Hi hi! I recently got a new job after working at the same company for 2 years, and I’ve learned some ~spicy~ things along the way that I wanted to share with you. So let’s dive right into it!
When to Start Looking
Found yourself stuck in a role that does not fit you? Or haven’t received any bonuses or promotions?
Those might be signs that you should start looking for better opportunities, and oftentimes it is better to do it as soon as possible because the whole interviewing process takes longer than you might think.
I started applying for a new job back in March, and it was not until June/July that I started getting offers.
Expand Your Search Area
With most companies going fully remote or at the very least hybrid mode, you are NOT restricted to jobs near you. So instead of just searching for jobs within 25 miles of your home, you can now expand it to the entire country 🙂 This also makes it possible for you to move to a lower cost of living area while making a higher salary in a city.
The job that I ended up taking is based in San Diego, but the company allows me to stay in DC and work remotely! It saves me the hassle of moving and also avoids the high cost of California!
Never Let the Company You’re Interviewing for Contact Your Employer until You Get an Offer
This actually left a bad taste in my mouth. As mentioned earlier, I quit my job back in June (with no official offers from other companies). Why? Remember when I said I was interviewing and waited for 3 months? Turns out the reason why the company that I was interviewing for couldn’t give me an offer was because my ex-employer blocked the offer.
Yes, you’ve heard that right. My ex-employer and the company I was interviewing for work together on a few contracts, and they apparently had an “agreement” that they would not hire from each other in good faith. However, I did not sign nor was made aware of any non-compete agreement, so I should be able to join any company I want, and technically, it was the other company that reached out to me in the first place. But my ex-employer blocked the offer anyway 🙂
So what did I learn? Until you have an official offer, do not let anyone contact your employer as you’d never know how your company would handle it. Also, keep in mind any non-compete agreements (usually this is illegal in most states) that you might’ve signed when you started working, as they could be used against you when applying for a new job.
Never Take the Initial Offer
ALWAYS negotiate your initial offer. In my experience, companies usually have a range of salaries that they can offer, and the initial offer often ends up on the lower end of that range. You should always prepare a counteroffer with solid arguments as to why you deserve that higher pay! It’s even better when you have an offer from another company that you can leverage during negotiation. The worst possible case would be that companies stick to their initial offer.
Doing a little bit of research before negotiation could tip it in your favor as you’d already have a reasonable range to shoot for. Another thing to consider is to look at the total compensation and not just the salary because sometimes the upfront salary might be low, but the other benefits might be good enough to offset the salary. You can read more about what to look for when considering a job offer here 🙂
Regarding my case, I could’ve ended up with a lot less money if I didn’t negotiate, which ended up giving me a $10k boost in salary.
Hopefully, by the end of this post, you’d have an idea of what it’s like looking for a job and what to do when you go through the interview process. I wish that I didn’t have to go through the whole ordeal with my ex-employer, but it is what it is when your management is bad 🙂 The only thing I regretted is not applying earlier!