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Phone interview tips- Decision time (pg 2) (1 Viewer)

Caesar said:
Good stuff here.  The other thing that will make the second interview (the one with the Reds) awkward is that it is a conference call.  I have no idea how many people and in what positions they hold will be on the call.  I probably should have asked that when the woman called me to set up the time, but I wasn't thinking about that at the time.

Should I email her back and ask for some specifics so that I can be better prepared?  
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You absolutely should.  Find out their names.  Then look them up on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.  Know these people better than they know you going in.

 
Hey all.  Just wanted to thank everyone who gave some tips and advice in the thread here, and of course the people who made me laugh as always.

I had the interview yesterday and I thought it went pretty well.  I sent the follow up thank you email first thing this morning and immediately got a response saying that I am one of two finalist to meet in person.  Its hard to focus right now as I'm pretty excited, but safe to say, some of the tips in here were utilized and contributed to my success.  So, thank again!!

 
They are going to offer me the position at my asking price.  It is about a 20% increase over my current.  Benefits are about the same.  My boss, who I have kept up to date throughout this process, is telling me that my current company will likely counter.  I've been asking to be paid fairly for over a year, but I didn't have any leverage, and so they kept kicking the can down the road and not addressing it.  So now, they may counter, either matching the offer from the new job, or maybe a little lower.

Biggest differences are 3 weeks vacation (current) vs 2 (new job) and new job may not have a bonus.  Current job, bonus is not guaranteed, but it usually is about 8-14% of current salary.

There are some perks with the new job, but probably wouldn't counteract the loss in bonus money.

Either way, I am going to have to tell somebody no, and that sucks because I am very thankful for the opportunities from both.

 
Caesar said:
They are going to offer me the position at my asking price.  It is about a 20% increase over my current.  Benefits are about the same.  My boss, who I have kept up to date throughout this process, is telling me that my current company will likely counter.  I've been asking to be paid fairly for over a year, but I didn't have any leverage, and so they kept kicking the can down the road and not addressing it.  So now, they may counter, either matching the offer from the new job, or maybe a little lower.

Biggest differences are 3 weeks vacation (current) vs 2 (new job) and new job may not have a bonus.  Current job, bonus is not guaranteed, but it usually is about 8-14% of current salary.

There are some perks with the new job, but probably wouldn't counteract the loss in bonus money.

Either way, I am going to have to tell somebody no, and that sucks because I am very thankful for the opportunities from both.
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Take the baseball job.

How many times in a guys life do they get a chance to do THAT?  :headbang:

 
Caesar said:
They are going to offer me the position at my asking price.  It is about a 20% increase over my current.  Benefits are about the same.  My boss, who I have kept up to date throughout this process, is telling me that my current company will likely counter.  I've been asking to be paid fairly for over a year, but I didn't have any leverage, and so they kept kicking the can down the road and not addressing it.  So now, they may counter, either matching the offer from the new job, or maybe a little lower.

Biggest differences are 3 weeks vacation (current) vs 2 (new job) and new job may not have a bonus.  Current job, bonus is not guaranteed, but it usually is about 8-14% of current salary.

There are some perks with the new job, but probably wouldn't counteract the loss in bonus money.

Either way, I am going to have to tell somebody no, and that sucks because I am very thankful for the opportunities from both.
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Negotiate the 3 weeks vacation at the new place.  Most places are willing to give an additional week of vacation.  

Go with the new place if there is any discrepancy in salary.  You tried to get them to compensate you properly for over a year, don't feel bad about leaving.  It is their fault.  The old place will continue with this game and you will have to go through this routine every time you want/deserve a raise.  

 
You sounded pumped about the Reds job. If your job counters tell the Reds about the bonus and I bet they increase the offer. 

 
Caesar said:
They are going to offer me the position at my asking price.  It is about a 20% increase over my current.  Benefits are about the same.  My boss, who I have kept up to date throughout this process, is telling me that my current company will likely counter.  I've been asking to be paid fairly for over a year, but I didn't have any leverage, and so they kept kicking the can down the road and not addressing it.  So now, they may counter, either matching the offer from the new job, or maybe a little lower.

Biggest differences are 3 weeks vacation (current) vs 2 (new job) and new job may not have a bonus.  Current job, bonus is not guaranteed, but it usually is about 8-14% of current salary.

There are some perks with the new job, but probably wouldn't counteract the loss in bonus money.

