Stop right there.

Using another job offer as a bargaining chip may be tempting, but too often, it ends badly. If you want a raise, then negotiate it on your own merits–or prepare to move on.

Here’s why:

1. Employers often make counteroffers in a moment of panic. (“We can’t have Joe leave right now! We have that big conference next month.”) But after the initial relief passes, you may find your relationship with your employer–and your standing with the company–has fundamentally changed. You’re now the one who was looking to leave. You’re no longer part of the inner circle, and you might be at the top of the list if your company needs to make cutbacks in the future.

2. Even worse, your company might just want time to search for a replacement, figuring that it’s only a matter of time until you start looking around again. You might turn down your other offer and accept your employer’s counteroffer only to find yourself pushed out soon afterward. In fact, the rule of thumb among recruiters is that 70 to 80 percent of people who accept counteroffers either leave or are let go within a year.

3. There’s a reason you started job-searching in the first place. While more money is always a motivator, more often, there are also other factors that drove you to look: personality fit, dislike of your boss, boredom with the work, lack of recognition, insane deadlines–whatever it might have been. Those factors aren’t going change, and will likely start bothering you again as soon as the glow from your raise wears off.

4. Even if you get more money out of your company now, think about what it took to get it. You needed to have one foot out the door to get paid the wage you wanted, and there’s no reason to think that future salary increases will be any easier. The next time you want a raise, you might even be refused altogether on the grounds that “we just gave you that big increase when you were thinking about leaving.”

5. You may be told to take the other offer, even if you don’t really want it–and then you’ll have to follow through. Using another offer as a bluff is a really dangerous game.

6. Good luck getting that new employer to ever consider you again. If you go all the way through their hiring process only to accept a counteroffer from your current employer, then the former is going to be wary of considering you in the future. If it’s a company you’d like to work with, you might be shutting a door you’d rather keep open.

Now, are there times where accepting a counteroffer makes sense and works out? Sure, there are always exceptions. But it’s a bad idea frequently enough that you should be very, very cautious before doing so.

Original from Yahoo!

A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals or resumes but which nonetheless make a major impact on performance.

Here are eight qualities of remarkable employees:

1. They ignore job descriptions. The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.

When a key customer’s project is in jeopardy, remarkable employees know without being told there’s a problem and jump in without being asked—even if it’s not their job.

2. They’re eccentric… The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.

People who aren’t afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.

3. But they know when to dial it back. An unusual personality is a lot of fun… until it isn’t. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.

Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.

4. They publicly praise… Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.

Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.

5. And they privately complain. We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.

Remarkable employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.

6. They speak when others won’t. Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.

An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, “Why did you ask about that? You already know what’s going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other people don’t, and they’re afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you.”

Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.

7. They like to prove others wrong. Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. The kid without a college degree or the woman who was told she didn’t have leadership potential often possess a burning desire to prove other people wrong.

Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.

8. They’re always fiddling. Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.

Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they just can’t help it.

So even if your stats aren’t MVP, remember what employers are really after. And whatever you do, don’t lose heart. See you next month.

Original from Inc.

Here are seven things that will turn off any prospective employer during the interview:

1. Trashing your former company.

Talking negatively about your former boss, coworkers, the work environment or anything related to the company only spells trouble in the eyes of the prospective employer. Remember that the employer is trying to find out what you could bring to the company and looking for professionalism.

2. Demonstrating a lack of direction.

If you can’t articulate what you expect to bring to the company or position, how this position is a good match for your career path, or how you intend to excel, the prospective employer can simply write to you off as lacking any direction.

3. Being too desperate.

Just don’t let any signs of desperation leak into your voice during the interview, or act desperately after the interview. Follow up with the hiring manager with a simple thank you note and then wait for the response.

4. Arriving too early.

Arriving earlier than 10 to 15 minutes for the interview could make you seem desperate or simply overeager. Arriving late communicates the message,”I couldn’t get it together for this meeting” and doesn’t win you any points.

5. Having the money talk.

Don’t jump the gun by asking the hiring manager what the pay scale is for the position. Your first interview should focus solely on what you can bring to the position and cover any questions you have about the nature of the position.

6. Anxious behavior.

Looking at your watch, tapping your feet, looking away from the interviewer, and acting impatient are a few signs of nervousness and anxiety.

