HOPE 2024 Workshop - Negotiating a new job Resumes and Interview Techniques Workshop.pptx

This interactive workshop will help you turn job interviews from nerve-wracking gauntlets to casual conversations that land you the job – or help you avoid the jobs you don’t want. Whether you are trying to get your first cyber security job, or are looking to progress your career, this workshop will help you, by working through:
* How to spot and fix common mistakes on CVs/resumes.
* How to showcase your skills and experience.
* Common interview techniques, questions, and how to respond.
* How to negotiate salaries and compensation.
* Employer red flags: weeding out the bad gigs.

This will be a practical workshop, so expect lots of participation and engagement.

1. Negotiating a new job: Resumes and Interview Techniques Workshop Tom Kranz, HOPE XV 2024

2. Context: my interview experience When hiring: Conduct 20-25 interviews per month. Hired 35 positions in a single year when growing a consulting practice. When applying: Attend 15-20 interviews per month when looking for a role. At my busiest, worked with 6 different clients in a year.

3. Context: what does hiring look like? 2024 Hard Mode Edition

4. What is the point of CVs and interviews? Your CV: A chance to get an interview. The interview: A chance for you to see if a company is worth investing your time and energy in.

5. CV vs LinkedIn – and covering letters Your CV – a ~3 page summary of your most relevant work and achievements. Think résumé – résumér – to summarise. Your LinkedIn – a rich, expanded view of your career and other achievements. Think curriculum vitae – CV – Course of Life. The covering letter: a brief summary of 2-3 major achievements.

6. Fixing common CV mistakes Take ownership: talk about “I” not “we”. Facts and figures: put numbers and values on everything. Keep it short: 2-3 pages max. If you don’t have a big (or relevant) job history, showcase your experience: Open source projects you’re involved in. Talks you’ve given. Blogs or articles you’ve written. Please don’t lie.

7. Cheat (hack the system) MBA schools teach their students how to interview and how to build excellent CVs. Why re-invent the wheel? https://cdn.uconnectlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/208/2024/05/Yale_SOM_Resume_Samples.pdf

8. LinkedIn dos and don’ts DO: Throw relevant content into your profile – make it rich and varied. Network, network, network. Ask questions in groups, offer introductions, offer to help. Contact recruiters and hiring managers directly (even if there’s no advertised job). Use a cover letter. DON’T: Mash the Easy Apply button. Contact people out of the blue and expect them to help. Think about applying before doing your prep work!

9. Cover letters Why are you the perfect person for the role? Match your skills with their job description. Tell a story of how you go there. Show that you have researched the company and gig. I was impressed to read that your VP of Sales had recently defrauded an orphanage. Your CEO’s recent talk at Davos on eating the poor was inspirational. Learn from the best: https://cdn.cdo.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/67/2019/07/Cover-Letter-Sample-Packet-Revised-2017-2018.pdf

10. Prep work: where do you want to go? What do you want to do now? What do you want to do in your career? Where do you want to end up? This is your job spec. Match it against the jobs you apply to.

11. Trimodal salaries – local, country, global https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/software-engineering-salaries-in-the-netherlands-and-europe/

12. Prep work: research the gig Look up company details and reputation: Glassdoor Social media (LinkedIn, Reddit) Check the advert against your job description. Check salary ranges. Do you know anyone who works there? Would you want to work with them? Will this role help you progress your career goals?

13. Your goals in an interview Is the actual job what was advertised? Do I want to work here? Does this job match up with my requirements? Is this worth the money? Do the interviewers pass the Airport Test?

14. Answering questions: the STAR framework SITUATION I was up for re-election. TASK I needed to retain power. ACTION At my suggestion, foaming-at-the-mouth imbeciles stormed the Capitol and tried to get the VP hanged. RESULT I successfully undermined democracy and almost started a civil war.

15. Interview the interviewers What are your expectations for me in this role? What’s the most important thing I should accomplish in the first 90 days? What are the most immediate projects that I would take on? What types of skills is the team missing that you’re looking to fill with a new hire? What are the biggest challenges that I might face in this position? What gets you most excited about the company’s future? How has the company changed over the last few years?

16. Negotiating salaries Research what the market rate is for the regions you want to work in/from : LinkedIn Glassdoor Have a figure in mind: know what you want. You will always get negotiated down: so start by asking 20-25% more than you want. Secure a decent base salary: everything else is a distraction . Salary always better than stock options. As with any sale: always be prepared to walk away if you can’t get what you want.

17. Spotting red flags Founders/exec team are criminals. Really. Salary is well below your benchmarked market rate. “Fast faced environment” but its not a start-up. “We’re like family” – oh god no. Expecting you to pay back your training costs if you leave. Interviewer dodges or deflects your questions. Interviewer is surprised you’re asking hard questions. They are against remote/hybrid working (unless they are a consultancy).

18. Questions?