Prof. Aram G. Khachatourians Mechanical Engineering Department California State University, Northridge

Transcription

1 Prof. Aram G. Khachatourians Mechanical Engineering Department California State University, Northridge

2 Today s economy requires job hunters to be more proactive, more sophisticated, and more willing to go through brick walls to get what they want. Employers no longer plan your career for you. You must look after yourself, and know what you want and how to get it. -- Kate Wendleton, Interviewing and Salary Negotiation 2

3 Actual Job Application that a 75 year old senior citizen submitted to Walmart in Arkansas Name: Kenneth Way Sex: Not lately Desired Position: Company s President or Vice President Desired Salary: $185,000 & a nice severance package Education: Yes Previous Salary: A lot less than I m worth Reason for leaving: It sucked Preferred hours: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday May we contact your current employer? If I had one, I wouldn t be here Do you have a car? I think the more appropriate question here would be: Do you have a car that runs? What would you like to be doing in five years? Living in the Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy blonde supermodel Nearest Relative:..about 7 miles Do you certify that the above is true and complete to the best of your knowledge? Oh yes, absolutely. 3

4 CSUN Slow down & learn Both technical & non-technical Develop people skills Improve your communication skills Learn how to & Enjoy making oral presentations! Network Attend Open houses / Job Fairs Join Professional Societies Prepare and take the F.E. / EIT exam 4

5 As you get closer to graduation, are you scared Or confused? Well, I was.not to mention frustrated So let s prepare for the 1 st full time job Ask yourself the following questions & write down the answers: Where? country / state / city (think cost of living, weather,.) How close to family? Do you like to drive? Large or small company (satisfaction, recognition, benefits, lay off, pay, etc..) Where do you find the perfect job? (newspaper, internet, neighbors, job fairs, professional societies, your own professors & connections) When do I put my resume together and send out? How do I prepare my resume? Research the company & position A generic resume doesn t work Include a cover letter (it won t hurt ) 5

6 The Interview.... What is an Interview? An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the interviewer to elicit facts or statements from the interviewee (source: Wikipedia) It is a Process (source: A.G. Khachatourians) Has three phases: Phase I: Before the interview Phase II: The day of the interview Phase III: After the interview Doesn t it sound like going on a date??? 6

7 Phase I Before the Interview 7

8 Things to do: Get ready for the interview.. Research the company (know history, products, current projects, on the news ) Dress professionally & be on time Expect an all day interview process (ouch..) You may have an individual or panel interview Are you nervous? That s alright here is what I would do Drive by a day or two ahead of schedule Park in the parking lot and walk around Walk in the main lobby and look around Lunch time visits are good Make a list of questions to ask 8

9 Phase II The Day of the Interview 9

10 The Do s and Don ts Be well prepared: Take additional copies of your resume Know your resume & be ready to explain/elaborate Don t BS.. It is ok to say: I don t know Don t be afraid to talk about yourself Your accomplishments even if not engineering related Show energy! Show them you are interested and want that job BAD Have good body posture & firm hand shake Make eye contact & use your voice 10

11 Typical Questions they ll ask: What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Why should I hire you? Tell me about your Senior Design Project? What was your favorite CSUN and why? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Tell me the second law of thermodynamics? What would you do if. 11

12 Have your questions ready So, Do you have any questions I can answer? Normally comes up towards the end of the interview It doesn t mean they are done with you Still being tested Always request permission to ask the first couple of questions, and then decide if you want to ask more Don t ask about time off, salary or benefits People do and that leaves a bad taste Shape your questions to the position you are applying for Watch the interviewer s body language Lack of eye contact, raised eyebrows, a smile at the wrong time, or closed positions of the hand and arms, and doodling, are not a good signal 12

13 It s Okay to be a Copycat when it comes to questions What are the company s (or department s) strengths and weaknesses? What was the last great challenge faced by the department? How did you and your team handle it? If talking to the manager or director, ask: What keeps you up at night? Can you tell me about a successful project and how you managed it? If you could change one thing about the way this department works or is structured, what would it be? How often do you and your team socialize outside of work? 13