Either way, I am going to have to tell somebody no, and that sucks because I am very thankful for the opportunities from both.
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Tell the new place you need 3 weeks, that shouldn’t be an issue.  If it is that might give me 2nd thoughts about working there

and id reccomend against taking the counter, I think stats show 80% of people who take a counter are gone within a year

loss of bonus hurts, can you try to get that factored into the new salary?

 
Dan Lambskin said:
Tell the new place you need 3 weeks, that shouldn’t be an issue.  If it is that might give me 2nd thoughts about working there

and id reccomend against taking the counter, I think stats show 80% of people who take a counter are gone within a year

loss of bonus hurts, can you try to get that factored into the new salary?
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I will definitely ask about it.  Bonuses are taxed higher, so I would rather have the guaranteed money.  The good news is that with my current company, the bonus comes out in a couple weeks, and I have already qualified for the full bonus from 2018, so this won't even affect me until next year, if it affects me at all.

A friend of mine said he took a counter from a company once.  Stayed there 4 more years and was miserable.  Regretted it every day.  I am leaning toward the baseball job because I get to combine what I enjoy with something I love (baseball).  I think that is about as much job satisfaction as someone like me can ever really hope for.

 
shadyridr said:
You sounded pumped about the Reds job. If your job counters tell the Reds about the bonus and I bet they increase the offer. 
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I met with over 20 people down there today and they were all really great to talk to.  Lots of excitement for the season, sure, but I think they are just really good people.  That makes a difference because the hardest part about leaving my current is the great people that I work with.

Honestly, I think my company would have to do a lot more than just match base salary, and I just don't see them doing that.  

 
Caesar said:
 The good news is that with my current company, the bonus comes out in a couple weeks, and I have already qualified for the full bonus from 2018,

A friend of mine said he took a counter from a company once.  Stayed there 4 more years and was miserable.  Regretted it every day.  I am leaning toward the baseball job because I get to combine what I enjoy with something I love (baseball).  I think that is about as much job satisfaction as someone like me can ever really hope for.
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Make sure you have that cash in hand before giving any notice to your current employer.  Most companies have a clause that you must be on payroll on the payable date of said bonus.  Hate to see you lose the bonus if you give a 2 week notice tomorrow, only to have your current company accept your resignation effective immediately in order not to pay the bonus. 

Agree 1000% on the 2nd topic.  Been in the staffing/recruiting business for 20+ years and I bet that stat of 80% accepting a counter at their current company are gone in less than 12 months.  Your current company will now question your "loyalty" and as mentioned, you'll be in the same place a couple of years down the road. 

I recommend you going back to the baseball offer and negotiate in that 3rd week of vacation.  Really doesn't cost them a dime.  Depending on your comfort level, could address the possibility of a bonus or maybe a one-time sign on to offset your current situation. 

Good Luck! 

 
Agree with the others in terms of asking for the 3rd week of vacation.  It's usually a no-brainer.  

If you like baseball and the Reds it seems like a pretty easy decision to me.  You are much better off thanking your current employer for the counter and say that it was a tough decision but you are firm.  Leave on a high note with integrity and don't look back.  Accepting a counter is almost always a bad idea.  

Sounds like you are leaving for relatively little difference in comp (I think you do have to factor in bonus) so there must be other reasons for you wanting to leave anyway.  Best of luck!

 
I think most corporate settings have vacation days locked in for all employees and it's often nonnegotiable. I think they rather give more $. Doesn't hurt asking though. 

 
I do a lot of phone interviews. They are generally bad. Remember that and try not to get flustered if you have some awkward silence. They really can go off the rails when someone starts to worry about how they are doing. Relax and remember everyone else is also stuck doing this. 

General interview advice. Remember that you are also interviewing them. Have lots of questions. Also, you want to make sure you convey why you want the job. 

 
Drunken Cowboy said:
I do a lot of phone interviews. They are generally bad. Remember that and try not to get flustered if you have some awkward silence. They really can go off the rails when someone starts to worry about how they are doing. Relax and remember everyone else is also stuck doing this. 

General interview advice. Remember that you are also interviewing them. Have lots of questions. Also, you want to make sure you convey why you want the job. 
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I may be off the mark here, but I think he nailed the phone interview.

 
Caesar said:
I met with over 20 people down there today and they were all really great to talk to.  Lots of excitement for the season, sure, but I think they are just really good people.  That makes a difference because the hardest part about leaving my current is the great people that I work with.

