9 Personal Things to Do Before Your Business Trip

9 Personal Things to Do Before Your Business Trip9 Personal Things to Do Before Your Business TripWhen it comes to business travel, there is a long list of tasks and chores that must be done before you leave home. Use this travel checklist below and leave home with the peace of mind that you didnt forget to take care of something important. Confirm That Your Identification Hasnt Expired Check the expiration date on your drivers license and/or passport. When you are renting a car itll be bad timing to find out that your license has expired. Check your RMV website to find out if your license will expire while youre away. If youll be traveling internationally, check your passports expiration date well in advance. If you need to order a new passport youll get a new one in six weeks, If you need it quicker they offer a two week expedited tafelgeschirr for a fee. Check Your Cell Phone Coverage Make sure your cell phone plan will adequately cover you while youre away. Itd be an awfu l ending to a a trip to find your bill is higher than usual.Take precautionary steps to make sure youre covered while on your business trip. Call your carriers customer service department and alert them toyour travel plans. The agent will be able to explain your options and make you aware of any potential additional charges. Many plans offer short-term upgrades to your agreement for a reasonable fee that will covers international usage, texting, and internet access while traveling. Check Your Prescription Refills Determine whether your current prescription medications will last for the duration of your trip positiv a few days (you dont want to make a midnight run to the pharmacy the day you get back). If not, make arrangements to get them refilled in advance. To be on the safe side consider bringing a copy of your prescription with you as well as your physicians contact information. Better to be preparedin the event that something happens and you find it necessary to fill one of your prescriptions while out of town. Hit The Dry Cleaners Make a trip to the dry cleaners with any business clothes that need to be cleaned. Add picking up the dry cleaning the daybefore your trip to your list. This way youll avoid feeling frustrated while packing Check if Youll Need Out-of-Town Medical Insurance Check with your medical insurance carrier or read your insurance policy to determine what your medical options are in the event of an out-of-town emergency. Many insurance companies require that you notify them within 24 hours of using an out-of-town emergency room or urgent care center in order to cover the claim. Alert Your Bank and Credit Card Companies Call your bank and credit card company customer service departments. Inform them that you will be on a business trip and give them a list of all of your travel dates and locations. Many banks and credit card companies deny charges in foreign countries or popular vacation locations if you have not alerted the m to your travel plans in advance. Pack Your Travel Documents Make sure you have all necessary travel documents such as Copies of your credit cards and a listing of 800 numbers to call in the event of loss or theftMedical insurance cardsPassport and drivers licenseTravel itinerary bookmarked on your phoneReservations and confirmationsEasy access to electronic tickets Connect With Your Support System Let everyone in your support ordnungsprinzip (the people you can always count on) know about your travel plans. Ask them to check in on your significant other and your kids while youre away. While youre away it can be a special time for them to bond with your family. Itll also help fill the void. Setup Times to Connect With the Kids Setup times in advance that you can FaceTime or Skype with your kids. Kids love structure so mark the calendar before you leave so they know when youll talk to them. Its OK if the time isnt the same every night. You may have business dinners As lo ng as the kids see on the calendar that theyll be talking to Mom theyll feel comfortable and so will you. Edited by Elizabeth McGrory.

