5 Mistakes That Can Jeopardize a Job Offer

5 Mistakes That Can Jeopardize a Job Offer5 Mistakes That Can Jeopardize a Job OfferYouve worked tirelessly to find a new accounting job. After sending resume after resume, attending a zillion networking functions and spending countless hurs scouring online job boards, youve received an employment offer. CongratulationsNow, be really, really careful.Job offers arent written in stone, so its important not to mismanage the negotiating process. One wrong move, and that job youve worked so hard to get can slip through your flosses. Here are five common errors and tips for avoiding them1. You dont do your salary research.Yes, its smart to do some salary negotiation, but dont overplay your hand by demanding exorbitant pay thats far above the going rate in your area. Prior to heading to the negotiating table, review current compensation trends for your position and geographic location. Check out resources such as the 2018 Robert Half Salary Guide to learn what salary range you can safely co mmand for the role youre being offered. 2. You dont quit while youre ahead.If youve gone back and forth with the employer on compensation, perks and vacation time, and you end up with all of your requests met, dont keep pushing for more just to see what else you might be able to squeeze out. Greediness is not a trait employers seek or admire in new hires. Candidates create problems for themselves when they overestimate the leverage they have or a busy hiring managers patience for playing games.3. You act arrogant.Negotiations with an employer should be serious but friendly. Remember You are not haggling with a used car salesperson youll never see again. You wont do yourself any favors by taking an adversarial tone or issuing an ultimatum. Saying youre insulted by the salary offered or threatening to walk away if your demands arent met is a badeanstalt strategy. If you take the risk of playing hardball, yo u better at least be poised, professional and pleasant.4. You overshare.When youre mulling over a job offer, be careful about what you divulge online. There are many cautionary tales of people whove shot themselves in the foot by using Facebook or Twitter to comment on would-be employers or publicly weigh the pros and cons of accepting an offer. Simply put, you never know who might see your posts. Even if the lack of discretion doesnt lead to the offer being rescinded, the employer will likely question your judgment - which is not a great way to start a relationship.5. You fib.Some organizations extend job offers before theyve completed all their background and reference checks. In most cases, this is just a formality. But the job offer could be jeopardized if the employer finds that you embellished your resume or fudged some facts in the interview. In addition, never claim to have a job offer from a competing company if thats not the case. More than a few job candidates have had t heir bluffs called and ended up with nothing.Need some help from a staffing agency to prevent making a mistake with a temporary job offer? Work with our Accountemps recruiters.

4 Ways to Build an AWESOME Virtual Network

4 Ways to Build an AWESOME Virtual Network4 Ways to Build an AWESOME Virtual Network38Everyone knows its important to network. In fact, a recent survey from Jobvite found that 40 percent of job seekers found their favorite or best job through their personal connections. But even if youre not looking for a job right now, its critical to have a good network. But does that mean you need to drag yourself to in-person networking events every week? No way Although these in-person events are important, its not realistic for everyone to attend them on a regular basis. Whether youre finding new clients or new opportunities, virtual networking is crucial to your success.You have a life outside of work, and we get that. Thats why we compiled a list of virtual networking alternatives for you.Check out these ways to build an awesome virtual network (all from the comfort of your couch)BloggingWhether youre looking for a new job, or youre trying to build up your client base, maintaining a blog is 1 00 percent necessary for building your online brand. This is the distributions-mix where you can brand yourself, your skills, and your expertise.So, how does blogging help you network? Well, chances are, youre in a particular niche, right? You can use your blog as an excuse to reach out to like-minded professionals and clients. You can ask for article interviews, guest posting requests, or even content partnerships. This is an easy, fun way to build relationships with people in your industry. Not only that, but youll build your brand as an influencer in the industry- this proves that youre committed to your field of expertise.LinkedIn GroupsWhen you first got a LinkedIn profile, you probably joined a bunch of LinkedIn groups. What have you done with them since then? Probably not too much.Well, turns out, LinkedIn groups are a great way to find and connect with people who share your interests and expertise. Whether its sharing a relevant article or engaging in discussion with another member, make an effort to contribute to your groups at least once per week. Check out this post for more tips on using LinkedIn groups to your advantage.Virtual Networking EventsIts no surprise that virtual networking events are growing in popularity. Not only is it convenient, inexpensive, and less awkward than in-person networking events, its also a blast Its a great option for those who value flexibility. For the most part, you can join when youd like and leave when you want.Mingle, a virtual networking event powered by CAREEREALISM and Brazen Careerist, is a fun, easy way to jump into the virtual networking world.Social MediaIts amazing what you can do today thanks to social media. You can follow influencers like Richard Branson, tweet Jimmy Fallon, and like Mindy Kalings Instagram photos. Thanks to social media, we have the power to reach out to virtually anyone we want. Crazy, right?With these tools, you can be fearless in your networking. You can take your networking efforts into your own hands and reach out to people you probably never would have had the opportunity to meet 25 years ago. Take advantage of itCheck out this article to learn how you can network more effectively via social media.What are some other ways to get into virtual networking? We want to know Please tell us your favorite virtual networking tools in the comment section below.Ariella Coombs is the managing editor of CAREEREALISM. Shes a wicked career nerd, and loves finding ways to make career more fun. Follow her on TwitterAriellaCoombs

