensure that your candidate proofreads their CV a few times and ask friends and family to check it too. It would be a real shame if avoidable mistakes cost them an interview. 2. Being massively under-qualified If they don’t have some of the essential job requirements, tell them not to apply. It’s a waste of your time and it’s a waste of their  time. 3. Lists of unrelated skills The skills your candidate talks about on their CV should always be relevant to the role they are applying for. This is where tailoring comes in. For every role you should ensure your candidates are highlighting the skills it requires and remove any completely irrelevant skills or experience. 4. Too many jobs over a short time period If your candidate has changed roles a lot, clients will suspect they’re just a job hopper. Their record suggests that they will shortly leave this role as well which may prevent them from being considered. 5. More than 2 pages Your candidates CV should never need to be longer than 2 pages and long CVs are a big no-no. 6. Your picture What your candidate looks like does not reflect their skills or how well they can do a role (unless they’re a model). 7. Buzzwords Many job seekers use a lot of jargon and big words in an effort to sound professional. However, it’s important to remember that what you want to know is what they’ve done previously and what they will bring to your next role. Tell your candidates not to over-do it. 8. A CV that is ‘too creative’ Jazzy fonts, unusual layouts and lots of images is unlikely to impress you. If your candidate is going for a creative role, then they may want their CV to be more creative however its best they don’t do it at the cost of readability. Having a CV that is clear, concise and easy to read is always their best bet. 9. No cover letter when one is requested Not submitting a cover letter when one is required may suggest that they are lazy, don’t care about the opportunity or have poor attention to detail. These are all damaging to their application, so tell them not to  cut corners and be sure they submit a cover letter that will boost their application. 10. No social media presence It’s general practice now for you to look candidates up online before progressing them to the next stage. While they will want to ensure their personal social media accounts are private, a completed, professional LinkedIn profile will help their application. Why not tell them to include a link to their profile on their CV? This infographic by careerexperts.co.uk  shows you what percentage of recruiters were put off by the 10 areas discussed above. If they can keep these areas in check, they’ll be inundated with interview invitations in no time! About the author: Jennifer Tait is a Digital Marketer at Career Experts, a career site that exists to propel and support professionals on their path for career success.

Useful Tips to Get a Better Resume

Useful Tips to Get a Better ResumeThe resume writing services offered by some companies in the industry of professional services are in demand. It is understandable that many people in a hurry to want to make a mark in their career. However, before you will be a better candidate for a particular job, it is essential to ensure that your resume is good enough to attract the attention of potential employers.With job search for recent graduates on the rise, many people have turned to professional services to provide assistance to candidates who need to generate better resumes. It is also necessary to submit a resume that includes all the essential information about yourself in the professional area. The resume for professionals is the one that should contain all the details related to your profession, the different areas that you have worked in, and all your achievements in this line.There are many companies that are currently offering professional resume writing services in the communit y. These companies are known to help candidates prepare effective resumes. These companies understand that every organization needs to be constantly updated with the latest developments regarding career opportunities.When you are preparing a resume, you must keep in mind numerous technical aspects of the job. All the details mentioned on your resume must be accurate and should be capable of attracting the attention of the prospective employer. The company that you are working with must be able to handle the procedure that you will follow during the submission of your resume. You must understand that no company can give you the services if they do not have the necessary infrastructure and capacity to handle the entire process.Resume writing services is an advantageous service. The main reason why companies are offering resume writing services is that they can be trusted to offer you excellent professional services. After all, as a job seeker, you should be in need of professional ser vices that can save you from having more important matters than the necessary details being considered by you.Resume writing services is beneficial to a person since it keeps him or her away from performing even the most basic functions related to the requirements of the job. This is especially true when there are several applicants from the same company seeking employment in the same position. The resume writing services companies can resolve this problem and provide you with the best resume that you can present.The company can provide you with the best professional resume that can help you land a job of your choice. This is why the resume writing services companies need to ensure that the information provided by you is convincing enough to receive an interview call. It is necessary that you have the expertise in the chosen career field to make the employers believe that your skills and knowledge match the requirement of the job.Resume writing services companies have put together t he resume building workshops. You can get these workshops from these companies online. These workshops can be very helpful to candidates who need help in compiling the most essential details about themselves for the resume writing services that are offered.

Three Steps to Take Once Youve Landed Your New Job

Three Steps to Take Once Youve Landed Your New Job You may not believe it, but people are landing jobs right now. You know how difficult it is to secure a position. What will you do to ensure you keep your new job? It isnt as easy as just showing up on time and doing your job well. Step One Figure out who you want to be. Youhave a clean slate. Consider how you want to be perceived by your new manager, co-workers and support staff. What is the brand you want to bring into this new organization? Step Two Before you begin your new assignment, you will want to consider what your 30-60-90 day plan is for assimilating into your new role. This plan is not about performance goals, it is about your interpersonal and emotional IQ strategy. Develop lists of questions new need answered in order to be successful in your new role.Ask yourself aboutthe who, what, where, when, why of the job. How will you get answers to the questions you cannot yet answer? Step Three Develop your strategy for continuing to manage your career. Update your marketing plan. Identify professional development opportunities in and outside of your new company. Create time in your new schedule to continue to network. How will you keep in touch with all the people youve met over the past several months? How will you meet new people associated with your new role inside and outside your new company? What professional associations will you join? If you want more information on this topic, check out these links: Want to know the truth about your next job? Starting A New Job? Remember These Things HelpMy New Job Is Stressing Me Out, from 6 Figure Career Management Should You Make Waves at Work?,from Keppie Careers http://www.fistfuloftalent.com/2009/05/why-starting-a-new-job-can-really-suck.html , from Fistful of Talent

Coping with war - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Coping with war - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Ive been wondering how to deal with the situation in Iraq on a personal level. Were living in a world which is now at war ? how do we cope with that? How stressed should we feel? How much do we need to hate Saddam or Bush and his people? How much CNN should we watch ? or not watch? The war is here. We may never know the the Bush administrations true motivations. Many people may die. What should we feel about that? Do we shake our heads at the TV news? Should we hate and despise the people we think have caused it? Should we feel sad at the thought of what this war might do to the world? The important thing is this: You are not powerless. Theres something you can do. We as individuals are not responsible for what is happening in Iraq. But we are responsible for how we react to it, and for how we allow it to affect our lives. Its a paradox, that no matter how terrible the state of the world is, it remains important for you to take care of yourself. You may be a small piece in the geopolitical game, but youre important to yourself and those around you. One of the ways to do this is simple but difficult: Try, no matter how unpleasent or strange it may seem right now, to think the thought: ?The world is exactly as it should be?. Let go of the idea that the world should be anything other than what it is right now. Not because you should give up. Not to stick your head in the sand and avoid it. And not because it doesnt pay to work for change ? quite the contrary. But the position you find yourself in when your angered and sadddened by the state of the world is a weaker position. If you spend a lot of energy being angry and sad, you have less energy left for actual action. And when you act out of anger and sadness, your overview suffers, and your judgement isnt at its best. It gives you strength to accept the now precisely as it is, even in the face of war. In that way you take care of yourself. It puts you in the best position to do something about it. And when you act out of a deep, unconditional acceptance of the world as it looks right now, theres a much bigger chance that it will work. So deal with the war in a way that still allows you to live your life and to care for those who care for you. And do something about it. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related