How to Negotiate a Job Offer from Google

How to Negotiate a Job Offer from GoogleHow to Negotiate a Job Offer from Google The key question to ask about a Google job offer is How much can this offer be improved through negotiation? In my experience coaching software developers through Google salary negotiations , the answer varies from somewhat to a whole lot.The main driver for the difference seems to be how narrow the engineers specialty is, and how well that specialty aligns with Googles core competencies.For example, Google needs lots and lots of experienced software developers , and the supply of generalist software developers available to hire is pretty strong. So Google will offer c ompetitive salaries with some room to negotiate to get quality software developers in the door.By contrast, machine learning experts and data scientists are key to Googles ability to dominate search and other aspects of its business and there are fewer of those experts available. So Google makes very, very strong o ffers to machine learning experts and data scientists and has lots of room to negotiate those offers to get the right candidates.The bottom line is that if you have a job offer from Google in a technical role, you likely have room to negotiate, and may have substantial negotiation leverage depending on your specialty.Once you actually get through the Google interview gauntlet , you may receive a job offer . Lets look at an example to see what you can expect.Googles offers are pretty standardThey may also include other components like a Target Bonus, and they may even share an estimated value of other perks that Google employees get.They will often roll all these numbers together to describe the offer in terms of Total Compensation, which may seem like a big number.Heres an example taken from a modified version of a real Google job offer from one of my clients (all numbers are $1,000s)Lets look a little closer at the main components of a Google job offer.As with most job offers, this is the stable, predictable component that you can use to pay your mortgage or car payment. You cant know what company performance might look like in the future, so its hard to estimate how much of a bonus youll get or what your RSUs will be worth when they vest.Googles cousine salary offers tend to be pretty competitive, with other big tech firms. If youre wondering whether the salary youre offered is competitive, paysa.com is a good place to start.How flexible is Google on Base Salary?In my experience, Google will move on base salary, but not very much. And theyre mora flexible when you have not disclosed salary history or expectations.That doesnt mean you shouldnt ask for more base salary, but it means that request may result a smaller move in base salary coupled with other more aggressive moves that are not related to salary.Bonuses are usually pretty standard among employees and are probably based on things that are out of your control like company performance.So your Targe t Bonus is nice to know, but not very useful for negotiation purposes. It helps make the Total Compensation number larger and does give you a sense of a nice annual windfall that may come your way if things go well at Google.How flexible is Google on Target Bonus?The Equity component of a Google job offer can sortiment from not very much (as with the example above) to wowzers, thats a lot of equity depending on the role.For Google (and most of the other big public tech companies) I tend to model Equity as more or less fungible with Base Salary since the value of that equity is public and the company fundamentals appear to be pretty strong.The difference, of course, is that theres a vesting schedule and youre taking some level of market risk by counting on equity.But for a company like Google, the market risk for Equity is very similar to the market risk for your Base Salary. (If things suddenly get very bad for Google, their stock would probably drop, but the bigger problem could be that your job might be in jeopardy).How flexible is Google on New-Hire Equity (RSUs)?Potentially very flexible. This is their most used bargaining chip. Depending on the candidate, position, and other factors, they may be willing to improve the equity component of the offer significantly during the negotiation.Some of my clients have more than doubled their equity during their negotiation. Sometimes the Equity component of the offer will be larger than the Base Salary component when we schliff negotiating.This is one reason the Base Salary component of their offers tends to be merely competitive- they have more flexibility on Equity and will often use this as their carrot to entice exceptional candidates to join the company.Even if theres not a Sign-on bonus included with your initial offer, there may be one available. Sign-on bonuses, like equity, can range from a nice little amount into six figures.I like to think of the Sign-on bonus as a way to help bridge the gap between your first paycheck and your first RSU vesting date.How flexible is Google on Sign-on Bonus?Moderately flexible. They will often use this as a sweetener to close the deal. Five-figure improvements in Sign-on bonus are pretty common. I recommend focusing on Base Salary and Equity before negotiating Sign-on bonus.The salary negotiation with Google will begin earlier than you might expect.Your Google recruiter will ask for your salary history , or at least your current salary if its legal where they are. Do not tell them your current salary. If you do, the Base Salary component of your job offer will probably be slightly above your current salary and it will be challenging to negotiate a substantial increase once they make your job offer.They will also usually ask for your salary expectations. That request will sound something like thisSo what were you hoping for in terms of compensation if you come aboard here at Google?Do not tell them your salary expectations because you will essentia lly be guessing what they might pay someone with your skillset and experience to do the job they need done.While they might have a good idea of the value of that job to Googles business, you would only be guessing. You will practically always guess wrong and cost yourself money later on. So just dont guess.Google will hold on tight to these numbers and it can be very, very challenging to get them to move once they know what they are aiming for. So avoid sharing that information if at all possible.As a final note on this, Ive worked with clients whose Google recruiter told them they could not move forward with the interview process until my client shared their salary expectations. Eventually, they did move on despite my clients refusal to share this information. So, in my experience, this is a bluff.Once you receive your job offer from GoogleAlthough Google isnt typically very flexible on base salary, I prefer to begin by negotiating base salary to see how flexible they are in the other components. By pushing on base salary- even knowing they arent very flexible- we give them an opportunity to show where they are the most flexible.They will often respond to a request for a higher base salary by moving slightly or not at all on base salary, while suggesting a significantly better equity or sign-on bonus component.Once they reveal where theyre flexible and how flexible they are, you can use that information to focus the negotiation on the most flexible components to maximize your offer.This article was originally published on The Fearless Salary Negotiation. Reprinted with permission.

