Something attracted you. At this point, it doesn’t even matter what lit the initial spark. Maybe you just liked the tone of the job posting, or maybe you decided to apply because you were impressed with the company’s reputation and thought that joining the team would open new doors for you. Maybe you’re desperate to leave your current position, so you’ve been applying for any and every reasonable job that crosses your radar. But no matter how it began, the wheels are in motion and a new job is coming your way.

As long as the job application process continues, you can move forward without any real hesitation. The ball stays in the employer’s court, and any red flags you notice, like a long commute or a socially awkward interviewer, can be ignored or pushed to the side for the time being. “I’ll just get the job offer first,” you say to yourself. “Then I’ll worry about what to do next. One thing at a time.”

Well, here’s the job offer. So…should you accept? Ask yourself these ten questions first. If you answer yes to all of them, go for it! If you answer no for more than three, tread carefully. And if you answer no for more than five, run away. 

Ten Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Accept a Job Offer

1. 
Was the job application process easy and steadily paced? If your phone calls were answered, your emails received and confirmed, and your interview scheduled, conducted, and evaluated within two weeks, that’s great. If you were ignored, put off, or left waiting by a silent phone, think twice.

2. 
Was your interviewer competent and respectful? In other words, did he seem to have a strong understanding of the business? Had he read your resume before speaking to you? Were his questions thoughtful and relevant? 

3. 
Will your commute be manageable?

4. 
Will your housing situation have to change, and if so, are you prepared and willing to move?

5. 
Will this job cause minimal change or disruption for your family?

6. 
Will the job provide your non-negotiable benefits, like health insurance or flexible hours?

7. 
Will the job provide any of your more negotiable benefits, like an onsite gym? 

8. 
Can you live comfortably and save something for retirement on this salary?

9. 
Do you fully support and believe in what the company does? In other words, would you be proud to work here?

10. 
Will the new job move your career forward? Does it offer in-house room for growth and does it align with your long term goals? 

If you answered no to several of these questions and you accept the job offer anyway, don’t expect miracles to save you from a bad decision. But at the same time, have a sense of adventure and factor in the cost of saying no to a potentially interesting new experience. In either case, you’ll eventually have to roll the dice. So do it with courage! And have faith. For more help with the job search process, reach out to RPC. We can help you make sure you’ve considered every detail before you make this important decision.

We’ve all been told that fearless communication is vital to the job search process. Everybody’s busy, everybody’s attention is divided, and the best way to get people to reach out to us is by reaching out to them. Right? Right. But following up on a job interview or application can be a delicate process. So how can you make contact without ruffling feathers? Here are a few considerations.

How the Follow -Up Works: Best and Worst Case Scenarios

Under the best of circumstances, you’ve submitted your application, you’ve waited a week, and you haven’t heard a word. The hiring manager has been harassed by multiple responsibilities and she’s been avoiding the pile of resumes building up on her desk. When you call and state your name, this happens:

You: I haven’t heard from you, but I just wanted to reiterated that my skills are perfectly suited to the….

Her: What did you say your name was? I’m looking for your paperwork now. Oh, here it is. Great. Come in Tuesday and we’ll talk about the job. See you then.

In the worst case, the position was staffed before you even applied, and if you call and begin a rant about your qualifications, the hiring manager will remember nothing about you but your impertinence. You’ll have wasted your time, wasted hers, and embarrassed yourself. She’ll be so annoyed that she’ll curse your name and blacklist you throughout the industry.

But the truth is, the second scenario doesn’t really happen. So just in case, it’s a good idea to drop your inhibitions and pick up the phone.

Following Up: What Not to Do

After submitting an application, wait for one to two weeks. After a job interview, wait for one week. Don’t jump the gun and call too soon. The reason: general courtesy allows for one follow-up call. Don’t waste your call before the hiring manager has had a chance to process your information and review it with her team.

When you make your follow-up call, don’t babble, wheedle, or bore. Keep your call short and confident. Know what you plan to say beforehand and be ready to deliver a brief reminder of your key qualifications. Start and end the conversation smoothly. Smile as you speak, even if your listener can’t see you.