How to improve yourself to influence your teams

How to improve yourself to influence your teamsHow to improve yourself to influence your teamsHave you heard the old adage, There is no I in team? Well, we beg to differ. Most people equate the I to themselves, but we equate it to influence. Rotary International has a slogan Service Above Self. We agree with the sentiment, partially, because you cannot serve to the best of your ability without first being your best self.We believe that the best way to influence your team is to first be the best you can be for yourself. To accomplish this in todays technologically driven world, you need to understand yourself and the influence the outside world has on you.Slow downThe most common piece of advice we give to people on a daily grund is to slow down.Today, we do things at a pace that is inherently fast. We almost exclusively communicate via email, text message, and social media all of which have accustomed us to receiving answers more rapidly. Hasty replies tamper with our ability to thin k through emotion, meaning that our replies are often emotional and not always indicative of our overall intended reply. Technology has pushed us to move quickly, where we multi-task and navigate through our day at the same break-neck speed we communicate in.The demands our world has on us to respond and move quickly creates a work culture where negative emotion, anxiety, and mistakes dominate. Beyond this, we also see a lack of attention to details and a tendency to not focus on the benefits of stability, growth, and personal and organizational success.If you slow down and focus your mind, you will find that you perform faster. Giving one hundred percent of your brains power to a task will help you complete it quickly and with more accuracy than if you are dividing your brains power. You may be wondering, How do I slow down? The first step is to recognize the areas of your life where you may be forgetful, backtrack, or completely lose track. In those areas, try to create a pause th at will help you reflect on the current situation tell yourself repeatedly to stay in the present.You will see improvements quickly and find that you are more aware and more efficient. Benefiting from the act of slowing down will take time, but if your goal is to influence your team, you need to objectively view yourself with patience, purpose, and an open mind.ichEgo goes beyond instinctual actions. Ego is purely human, and it can be positive or negative. Ego is your sense of identity, and it can help or hinder you. Ego influences your personality, action, communication, and perception.Do you consider yourself to be the best at what you do? Do you rely on this sentiment to bolster your self-worth? Or, do you use this as a means to empower and create a sense of belonging for others? When we use ego for singular gain, it may make us feel good internally, but it degrades what we are using to make us feel good. Its okay to pat yourself on the back and recognize your achievements, but n ever lose sight of who or what else contributes to that greatness.Our advice regarding ego is to determine how ego plays a role in your life and where it may be helping or hindering you. Ego is not always good or bad when ego is understood and kept in context of the present moment, you will begin to live more intentionally.Self-reflectionSelf-reflection starts with being honest and humble with yourself. If you really want to grow, then you need to face your demons. How you control and react to things in your life that you are good at and that challenge you are equally important.During the self-reflection process, you may not like what you discover it may scare the living bejesus out of you. But if your goal is to be someone who you are not today, then you must go through the entire process of understanding who you are so you can be the person you want to be in the future. If you find that living one way and being another is exhausting or creating chaos in your life, begin with being honest about the contradictions you live with and identify which of those you feel comfortable with and which need to be rectified.How to begin self-reflection may be a challenge looking at your internal mirror can cause anxiety. Our advice for self-reflection is writing or documenting a life timeline. Creating a life timeline means documenting your life in a timeline-like fashion with events that occurred over your life and identifying where some of your quirks, anxieties, or temperaments were developed.Questions you can ask yourself to aid in self-reflectionWhy am I friends with ?Why do I live in ?Why did I make the decision to ?What motivates me to ?Why am I influenced by ?These questions will undoubtedly create others. Thats why writing them down on a timeline can help you reach a conclusion to your original question.Self-reflection will be the most intimate thing you will ever do. It may scare you. It may anger you. It will change you. Only you can control what you ask your self. Regardless of who you are now, you will be different tomorrow. That difference, in the end, is controlled by you and those who influence you.Improving yourself through slowing down and self-reflection will allow you to positively influence the people in your life that are part of your individual teams (work, family, friends, etc.). The most responsibility you have as a human being is your influence on others.Dr. Brian Smith?has a PhD in organizational psychology, a masters degree in management information systems, a bachelors degree in accounting, and is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt Consultant. Brian has been helping business owners and managers since 1988. His company, IA Business Advisors (a DBA of Individual Advantages), has helped over eighteen thousand clients since 1996. He is the author of the newly released book Individual Advantages Find the I in Team.