Its National Disabilities Employment Awareness Month!

Its National Disabilities Employment Awareness MonthIts National Disabilities Employment Awareness MonthIts National Disabilities Employment Awareness MonthWith greater awareness, comes greater opportunity. Now is a superb time for disabled jobseekers to seek federal jobs(Baltimora, MD, October 25, 2010) National Disabilities Employment Awareness Month is a salute to the skills and talents disabled individuals have, and also an acknowledgment of the importance of employment to their lives. But perhaps the most significant aspect is the commitment that President Obama has made to elevating the number of disabled people in the federal workforce. According to the National Council on Disability, the percentage of disabled federal workers is low. Figures from 2007 show that they represent less than 1% of Uncle Sams employees. Some parties are calling for this number to be kicked up to at least double that amount.My administration is committed to ensuring people living with disabilities ha ve fair access to jobs so they can contribute to ur economy and realize their dreams, avowed President Barack Obama in his proclamation for Octobers special designation. Individuals with disabilities are a vital and dynamic part of our Nation.To act on this opportunity, jobseekers with disabilities will need to bone up for the effort. They should begin by educating themselves on the federal hiring process, says resume writer Sandra L. Keppley. Books from the Resume Place like Ten Steps to a Federal Job and the Federal Resume Guidebook will be essential. In addition, Keppley says they also need to learn about employment for the disabled in particular.Kathryn Troutman, the books author and Americas leading federal jobs expert, elendes that there are four distinct ways disabled jobseekers can apply for work with Uncle Sam.First, you can submit competitively for a position through the website www.usajobs.gov (where 20,000 government jobs are posted daily), and check off that you are aut horized to be hired as person with a disabilitySecondly, you can submit to USAJOBs without noting that youre disabled, and compete straight on with the other federal jobseekers.Third, you can contact a hiring manager directly who you have identified at an agency where you want to be employed.And last but very important, you can contact the Selective Placement Program Coordinators about particular openings ansicht hiring officials are on the lookout for talented employees who have disabilities (for a list of the Coordinators, go to opm.gov/disability/SSPCoord.asp. For more on hiring through USAJOBS, go to https//help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Individuals_with_Disabilities.)I recommend that they do all of this, says Kathryn Troutman. For sure, its a lot of work. However, once you get in, youre set. Because you will probably stay there for a long time. Youll learn on the job and get further education. And you will very possibly be promoted. It just takes a lot to get in the door.In order t o apply with the disabled status under the special hiring authority, jobseekers must obtain a Schedule A letter. This letter, confirming the disability, should be signed by a medical professional or an official from your state vocational rehabilitation department. The letter often also notes your job readiness for the work youre seeking. Schedule A Letters are submitted to USAJOBs and given to the other federal hiring authorities. For a sample of a Schedule A Letter, go to the last USAJOBs link listed above. The letter should be brief and to the point, and not go on and on about the nature of your disability.When applying for federal work, disabled individuals should keep the following tips in mindTip 1 Know and emphasize your strengths.As a jobseeker, its your job to help a potential employer see your strong points and all you have to offer, Troutman says. Strengths and previous accomplishments (not disabilities) should be highlighted throughout your campaign in cover letter, your resume, email or phone interactions, and at the interview.Tip 2 Study the job announcement and tailor your response to it. In working with a jobseeker who welches just hired recently, resume writer Carla Waskiewicz expanded the applicants resume to include more keywords from the announcement and wrote a strong qualifications summary incorporating the core competencies this individual could deliver.Tip 3 Network, network, network. This is the most crucial part of the campaign, says Chad Jones*, who was hired this year at a division of the Department of Health Human Services. When I started, I didnt know anyone at the division I targeted. But then I got an advocate. It just takes one. Find someone within an agency to watch out for openings for you.Tip 4 To find contacts, look online for a departments organizational chart. Chad located and studied organizational charts and department descriptions in two agencies. Then he used this info to figure out which departments and managers to contact. Getting in touch with two departments, he received no response