Expected salary is ridiculous.

Budgeted salary…sillier still.

Just like advertised salary, unadvertised salary, and the-salary-we-hope-to-pay salary.

How do I know this?

Let’s see...

Negotiated over 600 employment agreements and salaries as an executive recruiter.

Wait. There’s more.

Of the more-than 3,000 people I’ve personally coached as an international career coach, I’ll estimate, conservatively, 25% of them needed negotiation help.

That’s…let me carry the…wait, is that grouping, carrying, or borrowing now?

Either way, roughly 750 more.

Can we agree on over 1,000 data points (even though it’s over 1,300)?

Cool.

Let’s say, for the sake of email argument, you’ll play along.

Why do we even have budgeted salaries?

Why ask about expected salaries?

Well, companies and people think this saves time.

I think it helps you miss opportunities as an employer or employee.

What should YOU do instead of focusing on these expectations when you enter an interview process as a job candidate?

Learn the 5 most important variables at play when it comes to pay…

If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings:

1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums.

2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel.

3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page.

4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook.

5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here!

--Andy

Salary negotiation is tough stuff. Let's keep this simple. Here's a breakdown of the questions I answered and exactly when I answered them. Enjoy!

00:00:41 How to fill in salary expectation in the ATS (online job application)?

00:03:10 How to answer a recruiter who keeps pushing for an expected salary number?

00:06:30 What to tell a recruiter who's asking what my rate was for a job description?

00:07:33 How to handle when the salary I'm currently making is above the range they're willing to pay?

00:14:10 I have 10 yrs experience in my field, but the salary offered is less than someone in fast food. How do I convey to the recruiter my experience is worth more?

00:18:12 What if a job has a salary range posted in the application, but you want to negotiate for more?

00:22:51 Recruiters are negotiating a lot lower salary. What should I do since I've been underpaid?

00:24:22 What's the best way to negotiate if you're coming off a layoff?

00:26:48 When companies hire you, they gain your expertise, shouldn't vacation time be commensurate with the level of position, just like salary?

00:28:21 I just passed on a job where the salary was non-negotiable

00:29:48 When considering contract vs. full-time roles vs contract-to-perm, how do you approach salary negotiation? Transfer from contingent worker to employer?

00:35:15 I interviewed for a sales job and the job that was offered is solution creation and management. How to negotiate salary?

00:39:30 How you negotiate via a recruiter who speaks for the company?

00:42:36 Can an hourly wage be negotiated?

00:45:13 I've reached out to small companies I want to help grow. When should I let them know I'm open to max pay later?

00:46:47 How to negotiate for commission and expenses?

00:50:23 What to do when offer is lower than advertised?

00:54:37 How to determine target salary to negotiate after the offer?

00:59:01 Can my Phd be used to negotiate more salary?

01:00:36 What is a reasonable amount of time to respond to an offer?

01:04:06 Should I negotiate for an entry-level job?

If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings:

1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums.

2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel.

3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page.

4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook.

5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here!

--Andy

Sometimes you (think you’ve) hit a wall.

There’s a person you’re speaking to and they just don’t want to pay you any more salary.

Before you come to my Live Office Hours show and ask me what to do, I want you to ask yourself a question…

“Can this person actually approve more compensation for me?”

Essentially, is this someone who can say “No,” but cannot say “Yes?”

If it is, don’t argue.

It’s time for something else.

Like a great prizefighter, let’s hit them with a left jab so they need some smelling salt from their trainer.

I’ll stop with the boxer jokes now because, after all, we don’t want to hurt anyone. At least not yet. Ha ha.

What you (actually) need to determine is whether they can and will run it up the flagpole so to speak.

This might be a recruiter or HR person turning to a hiring official to make a decision.

It might be the hiring officially turning to a more senior executive.

Effectively, I want you to test whether you’ll hit an actual wall or whether there’s a bit more dough stuffed in the mattress.

Listen to learn how.

If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings:

1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums.

2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel.

3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page.

4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook.

5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here!

--Andy

I’ve seen a lot of unhappy people in my day.

Some happy ones of course. Some. Not enough.

I’ll add to my pile a boat-load of indifferent people.

These round-about numbers make me sad.

If you’re indifferent or unhappy, I’d like to help you get happy.

Let’s do that in today’s talk.

That’s what today’s lesson is. A little talk.

It’s not an 8-stepper where you do this and do this and do this and then, voilà, you’re getting paid twice what you were yesterday.

It’s a heart-to-heart where I want to point out three areas (two good, one bad) that I want you to be on high-alert for when evaluating a new job.

This can be a job with a new employer.

It can be an internal transfer.

It can be a career change.

This “rule” can be universally applied.

Just make sure to only accept a new job if it meets these two requirements and you’ll likely be happy.

If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings:

1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums.

2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel.

3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page.

4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook.

5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here!

--Andy

Your resume is a marketing document, not a work history document.

Yes, you use your work history to market yourself, but 99.9% of the people I’ve encountered do it the wrong way.

In my work history, for example, I’ve helped companies earn likely billions of dollars. I’ve built project management methodologies. I’ve built enough tools for 10 lifetimes.

Do you can about any of that when it comes to helping you find your dream job?

I can create a resume that’s 100,000 words and 99,400 of them wouldn’t do anything but hide the 600 that matter—TO YOU!

It’s all my work history and I’m proud of it, but it’s not important as it relates to you and what you need at this moment so I’m not gonna waste your time with that.

Employers aren’t companies. They’re a bunch of people with personal and corporate needs.

The biggest mistake job seekers make is not obsessing over what the employer’s need and putting that information front and center for them.

They need to see the right CONTENT with the right CONTEXT in the right SEQUENCE.

This is difficult for so many reasons, but the killer is the main culprit is job seekers don’t take the time upfront to consider the employers before they consider themselves.

Lucky for you, you career mediator thinks of both of you (even if what I care about most is helping you get a great job with a great payday).

Inside today’s podcast on Resume Revolution: Resume Writing Tips and AI Tricks That Elevate Your Resume, I take a deep dive on how to:

·       Determine which information to put in your resume for max power.

·       Entice the employers to want to interview you.

·       Translate the information on your resume to interview stories.

·       Use AI (ChatGPT) to really punch up all this stuff.

It’s like the quadruple header of resume hits all wrapped up into one snazzy tutorial.

That’s why it’s a lofty 43:21.

Grab a coffee or a cocktail or whatever’s your pleasure. It’s a doozy!

If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings:

1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums.

2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel.

3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page.

4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook.

5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here!

--Andy