If you gather your courage and pick up the phone with your speech at the ready and you get sent to voicemail, don’t panic. Hang up, decide what you’d like to say in the message, and then call back. This does not count as your one permissible follow-up; you’re also allowed one voice message. The same applies to messages left with receptionists or assistants.

If you follow up and don’t hear back for another two weeks, all bets are off. From this point forward you can feel free to call as many times as you like. But before you begin a relentless barrage, ask yourself: Do you really want this job? Think carefully before you rush into a working relationship with a company that disrespects you or undervalues your time. It might wise to take this silence as a sign and move on.

For additional help and guidance with the job search process, contact the staffing experts at RPC.

As the economy struggles to recover, technology evolves at an unprecedented pace, and old fashioned job security gives way to a streamlined modern workforce, employees are becoming increasingly independent and self-sustaining. Welcome to the 21st century and the rise of the Gig Economy. In this new age, many of us are doing what we have to do to pay the bills and keep our skills sharp, either between or instead of full time, long term positions with a single employer. 

If you’re joining the growing ranks of full time freelancers, short-term contract workers, and others who divide their time between multiple jobs and employers, you’re certainly not alone. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind as you make the most of your divided daily labors.

Mulitple Jobs: Stay Focused on Long Term Goals

As a full time free agent, it can be easy to get drawn into the minutiae of daily tasks and lose sight of the big picture. Yes, you’ll need to keep hustling throughout the day, and with no guarantee of what the future might bring, you’ll probably feel a strong need to focus on the moment and accept any and every job, no matter how relevant it may be to your long term plans. You may even start to forget that you have a long term plan.

Try not to do this. Stay calm and summon the courage to be selective about the work you pursue. Maintain sight of where you’d like to be in three, five, and seven years, and try not to be distracted by work that draws you away from that vision.

Protect Yourself: Rely on Contracts and Clear Communication

Complete independence often means reduced control over the flow of money into your account. When you freelance full time, you need to become your own bill collector, and that means getting tough and serious about legal contracts, late fees, and other terms of your employment. Do you have a protocol in place for employers who skip out on bills, drag their feet, or write bad checks? Written upfront contracts can help. Clear communication can also prevent problems. And so can experience. If you’re stiffed on a bill, learn as much as you can from the episode and use that knowledge as you engage with future clients. Were there any red flags, for example, that you should have noticed before accepting the work?

Organize Your Finances Carefully

When employers withdraw nothing from your payments, you’re left on your own to manage your tax calculations. You may not think you can afford a personal accountant, but a good accountant can be an invaluable resource and may be less expensive then you realize. Meanwhile, save at least forty percent of every payment and stash it away for tax purposes. And stay current on your quarterly tax payments so you don’t have to hand over an entire year’s worth of state, federal and local income taxes on April 15th.

For more advice on handling the demands of multiple jobs, contact the employment experts at RPC.

When you’re called in for an interview, there are a few questions that you’re likely to be asked regardless of the industry, the position, or the contents of your application. These universal questions should be expected no matter what. But some employers also like to round out the interview process with additional questions designed to assess how your behavior and personal decisions might affect your success with the position at hand. How you respond to behavioral questions may reveal how well you’ll fit in and get along with your team.

Universal Questions

Wise hiring mangers know that some interview questions are indispensable. If you’re adequately prepared for your interview, then you’re ready to respond to universal inquiries like these:

What can you tell me about your background in this field?
Why have you applied for this specific job?
Where would you like your career to take you within the next five years?
This job may involve (insert specific challenge). Are you prepared to handle this on a daily basis?

Behavioral Questions

While the questions above are straightforward, rarely will an interviewer come right out and say something like “We need a follower for this job, not a leader” or “This job is not social. We need someone who can handle long periods of solitude.” Instead, he or she may simply ask you how well you handle extended alone time, or how eager you are to take orders. When you encounter behavioral questions like the following, answer openly and honestly, but listen carefully and read between the lines, since these questions may provide some additional information about the job and the company. At the very least, behavioral questions can help you understand what might later be expected of you.

Tell me about a moment at work when you were asked to do something that went against your beliefs. How did you resolve this conflict?

Describe the worst interpersonal disagreement you’ve ever faced in the workplace. How did you overcome this challenge?

