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A new salary law is eliminating a common question from the job interview process in a growing number of cities and states around the country.

Employers may no longer be able to ask a candidate about their current salary, depending on where they are located. The new law has been established as part of the effort to create equal pay for women. Advocates for the law say that low salaries can follow women throughout their careers.

The new salary law was passed by the Illinois legislature, but vetoed by the governor in 2017. Versions of it have been passed in New York City, Philadelphia, Massachusetts and California. A growing number of states are considering similar legislation in the coming year.

The question has served as an easy benchmark to establish a perspective hire’s salary expectations. However, it’s a complicated question for candidates to answer. If a candidate goes too high, they’re likely labeled as expensive, and if they go too low, they’ll have a hard time finding the right starting salary.

The Impact for Job Candidates

When a perspective employer knows what a candidate made in their previous position, that rate becomes more likely to follow them from job to job. The idea behind the ban is that it will prevent an environment where women are systematically paid lower wages than their male counterparts.

Banning the question makes any perspective employee is less tied to their previous salary, male or female. If they were looking for new work to find a more competitive salary, the ban on this question could potentially lead to a higher salary.

The Impact for Employers

Employers and HR personnel will need to keep on top of their state and city’s laws in respect to asking this question to remain in compliance.

There are still guides and benchmarks for employers to use as they negotiate salary with a perspective employee. For instance, previous skills and experience, as well as the market rate for a given position can serve as guides in salary negotiations.

Keep reading our blog for more news and advice related to the hiring process.

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Every detail matters in the job interview process, and a bad resume can be a costly mistake. If you are applying but not receiving interviews, or you are interviewing and not receiving offers, it might be that your resume needs some attention.

When it comes to advancing to the next stage of your career, details matter. It may be time to do an honest evaluation of your resume, to determine if it’s an asset or a detriment to your career objectives. If it’s less than stellar, it’s better to find that out and address it now, than to keep sending it out and seeing the same lack of results.

How to Fix a Bad Resume

Leave a little mystery

If you’re the type who wants to be thorough and all inclusive, it may be time to re-evaluate. Your perspective employer likely doesn’t need to know about the paper route you had when you were 10. They likely don’t need to know about your 3-year stint in retail when you were a teenager.

If you’re a successful professional, keep your resume paired down to the relevant jobs and successful accomplishments. An employer is really looking to determine if you are the right person for a specific role. Trimming the excess fat from your job history can help you create a resume that markets your abilities and works in your favor.

Reverse chronological order

The idea behind this is to give your perspective employer the most relevant information up front. Your most recent job is likely much more relevant to your goals than the oldest job on your resume. It’s also a logical format that your next employer is likely expecting.

Keep it brief

One page or less is still ideal for a good resume. If you’re tempted to go over, one alternative may be to offer an online supplement, such as a personal website. You can also give the link to your LinkedIn profile as a way for your perspective employer to find out more.

Contact info

The goal is to receive communication from your perspective employer, so make that as easy as possible for them to do. Place a contact phone number and email address in a prominent location.

When in doubt, go minimalist

The person reviewing your resume will likely not be spending much time with it. Give them the most pertinent information in a format that’s easy to read. Good use of white space can also make your resume easier on the eyes, something a hiring manager is sure to appreciate.

Performance and achievements

Your resume is the document that answers the employers’ question “Why should we choose you?” Don’t skimp out on the performance or achievements. Have you won awards for your work? Have you been the employee of the month? What kind of successful projects have you worked on? Have you been promoted in the past? These items can all be fodder for a successful resume. This is a chance to sell yourself.

Don’t Let a Bad Resume Hold You Back

The common definition of insanity is to repeatedly do the same thing, and expect different results. If you’re not hearing from perspective employers, it may be time to make some adjustments, rather than just sending out more.

If you’re stuck, you have resources at your disposal. It may be time to have an industry professional review your resume, to help you determine it’s strengths and weaknesses. It may take some tweaks to fix a bad resume. But with a few practical adjustments, you can find the results you are looking for.

 

Even when things are going great at the job, it never hurts to talk to a recruiter, and seek out professional career advice.

You may have the perfect job, within the perfect career. You may not be able to picture your work days going better than they are now. But when was the last time you looked at your long-term goals, to check if you were on track?

It’s easy to keep the day-to-day aspects of your career in focus, and lose touch with the long-term objectives you may have set out for yourself several years ago. It’s also possible that your career circumstances changed.

For instance, if you are married, or a parent, our trajectories may change to better reflect the circumstances that surround our family life. Long nights at the office may no longer be viable. That hour-and-a-half commute may need to be cut down.

You can talk to a recruiter before you think you might need it, to ensure that the big picture and every day details are coming together in alignment.

When You Talk to a Recruiter, Here’s a Few Ways They Can Help:

• Industry and Market Outlook – While you may be satisfied in your current location, a job recruiter can tell you if your position within your industry is in increasing demand. It helps anyone to understand when there might be more fulfilling, or higher paying positions available.
• Working Accommodations – Have you always wanted to work from home? Or maybe you simply wanted a position with a more flexible schedule. A career recruiter can keep you posted on the right opportunities.
• Coaching – You may not be ready to start your job search, but the right position may be squarely around the corner. A career recruiter can help you make sure your resume is as professionally written and laid out as possible. They can help you brush up on your interview skills, so the next opportunity doesn’t catch you completely off guard.
• Geography – That office view that overlooks the mountains or the ocean may now be available. But if you aren’t actively participating in the job market, it may go to the next qualified candidate.
• Constant Monitoring – It doesn’t hurt to have a second, professional set of eyes looking out for your best interest. Even if you think you’re happy, and even if you think you’ll want to stay where you are, it helps to know when there is something potentially of interest available.

Don’t Wait Until There’s an Urgency

When you talk to a recruiter in advance of your urgent job hunt, you’re more likely to put yourself in the best possible position for success. Why not come in for a career wellness check, to make sure that you’re headed the right direction with your professional aspirations? We can help you stay on track today!

 

 

A blind job ad is a common practice from employers…

You may be perusing your favorite job boards and come across an opening that looks enticing. You easily meet the requirements. The description and pay make it feel like this could be the next logical step in your career. There are no significant red flags.

However, there is no company name anywhere in the ad. Instead a blind job ad might use descriptions such as “an industry leader,” or “an emerging startup” to grab your attention. Every other aspect of the posting may look good.

When it comes to job hunting, and making your next career step, we’re often given some popular words of wisdom, that go like this: “When in doubt, apply.” This makes sense when you’re mulling over potential opportunities. It doesn’t always make sense to limit your possibilities before it’s truly decision time.

It may be tempting to look at a blind job ad with this glass is half full reasoning. The ad itself may look quite enticing. It may leave you wondering if the position is for a larger company, or involves more room to grow in your career. The ad may be for a company that you never thought you’d have a chance with, if they did put their company name on the ad.

In the case of a blind job ad, applying is still a bad idea. There is a realistic chance your cover letter and resume could land on your current boss’s desk. That is an awkward circumstance that may not be forgiven, or looked on so kindly. For that reason alone, it’s best to know what company you are applying to. You don’t want to create a heightened sense of urgency by making your current work environment worse.

It’s also possible that the blind job ad was placed to take your information, or that the position isn’t what it was advertised to be. In the course of your job hunt, it’s always better to reply to ads that are open and up front about the company, and the description.

Working with a national recruiting agency can also offer your career a boost you may not otherwise have. For more candidate advice, feel free to contact us for our career wellness check.