7. Dwelling too much on accomplishments and successes.

Even if you were the company rock star at your former job, don’t let that be the focus of your interview. Your interview needs to focus on what you plan to do in the future and how you plan on helping this company be successful.

Based on article from U.S. News & World Report
2011 by Sabah Karimi

Great news for people looking to expand their skill set.

Employers are mixing it up. Jobs, that is.

Some U.S. businesses are giving employees the chance to complete a stint in a different department or temporarily swap places with a colleague overseas.

Companies have long provided job rotations for higher level executives to give them a sense of how different departments operate, but now they are discovering that short- to medium-term moves for rank-and-file employees help workers sharpen their skills, stay motivated and identify new roles they might aim for in the future. Moreover, they help address a challenge that many companies are facing: how to better foster collaboration across different specialties and regions.

“In organizations today there is more emphasis on adaptability, teamwork and learning agility. Companies have to be flexible about creating opportunities for employees to opt into projects,” says Caroline Paxman, president of the Americas for SHL, a talent-measurement firm.

A 2011 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 43% of employers offer cross-training of some kind to help workers develop proficiencies not related to their current jobs.

At Intel Corp., employees can find temporary assignments by searching an internal database with hundreds of listings. These assignments allow workers “to test-drive a job or make connections in different departments,” says Amreen Madhani, who oversees the program which launched last March.

In 11 months, 1,300 positions lasting a few weeks to a year—in areas like HR, finance, strategy, marketing and product development—have been filled. Slots open up around special projects or as staffers take sabbaticals. Employees apply for the positions and take roles pending approval from their current manager and the hiring manger.

Not that such swaps are friction-free. “I felt like a deer in the headlights” says Elizabeth Wright Korytkowski, a 38-year-old benefits specialist who took a four-month assignment with Intel’s software-services group.

Still, the rotation provided Ms. Korytkowski an opportunity to interact directly with employees and gain familiarity with new software and HR tools. Since that assignment, she has received a promotion and completed a second special project outside her usual job duties.

These arrangements are increasingly valuable in retaining a restless work force that is accustomed to fast-paced change and innovation, says John Sullivan, a management professor at San Francisco State University.

At Virgin America, a handful of flight attendants recently traded places with colleagues at Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia) as part of a one-year exchange. Though the exchange involved only six U.S.-based flight attendants and three from Australia, staff worked for 12 to 18 months, on and off, to get it off the ground.

Was it worth it? “Absolutely,” says Frances Fiorillo, senior vice president of people and in-flight services. “It created a lot of excitement and energy” among the airline’s 450 or so flight attendants, 10% of whom applied to participate, Ms. Fiorillo says.

Virgin America would like to repeat the swap in the future, but for the moment its resources have been tied up in other initiatives, she adds.

All this movement can come at a price for companies since participants learn on a steep curve at first. Often there is lost productivity and resources.

Generally, skills-based rotations are more valuable than swaps that are purely geographic, says Alec Levenson, a research scientist at the University of Southern California’s Center for Effective Organizations. While a program like Virgin’s offers employees some short-term benefits, it may have less impact on a company’s overall effectiveness, he says.

Still, global exchanges can be a valuable retention tool for multinational companies even when they don’t involve a great deal of cross-training.

At PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, managers nominate six junior staffers who have been at the firm for three to six years to participate in a three-month swap between the U.S. and Australia. The program pairs employees with similar job duties so they can ramp up quickly, says Eliza Scherrer, U.S. global mobility leader for PwC.

Participants profit as they broaden their network and explore a new working environment. The firm profits by getting more work done during the respective busy seasons in Australia (July to September) and the U.S. (January to March).

The program also builds morale and takes employees “out of their comfort zone,” adds Ms. Scherrer.

Terri Lodwick, president of All American Window, a 22-person home-improvement company in Germantown, Wis., says that the long-running job-swap program at her company paid dividends by improving employee retention, customer service and operations. It also helps ease the potential disruptions during maternity and sick leaves.

At the firm, every employee completes 32 to 40 hours of swaps annually, scheduled in four-hour increments. A receptionist might learn to be an order-taker, while installers and service technicians might cross-train. Employees fill out a questionnaire about what they learned and how the program could be improved.

Workers “get to see how they fit into the entire organization, not just their little cubicle,” Ms. Lodwick says.

Original from WSJ.