Have you ever worked with a team that failed to meet its budget goals or deadlines? How did this happen and how was the issue resolved?

When you’re asked to complete a task but not given all of the resources you need to do so, how do you typically respond? Explain using an example.

Describe a time when you were faced with an overarching goal, but no clear instructions or guidance as to its execution.

These are just a few examples of common behavioral questions. For a longer list of typical questions, additional job search help, or more interview preparation tips, contact the experts at RPC.

When most of us think of the word “internship”, we envision a short-term program for college or high school students with mutual benefits for both the student and the organization that sponsors her. The most productive internships are those in which everybody wins.

For the student, great internships offer exposure to a real-life, real-time workplace in a chosen field. Ideally, interns use the opportunity to replace their preconceived ideas about an industry with a glimpse of the real deal and a sense of how all the pieces of a business fit together. In the meantime, they can pick up a few simple skills and gain connections that can help them land a full time job down the road.

Companies profit through internships as well, since connecting with promising students can give a company the advantage in a later competition for talent. The more appealing the internship seems, the more talented students will be willing to line up for the opportunity. The more talented students line up, the better pickings the company will have later, as long as the interns leave with positive feelings about the experience.

But can an internship benefit a mid-career adult? Can adults gain just as much from a summer of illusion-busting and connection-building in exchange for little or no compensation? The answer depends on a few factors. Pursue an adult internship if you fit any of these descriptors:

You know how to navigate the delicate subject of money.

Internships are typically unpaid gigs. So if the experience, exposure and contacts you’ll gain are worth the time you’re ready to spend away from your family, volunteer work, classes, or job search, then go for it. Working for free is fine if you aren’t making any painful sacrifices. If you are, reconsider.

You’re comfortable with the expectations placed upon you.

Full time employees often aren’t sure what to make of interns, how to manage them, or what tasks to place upon them. This confusion is common and reasonable, but as an unpaid intern, you’re responsible for your own experience. If expectations become awkward or communication problems creep into your day, sit with your “boss” or coordinator to discuss the situation.  

You’re ready to control your own destiny.

This means not waiting to be told what to do. Ask for specific tasks and introductions. If you’ve been told to file reports all afternoon, but you’d rather gain some experience over in the marketing department, don’t sit there suffering in mute obedience. Speak up, reach out, and get what you need.  

You know what you want from the next chapter of your life.

Internships are great opportunities for soul searching, but only if you know what you’re searching for. Ask questions like these before you commit to an internship: Do I want to learn something specific about this field? Which specific job in this field would I like to learn more about? Am I in this for the contacts alone, and if so, is there a more effective way to gain those contacts?

To find out more about the adult internship process or to find an adult internship that meets your needs, contact RPC today.

In many ways, the practice of networking is a lot like fire. Under controlled circumstances, it can be life-giving and life-saving. It holds civilization together and we’ve relied on it since paleolithic times. But just like fire, the act of deliberate networking can easily slide out of our control and become a destructive force.

Real, effective networking happens every day in unstructured environments. It happens at parties and baby showers, on long plane rides, and every time one person politely holds an elevator open for another. When people know each other, they tend to help each other move forward. And the most beneficial connections are best forged in natural social settings.

And yet, twisting every friendly encounter into a networking event, as we’ve all seen, can backfire. Socially awkward behavior tends to run counter to effective contact-building. So how can we tame this miracle of human nature and bend it to our advantage without letting it harm us? Here are a few helpful tips.

On the outside, settle down.

There’s a correlation between social magnetism and calm. Those who fluster easily are hard to predict and hard to get close to. So don’t be overwhelmed by the stakes. Never scramble, raise your voice, or lose sight of your dignity. Don’t give in to desperation or neediness. Enjoy the party. Relax.

On the inside, wake up.

Settle down during social events, but don’t tune out. On the inside, keep moving and stay sharp. Remember names using whatever pneumonic device you prefer, and keep your ears open. Pay attention to who knows who. Most important, stay alert to what people want and need. The best way to get someone to help you is by helping her first, so listen closely, and when you have something to offer, offer it. Follow through.

Get moving and don’t overthink.