Honestly, I think my company would have to do a lot more than just match base salary, and I just don't see them doing that.  
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Take the new job.  I need some free tickets and extra bobbleheads.

 
  • Laughing
Reactions: Ned
Caesar said:
I will definitely ask about it.  Bonuses are taxed higher, so I would rather have the guaranteed money.  The good news is that with my current company, the bonus comes out in a couple weeks, and I have already qualified for the full bonus from 2018, so this won't even affect me until next year, if it affects me at all.

A friend of mine said he took a counter from a company once.  Stayed there 4 more years and was miserable.  Regretted it every day.  I am leaning toward the baseball job because I get to combine what I enjoy with something I love (baseball).  I think that is about as much job satisfaction as someone like me can ever really hope for.
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I was was in a situation where I wanted an extra week vacation, new company said hands were tied, policy. We ended up settling on giving me more money (3% above what I had already negotiated up, or a bit more / equivalent to 1/52 of pay) and agreed that I could take a week unpaid. Remember there are always multiple solutions to problems / negotiating points - don’t let the discussion be binary. 

FYI your bonus isn’t taxed higher. See here for more info

https://www.biglawinvestor.com/no-supplemental-wage-tax-rate/

 
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shuke said:
1. Be animated/charismatic.

2. Don't worry about filling gaps of silence after you answer your question.

3. Have you notes laid out in front of you.
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I know the phone interview already happened, but this was great advice. 

I like phone interviews because it lets me have all my notes in front of me. I like to think of all the questions I might be asked, and write down the answers ahead of time. 

Also, #1 is a big one. The last phone interview I had was an internal promotion with an executive I had never met previously. I chugged a Red Bull before the interview to give me some extra energy, and made sure I sounded very enthusiastic. After I got the job, my boss told me the reason they went with me was because I came across as very “passionate” during the interview. 

 
shuke said:
Don't do this.

Sorry X.
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I agree for the most part. However, some people I interview just start rambling when I ask a difficult question, and try to come up with an answer on the fly. If you get asked a tough question and you need a few seconds to gather your thoughts before answering, I think responding with, “That’s a great question”, and then taking a second before answering is fine. 

 
wilked said:
I was was in a situation where I wanted an extra week vacation, new company said hands were tied, policy. We ended up settling on giving me more money (3% above what I had already negotiated up, or a bit more / equivalent to 1/52 of pay) and agreed that I could take a week unpaid. Remember there are always multiple solutions to problems / negotiating points - don’t let the discussion be binary. 

FYI your bonus isn’t taxed higher. See here for more info

https://www.biglawinvestor.com/no-supplemental-wage-tax-rate/
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Good information here.  Thanks.

 
Judge Smails said:
Agree with the others in terms of asking for the 3rd week of vacation.  It's usually a no-brainer.  

If you like baseball and the Reds it seems like a pretty easy decision to me.  You are much better off thanking your current employer for the counter and say that it was a tough decision but you are firm.  Leave on a high note with integrity and don't look back.  Accepting a counter is almost always a bad idea.  

Sounds like you are leaving for relatively little difference in comp (I think you do have to factor in bonus) so there must be other reasons for you wanting to leave anyway.  Best of luck!
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Yes.  This is what I am thinking as well.  I think I will be happier in the new job.  I do have other reasons, but I will keep those to myself for now.  

Its just a really cool opportunity that I will likely never have again.  

 
@Caesar  - can you say what the job is?   I don't mean exact details - is it IT, sales etc?

just curious.  

I have a friend that works for the Royals

 
Similar situation here in regards to PTO. Am starting a new job in 2 weeks. I asked for 5+ weeks of PTO, they offered 4+. I didn't budge and kept fighting the "work life balance is extremely important to my family" shtick. They said they couldn't offer that much because it would place me above folks who had been there for 5+ years. This place does offer the option to buy PTO pre-tax at the date of hire. So instead of upping the actual PTO, they offered me X additional salary to basically balance out my purchasing an additional week.

 
shadyridr said:
I think most corporate settings have vacation days locked in for all employees and it's often nonnegotiable. I think they rather give more $. Doesn't hurt asking though. 
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This has been my experience as well.  I figured it would be an easy thing to negotiate but I have found that there has been very little wiggle room on additional vacation time. 

 
belljr said:
@Caesar  - can you say what the job is?   I don't mean exact details - is it IT, sales etc?

just curious.  