If you’re not from there, you might only think of Detroit as the city with the massive population contraction. Or the one abandoned by the auto industry. Or the place with all the racial tension.

Or maybe when you watched the Super Bowl last year, you were introduced to a Detroit you hadn’t considered. You saw Eminem driving a Chrysler 200 through a hard-nosed, never-say-die, lunch-pail city with the Joe Louis fist suspended proudly by the riverfront (ironically located just outside of General Motors’ headquarters). And this year, it was Clint Eastwood with a more somber and yet hopeful view of the Big D’.

Whatever your impression of Detroit, I can tell you that if you’ve never spent any time there, it’s wrong. You may think you know about the city’s grit, but unless you meet gritty Detroiters, you don’t. You may think you understand the concept of reinventing blight into opportunity, but until you walk through the Russell Industrial Center or the Heidleberg Project, you don’t. You may think that as an enlightened white person, you understand the psychology of blacks who are just a few generations removed from slavery. But until you walk through the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, you don’t. (And even after that, you don’t.)

I’ve spent the better part of two years traveling to The Motor City to film “Lemonade: Detroit,” allowing myself to be absorbed by its zeitgeist, trying to find stories of reinvention that accurately reflect its brand . . . A brand I could have never fully – nor even partially – grasped without the first hand experience of being there.

There are anecdotes of promise everywhere you look that belie what you think you know. I couldn’t begin to list even a tiny fraction of what makes Detroit’s brand so resilient, so proud, so inspiring. But here are a few stories that have been on my mind lately:

• The Green Garage, which what was once an abandoned Model T showroom, has been reinvented into a collaborative workspace for sustainable Detroit entrepreneurs.
  
• Torya Blanchard, who cashed out the 401(k) she earned as a French teacher, opened a successful 48 square-foot creperie. So successful that she expanded it into a 2000 sq.ft. creperie. Then she opened a second 2000 sq.ft. location across town. And now Torya is about to open a breakfast and lunch joint in Hamtramck called Ootie’s.
  
• An amazing place called Youthville is giving kids in Detroit a state-of-the-art facility to explore everything from robotics to music video production.
  
• Lest you think Detroit is only for ambitious hipster entrepreneurs, check out how Dan Gilbert, the Quicken Loans chairman and majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, is reinventing downtown with his skyscraper buying spree.

“A rising tide lifts all boats” is the ethos in Detroit. Startups that would be competitors on paper are helping each other with everything from permits to suppliers to marketing. Try finding that neighborly love in New York or LA.

To be clear, Detroit isn’t Eden. The population retraction? The country’s worst education system? The high unemployment? All true. There’s a mountain to climb, and they’re nowhere near the summit. But those who call themselves Detroiters don’t want your handouts. They don’t want your condolences. And they especially don’t want your pity.

On the other hand, it has also been ranked as one of the top ten downtowns in America, and was highlighted by Forbes as being one of the best cities in the country to be an entrepreneur.

So where does this leave Detroit’s brand? Well, I know it can’t be fully articulated in an ad. Like any brand, you need to see it. Touch it. Experience it on an emotional level. The same way you don’t fully know Apple’s brand until you play with an iPad. Or Chrysler’s until you drive a 200.

Original from Forbes.

Lower unemployment is a positive a sign for President Barack Obama’s re-election hopes. Still, he’s likely to face voters with the highest unemployment rate of any post-war president.

“There are still far too many Americans who need a job … but the economy is growing stronger. The recovery is speeding up. And we need to do everything in our power to keep it going,” Obama said Friday.

Hiring accelerated across the economy and up and down the pay scale. The high-salary professional services industry added 70,000 jobs, the most in 10 months. Manufacturing added 50,000, the most in a year.

“This is a very positive employment report from almost any angle,” said Brian Bethune, an economics professor at Amherst College.

The report seemed certain to shake up the presidential campaign, which is expected to turn on the economy. The unemployment rate is the lowest since February 2009, one month after Obama took office.

The report Friday from the Labor Department sent money pouring into the stock market, already off to its best start in 15 years because of improving confidence in the economy, and out of more conservative investments in bonds.

The Dow Jones industrial average shot 160 points higher to 12,865 in the first hour of trading. That is 55 points better than its highest close since the financial crisis struck in the fall of 2008.

It was the most jobs added since and March and April of last year, when 246,000 and 251,000 jobs were created. Before that, the last month with stronger hiring, excluding months skewed by temporary census jobs, was March 2006.