from one, but heard back from about five managers from the other. Then it was a matter of waiting for openings to come up. He points out that you may find a anthroponym on the chart, and then have to work with how the agencys emails are formulated to get the email address.Tip 5 Collect references from key people familiar with your strengths and talents. They may be able to describe your strengths in ways you hadnt thought of. Troutman reminds you to remember to include persons involved in your volunteer or internship activities. Dave Warner, a disabled man who just started a new job at the National Institutes of Health, found that his volunteer activities were instrumental in getting interviews and finally a job offer. In fact, the federal job he landed was a step up from what he had originally sought.Tip 6 Stay cutting-edge with your skills and training. A recent study found that employers can pass over resumes from the long-term unemployed, believing their skills and training will be out-of-date. Especially if youre unemployed, staying current will be important, reports Troutman. If youre between jobs or want to advance, keep taking courses that could be relevant for you in your field, whatever it is HR, or budget, or contracts, etc. she suggests.Tip 7 Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Troutman recently worked on a job search for Judy Mills, who was excellent with data management, but had poor phone skills due to her disability. She located a position for Judy where phone work wasnt needed, and this candidate was hired. Applying to do things you cannot do wont be good for you or the agency, Troutman cautions. Still, know that the federal agencies are willing to make reasonable accommodations. This might include widening aisles for wheelchair access or providing special equipment, readers or interpreters. Find more on special accommodations at https//help.usajobs.gov/index.ph p/Individuals_with_Disabilities.Tip 8 Consider hiring professionals to strengthen your resume and cover letter. I was sending out resumes and not getting any nibbles from federal employers, says Dave, recalling the days when he was job-hunting on his own. But after his resume was revamped by the Resume Place, he got a series of interviews and was hired for a desirable jobTip 9 Practice your interviewing skills. Its like playing a sport, says Dave. If you play the sport once, it wont result in the same improvement as when you do it regularly. This successful jobseeker reports that he found himself to be performing better after having opportunities to volley replies back to interviewers.Tip 10 Have the Placement Program Coordinator work as an adviser to an interested manager. A manager who is considering hiring you may not fully understand Schedule A, Chad points out. The manager who selected him worked closely with the Placement Program Coordinator, who walked her through the process .Using the Schedule A process can sometimes work to the advantage of disabled jobseekers. Through the special hiring authority based on disability, the manager who eventually hired Chad was not required to post the actual job opening he filled. He also did not have to go through the scoring process which is part of the competitive process. This can save time. Still, in other cases, a hiring manager may be more likely to consider you when you apply competitively with the other candidates. This is why its good to use all the approaches Troutman outlined.Whichever approach you choose to go after federal employment, youll need to learn to be patient. Chads phone interview took place in the beginning of November 2009, but he didnt receive the job offer call until February 2010. He adds that you should also be persistent and consistent After his winning interview, Chad asked the manager if he could email her once a month to stay in contact. She agreed. Dont let things go for several month s, he advises. Your resume could get lost in the system. The more your name is in front of the hiring manager, the more likely that youll be hired. Follow up, and stay in touch with your contact. he says. Thats good advice that can pay off.*Names of the successful jobseekers have been changed, though their stories are real.For over 30 years, the Resume Place has been assisting jobseekers seeking employment with the federal government. Today the companys services include the writing of resumes and cover letters, as well as developing job campaign strategies and providing support for moving through the federal application processes. Kathryn Troutman is the Founder and President of the Resume Place, and she has written and published seven books on the federal job search. Her award-winning titles include the Federal Resume Guidebook as well as Ten Steps to a Federal Job. Troutman is frequently interviewed by the media, and she was just featured on the cover of Insight magazine. Troutman applauds President Obamas commitment to boost the number of disabled federal workers, and her firm has an excellent track record in helping these jobseekers obtain federal employment.RKQ1 Links could be added to book pages.