People often miss networking opportunities because they fail to pick up the phone and actively reach out. There’s a reason why we don’t do this: It’s scary. Cold calling is intrusive, rude and wrong. But it’s also welcome, flattering, and enjoyable. You can either drive yourself mad trying to reconcile these two truths, or you can stop overthinking, put a pin in your shyness, pick up the phone, and act. 

Show up.

A certain social event might sound dreadful in every way, but if you’ve been invited, go. You never know what might happen. Life is full of adventure and opportunity. 

Forgive yourself.

So you said something dumb. It’s not the end of the world. If your remarks were truly hurtful or thoughtless, apologize and make things right. But if you just told a lame joke, bounce back. Don’t let it undermine your confidence. For additional tips on networking, building contacts, and making the most of social events, contact the experts at RPC.

Welcome to the second decade of our new century: Another year in the age of the internet, a dark year for the job market, and a booming, teeming, untamed world of opportunity for independent spirits of all kinds. This is the Gig Economy, and it’s our new normal. If you have a skill, it’s time to stop waiting for an established institution to recognize and hire you. Instead, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get out there on your own.

For both professional and hobbyist programmers, this means taking advantage of open sourcing to build your skills, carve out a place for yourself, and gain some recognition for your talents. So what’s the best way to involve yourself in an existing open source project? Here are a few simple tips to help you get a foot in the door and add some new skills to your resume.

The Direct Approach

If you find an open source project that peaks your interest, you can always simply contact the hosting service to locate the project administrator, and then send a message to the administrator asking to join. If the administrator approves, the host can provide you with all the rights and privileges you need to gain access to the code and start contributing to the project.

The Indirect Approach

Since administrators are sometimes reluctant to provide access to strangers, you can also take a more indirect approach by first investigating and joining the community. Who are the members of this group? What do they like to talk about and where do they spend their time? Visit blogs, read comment threads, and gain a feel for the existing discourse before you leap in with your own contributions.

Once you have a strong understanding of what’s going on within the project, download the code and take a closer look at how it’s written. See if you can find a bug to fix or an improvement to make, and tackle the problem to increase your understanding of the code. Once you’re satisfied with your change, you can then make contact and show it to the administrator. It may be easier to find welcome if you take the indirect route, but many open source communities are flexible by nature and encourage outside input.

For more guidance on building your programming skills (also your writing skills, digital marketing skills, web development skills, and any other skills that can serve you well in the age of independence), contact RPC and talk to our career management experts.

Securing a job offer in another state can be a great step for your career, and it may be easier than you expect if you make the right moves. But remember that the challenges of the long-distance job hunt are two-fold: You want to convince distant employers to invest in you, and you want to have all the facts you need before you invest in them.

On the employer’s side, long distance candidates can be a risk. Hiring you means bypassing other candidates who already have roots in the area and don’t have to be flown in for an interview. Local candidates are also less likely to experience changes of heart after an expensive hiring, training or relocation investment. So you’ll have to outshine the locals, and you’ll also have to convey a strong sense of dedication and a willingness to uproot your life for the company.

For your part, you’ll need to make sure you’re ready to follow through on a long distance job offer. Make sure you only apply for jobs in cities where you can see yourself living, and make sure you know what you’ll be getting in return for your sacrifices and moving expenses. Think a few moves ahead. Envision yourself living in this place and working at this job a year or two down the road and make sure you like what you see.

Polish Your Long Distance Job Search Skills

Employers who consider bringing you in from across the country, no matter the position or industry, will be looking for high levels of commitment and dedication. No employer wants to hire someone who will disappear again in a few months. And no employer wants to extend a job offer to a candidate who will probably turn it down. Make sure you know that this position is the one for you. Then polish up your long-distance interview skills. Work on your phone voice. Remember to smile and stand up during a phone interview, even if the interviewer can’t see you. And remember that you don’t have the advantage of facial expressions and gestures. Your persona will need to shine through via your voice alone. Get some professional training from a local staffing company if you need to.

Have a Strong Understanding of Both Your Needs and Your Limits

If you get the job offer, will you take it? Do you have a plan in place for your pets, your spouse, and your other current commitments? Are you ready to make new friends and go through the process of finding a new home? Are you ready to face adventure and the unknown? A long distance move is a big deal, no matter how many times you’ve done it before. Make sure you’re ready to get the most out of your experience. For help and guidance with the job search process, both local and global, contact the experts at RPC.