The government said hiring was stronger in November and December by 60,000 jobs than first estimated. It was also stronger over the past two years than previously thought. The economy added 1.82 million jobs last year, nearly twice as many as in 2010.

The unemployment rate was down two notches from the 8.5 percent reading last month. It was also the fifth consecutive month the rate has fallen, the first time that has happened since late 1994.

Employers have added an average of 201,000 jobs a month in the past three months. That’s 50,000 more jobs per month than the economy averaged in each month last year.

The Labor Department’s January jobs report was filled with other encouraging data and revisions. The economy added 200,000 more jobs in 2011 than first thought.

The unemployment rate is nearly a percentage point lower than over the summer, when many feared a recession was imminent.

Impressively, the job gains last month were spread across the economy. Even the beleaguered construction sector added 21,000 jobs, its second month of strong gains. That figure has probably been helped by unseasonably warm weather this winter.

The leisure and hospitality industry, which includes restaurants and hotels, added 44,000 jobs. Retailers added nearly 11,000.

The unemployment rate fell even as more people began looking for work. But a much larger number said they found work.

More jobs and higher incomes should help consumers boost spending and increase economic growth.

Even with the gains, the job market faces a long way back to full health. The nation has about 5.6 million fewer jobs than it did when the recession began in late 2007.

There are still 12.8 million people out of work, though that is the fewest since the recession ended. An additional 11 million are either working part-time but would prefer full-time work, or have stopped searching for jobs.

When all those groups are combined, nearly 24 million are considered “underemployed. The so-called “underemployment” rate ticked down in January to 15.1 percent, from 15.2 percent.

Several reports signaled this week that the economy is improving gradually. Manufacturers expanded at the fastest pace in seven months in January, a private survey showed.

And fewer people sought unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said. The four-week average of applications fell to its second-lowest level since June 2008. The drop shows that companies are cutting fewer jobs, which usually leads to more hiring.

Americans spent more at big chain retail stores last month compared with a year earlier. And automakers began 2012 with a strong sales gain in January. Healthier auto sales can boost a range of companies, from steel makers to parts suppliers to shippers.

The economy expanded at a 2.8 percent annual pace in the October-December quarter, a full percentage point higher than in the previous quarter.

Even so, economists expect slower growth this year. Much of the fourth quarter’s expansion was due to companies ordering more goods to restock their warehouses. Restocking is likely to slow in the first three months of this year. That would drag on growth.

Europe’s financial crisis could also slow demand for U.S. goods. And average wages failed to keep up with inflation last year. That leaves consumers with less spending power, which can hamper growth.

Original from Associated Press

In the meantime, we’ve been out on the town with some of our recent placements celebrating. Here are a few photos and words from our recent candidates who have found satisfying new careers with our clients. Contact us today if you want in on a new career, just like them.

K.M., Senior Tax Analyst, CPA

“After deciding I wanted to move out of public accounting, I worked with several recruiters unsuccessfully. Then I received a call from Arthur. Global really took the time to get to know me and understand what position would best fit my needs. I didn’t get that from the other recruiters. Global kept my career goals and skill set in mind and presented me with job openings that were a good fit for me. They also provided excellent interview prep and guided me through the entire process. In the end, I received an offer from a great company much quicker than I did with other recruiters! Thanks to Arthur and Dee who were instrumental in helping me secure a great position. I would highly recommend their services to anyone searching for a better career. Thanks for all your help!!”

M.H., Senior Auditor, CPA

“As a 3 year CPA from Alaska, pursuing new opportunities was challenging, especially being on an H1B visa. Investing in a Custom Job Search seemed odd and very non-traditional method for a search/recruiting firm, but I had nothing to lose. Arthur walked me through every step of the process, actively seeking all H1B employment possibilities. He not only brought opportunities for me to interview with prestigious organizations, but was also heavily involved in the interview coaching process and educating companies on how easy the H1B transfer process is, which was invaluable. Landing my new job with a Big 4 firm was a dream come true as a result of Arthur’s relentless efforts and involvement. Arthur is truly an expert and I would recommend his “out of the box” approach and attitude to anyone!”