14 Have your questions ready Write your questions down and check them off during the interview Ask permission to take notes Remember, an interview is like being on a date. Ask now and make it part of your decision making process Other typical questions: Benefits package (only from an HR rep) Work hours / flexibility Training Overtime policy Rotation program State of the company Projects or Proposals that are in work 14

15 Be a step ahead of the interviewer They may be talkative or quiet Asking open or closed ended questions Turn tables around You ask the questions Ask them to talk about themselves Their experiences What they like about their jobs Remember people like talking about themselves & they may be as nervous as you If you get them to talk, they will remember you and like you better than the other guy In closing: Thank them for their time Follow up with a thank you later..after today's meeting I m even more convinced that we are a good fit.. Have some patience 15

16 Phase III After the Interview 16

17 Here comes the offer.. What if on the same day??? Say yes.(if price is right), then finalize What if you get a phone call?? Tell them you ll think about it and get back to them Big questions are: What is the going rate??? Do you negotiate?? $$Annual $alary = f(industry) + f(location)+ f(education level) + f(gpa) + f(size of company) + f( job market) + f(# of awarded contracts) + f(attrition #) + f(desperation) 17

18 Numbers here in CA for 2012 are: With a B.S. Large Co: $58K to $65K Small Co: $50K to $60K With an M.S. Large Co: $64K to $75K Small Co: $53K to $65K So again, do you negotiate?? Depends on: What else you got going on. How bad you need a job. What is the package like!!!! 18

19 What do we mean by the package? 1. Annual Salary 2. Pension Plan (if any..) 3. Health Benefits (Yes you are young, but. happens) Medical Insurance HMO vs. PPO Deductible, Co-pay, premium Dental Insurance Vision Coverage Prescription Drug Coverage 4. Life Insurance (you & dependents) 5. Disability Insurance (40% or 60% long term) 6. Flexible Health Spending account 7. Dependent Care Spending account 8. Sick days (How many per year) 9. Vacation days (How do I accumulate them) 10. Holidays 19

20 What do we mean by the package? 1. Annual Salary 2. Health Benefits (Yes you are young, but. happens) Medical Insurance HMO vs. PPO Deductible, Co-pay, premium Dental Insurance Vision Coverage Prescription Drug Coverage 3. Life Insurance (you & dependents) 4. Disability Insurance (40% or 60% long term) 5. Flexible Health Spending account 6. Dependent Care Spending account 7. Sick days (How many per year) 8. Vacation days (How do I accumulate them) 9. Holidays 20

21 What do we mean by the package? (cont d) K Levels of contribution Matching percentage Investment choices & who managed by 11. Pension Plan (if any.) When will I be vested? Early retirement options ( Magic 85 ) 12. Flexible work hours 13. Educational reimbursement plans 14. Employee Incentive plan / Bonuses / Pay for performance 15. Overtime Policy / frequency / mandatory 21

22 Do I & How do I negotiate?? You got the package, now what? If you are happy, then: accept it, have them put it in writing, copy the offer letter and the terms before you return the original If not go into the negotiation mode: You may ask: Why should I negotiate now? Because it is the best time (they need you now!) You will have to wait an entire year for a raise Generally speaking, raises are smaller & harder later How to do it: Be nice and appreciative Be professional Be sincere Explain any difficulties, challenges, special needs Ask: Doesn t the department allocate discretionary funds for. 22

23 & Finally. Some words of wisdom: Always have an updated resume (Elmer K.) Know that as an engineer, on average you will get laid off twice in your career (Elmer K.) Know that as an engineer you won t be appreciated or paid as much as a lawyer (Aram K.) Know that you will keep on learning by teaching, so become a mentor (Aram K.) Know that the future is in your hands so make it happen 23

24 Questions? Comments? 24