You’ve been on the job market for a while now, and it looks like you may need to turn to a temporary staffing agency to hold you over while you search for a permanent position better tailored to your experience and skills. You’re not alone. Temporary positions provide an excellent way for you to stay in motion, but while you work with a temporary staffing agency, you remain free from long term commitments to positions that may not align with your career goals. The temporary staffing model works for everyone: Employers gain qualified short term help with temporary projects, and job seekers stay connected and maintain forward momentum while continuing to search for permanent placement.

Can a temporary position lead to something permanent and stable? If this is what you want, then yes! But you’ll have to take the necessary steps to make it happen.

First, make sure your staffing agency contact knows what you’re looking for. Keep the lines of communication open, and make sure that both the staffing agency and your temporary employers understand what you want and have a sense of your qualifications. The best way to turn a temporary placement into a full time position is to find the right temporary position in the first place.

Second, once your short term employer knows that you have long term intentions, make the most of every opportunity to shine. Doing the job well is a given. Of course you’ll want to show up on time, follow through on your tasks, and maintain a professional persona. But if you want to make a temporary position permanent, there are additional steps you can take, some of which may not be so obvious.

Talk to people. Be friendly and engaging. In other words, make connections and establish roots in your temporary workplace. Gain advocates, make friends, and make sure your coworkers know who you are. If you want to stay, don’t drift in and out each day like a ghost. No matter how well you do your job, you won’t leave an impression if you don’t make an effort. Show respect for the company and those around you. Remember names and faces. Say good morning. Make eye contact. And whenever you can, demonstrate interest in the company and investment in the company mission. Don’t wait to be noticed.

While you’re making the most of every conversation, be sure that your employers understand your long term goals and realize that you would like to stay. A permanent position in your field may open up somewhere in the office, but this won’t help you if you don’t know about it, and nobody will tell you if it doesn’t occur to them to do so. Take your daily tasks seriously, but treat your job search like a game. Being a temp is an adventure– you never know where the day might lead. Stay positive, make connections everywhere you go, and remain flexible and open to whatever fate might send your way. Contact RPC today to get started on the path to your new life.

When you’re out of work, especially if you’ve been out of work for more than a few months, a strange thing can happen to your understanding of time. Specifically the value that you assign to each hour of your day. While you were employed, you may not have consciously assigned a dollar value to each minute that you spent in the office, but whether you recognized it or not, you were being paid for whatever you did with that hour, and each beat of your heart came with the tiny jiggling sound of change falling into your pocket. Your thoughts, your hardworking hands, your insightful conversation, and even your breathing were compensated in accordance with your skills, education and accumulated experience.

Now that you’re unemployed and the jiggling sound has stopped, it can be hard to get used to the idea of not being paid for being you. The day can seem fleeting and interminable at the same time. By evening, you may feel like a failure if you haven’t applied for fifty jobs. And you may feel like a bigger failure if you have applied for fifty jobs and have reached the end of another day without receiving an offer. During the worst moments, you can feel like you’re struggling to gain perspective on a sliding scale in which, no matter what you’re doing or how fast you’re moving, you’re still wasting time.

Volunteering can help bring things into focus. In addition to the value you provide to others by donating your hands, thoughts, skills and heart, you’re also helping yourself by gaining perspective and a sense of forward momentum. If you meet new friends or make new contacts at your volunteering location, all the better. Ideally, the new connections you make might lead you into your next job. To increase the likelihood of these outcomes, try to choose a volunteering outlet for an organization you love and feel strongly about. That way you’ll not only be inspired and passionate about your work, but you’ll also have an opportunity to showcase your best self.

But be careful. Don’t let your warped sense of the value of your time draw you into more than you bargained for. If volunteering begins to take precedence over your job search, or if you find yourself overcommitting or struggling through unpaid drudgery, stop. Refocus and learn to politely say no. Employed or not, your time is still valuable, and it still belongs to you. Don’t use volunteering as a form of penance or self-punishment. If you aren’t giving or gaining as much as you’d like, consider cutting back your volunteer hours and spending that time with your friends and family. For a little perspective and help with the job search process, contact RPC.