M.G., IT auditor, CISA
“I wanted to thank you for the amazing effort you made to revamp my resume! If not for your efforts and your bringing to my attention that my resume needed some serious reworking as I transitioned to the US market, I would never have been able to make a career move over here! Your help in doing my resume has resulted in my securing a job at a Big 4 accounting firm in the Detroit-area! Thank you! I would definitely recommend you to any overseas professionals looking to start a career in the US.”

 
With the job market rolling along, especially for audit, tax, accounting, and finance professionals, these recent placements are just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve got dozens of new opportunities in the mix across the country with expanding firms. So contact us today and in a month or so, it might be you celebrating!

So let’s tune yours up with six simple steps:

Step 1. Revisit your goals. At its most basic level LinkedIn is about marketing: marketing your company or marketing yourself. But that focus probably got lost as you worked through the mechanics of completing your profile, and what started as a marketing effort turned into a resume completion task. Who you are isn’t as important as what you hope to accomplish, so think about your goals and convert your goals into keywords, because keywords are how people find you on LinkedIn.

But don’t just whip out the Google AdWords Keyword Tool and identify popular keywords. It’s useful but everyone uses it—and that means, for example, that every Web designer has shoehorned six- and seven-digit searches-per-month keywords like “build a website,” “website templates,” “designing a website,” and “webmaster” into their profile. It’s hard to stand out when you’re one of millions.

Go a step further and think about words that have meaning in your industry. Some are process-related; others are terms only used in your field; others might be names of equipment, products, software, or companies.

Use a keyword tool to find general terms that could attract a broader audience, and then dig deeper to target your niche by identifying keywords industry insiders might search for.

Then sense-check your keywords against your goals. If you’re a Web designer but you don’t provide training, the 7 million monthly Google searches for “how to Web design” don’t matter.

Step 2. Layer in your keywords. The headline is a key factor in search results, so pick your most important keyword and make sure it appears in your headline. “Most important” doesn’t mean most searched, though; if you provide services to a highly targeted market the keyword in your headline should reflect that niche. Then work through the rest of your profile and replace some of the vague descriptions of skills, experience, and educational background with keywords. Your profile isn’t a term paper so don’t worry about a little repetition. A LinkedIn search scans for keywords, and once on the page, so do people.

Step 3. Strip out the clutter. If you’re the average person you changed jobs six or eight times before you reached age 30. That experience is only relevant when it relates to your current goals. Sift through your profile and weed out or streamline everything that doesn’t support your business or professional goals. If you’re currently a Web designer but were an accountant in a previous life, a comprehensive listing of your accounting background is distracting. Keep previous jobs in your work history, but limit each to job title, company, and a brief description of duties.

Step 4. Reintroduce your personality. Focusing on keywords and eliminating clutter is important, but in the process your individuality probably got lost. Now you can put it back and add a little enthusiasm and flair. Describing yourself as, “A process improvement consultant with a Six Sigma black belt,” is specific and targeted but also says nothing about you as a person—and doesn’t make me think, “Hey, she would be great to work with.”

Share why you love what you do in your profile. Share what you hope to accomplish. Describe companies you worked for or projects you completed. Share your best or worst experience. Keep your keywords in place, leave out what doesn’t support your goals, and then be yourself.

Keywords are important but are primarily just a way to help potential clients find you. No one hires keywords; they hire people.

Step 5. Take a hard look at your profile photo. Say someone follows you on Twitter. What’s the first thing you do? Check out their photo.

A photo is a little like a logo: On its own an awesome photo won’t win business, but a bad photo can definitely lose business.

Take a look at your current photo. Does it reflect who you are as a professional or does it reflect a hobby or outside interest? Does it look like a real estate agent’s headshot? A good photo flatters but doesn’t mislead. Eventually you’ll meet some of your customers in person and the inevitable disconnect between Photoshop and life will be jarring.

The goal is for your photo to reflect how you will look when you meet a customer, not how you looked at that killer party in Key West four years ago. The best profile photo isn’t necessarily your favorite photo. The best photo strikes a balance between professionalism and approachability, making you look good but also real.

Step 6. Get recommendations. Most of us can’t resist reading testimonials, even when we know those testimonials were probably solicited. Recommendations add color and depth to a LinkedIn profile, fleshing it out while avoiding any, “Oh jeez will this guy ever shut up about himself?” reactions. So ask for recommendations, and offer to provide recommendations before you’re asked.

The best way to build great connections is to always be the one who gives first.

Original from Inc.