I have a friend that works for the Royals
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I prefer to hold off on that right now publicly. Nothing is guaranteed yet but i will post it assuming everything works out. I will say its a new position they just created, but it takes over multiple responsibilities.

 
Caesar said:
I prefer to hold off on that right now publicly. Nothing is guaranteed yet but i will post it assuming everything works out. I will say its a new position they just created, but it takes over multiple responsibilities.
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cool. no worries.  if you dont feel comfortable i completely understand.  

 
One thing to consider is that even if your current company matches the other offer, it took the threat of leaving to get it.  I never felt comfortable with that because they knew I was wiling to leave and because why didn't they give me that money prior to the threat?

Not saying it should be your deciding factor, but it's definitely something to keep in mind.

 
Caesar said:
I prefer to hold off on that right now publicly. Nothing is guaranteed yet but i will post it assuming everything works out. I will say its a new position they just created, but it takes over multiple responsibilities.
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Assistant to the traveling secretary?

edit - damn too slow

 
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TheIronSheik said:
One thing to consider is that even if your current company matches the other offer, it took the threat of leaving to get it.  I never felt comfortable with that because they knew I was wiling to leave and because why didn't they give me that money prior to the threat?

Not saying it should be your deciding factor, but it's definitely something to keep in mind.
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I honestly never look back no matter what.  In my field, most employers won’t try to keep you.  There’s a whole lot of reasons I’m leaving a job and nothing (including 💰) will make me want to reconsider.

 
TheIronSheik said:
One thing to consider is that even if your current company matches the other offer, it took the threat of leaving to get it.  I never felt comfortable with that because they knew I was wiling to leave and because why didn't they give me that money prior to the threat?

Not saying it should be your deciding factor, but it's definitely something to keep in mind.
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This is actually BIG in how I feel about this.  It just shows they had the ability all along to do it.  Even though it is one of the top 50 companies in the US, there was never a question about ability.  It was about their willingness to even ask for it from the people who could make that decision.  Even if that decision had been "no", I would have at least felt like they tried, but they didn't even submit the request.

 
Caesar said:
This is actually BIG in how I feel about this.  It just shows they had the ability all along to do it.  Even though it is one of the top 50 companies in the US, there was never a question about ability.  It was about their willingness to even ask for it from the people who could make that decision.  Even if that decision had been "no", I would have at least felt like they tried, but they didn't even submit the request.
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Jeez man, get off the johnny bench already and accept this new job. I got all kinds of good baseball jokes teed up already. 

 
ChiefD said:
Jeez man, get off the johnny bench already and accept this new job. I got all kinds of good baseball jokes teed up already. 
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I wish.  Busy time of year over there and I might not see anything on paper until Monday.  

 
My only phone interview was for a job in a field in which I had 10 years of experience. The first ten minutes of the interview was the panel reviewing my resume. 40 minutes into the interview (panel of four), the one guy who hasn't said anything the entire time interrupts me and asks, "Do you have a science degree?" I say, "No, I have a degree in Archeology." He says the job requires a science degree, which was not listed as a minimum or preferred qualification. The panel lead says, "Oh, well, we were very clear that we needed someone with a science background. I guess we are done."

At this point I said, "What the hell" out loud. I was completely taken off-guard. 

By the way, the job was in the field I currently work in and there is no reason that I can think of that would require a science background. It was weird.

I hate phone interviews.

 
Cold Dead Hands said:
My only phone interview was for a job in a field in which I had 10 years of experience. The first ten minutes of the interview was the panel reviewing my resume. 40 minutes into the interview (panel of four), the one guy who hasn't said anything the entire time interrupts me and asks, "Do you have a science degree?" I say, "No, I have a degree in Archeology." He says the job requires a science degree, which was not listed as a minimum or preferred qualification. The panel lead says, "Oh, well, we were very clear that we needed someone with a science background. I guess we are done."

At this point I said, "What the hell" out loud. I was completely taken off-guard. 

By the way, the job was in the field I currently work in and there is no reason that I can think of that would require a science background. It was weird.

I hate phone interviews.
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Every panel has a code word or phrase to end the interview if they don't like the candidate. 

 
The only thing counter-offers are good for is the additional negotiating leverage they give you with the new company. "My current company has made a compelling counter offer, but if we could work out this extra week of vacation somehow, that would make this a no-brainer."

 
I have decided to accept the position with the Reds.  It really wasn't too difficult of a choice.  

Pending a background check, I will start around the first week of March.  GO REDS!!

 
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