Career Q & A
By Alan Kearns
July 5, 2004
I am a 33-year-old Canadian who has been living in London, England
for the past 5 years, working as an employment and development manager for
a social enterprise. I would like to return home in September 2005 and work
in a similar role. However, when I look at the jobs currently available
they never mention a salary or even a salary range. Instead they ask the
applicant to state their expected pay. Could you please advise me on salary
expectations, when I should start my job search, and whether Canadian employers
are willing to use technology to interview or if I will have to be in Canada.
Location is an issue in a job search, but not as big an issue as it may
seem. It will take more time however, so it is best to start your job search
sooner rather than later. The physical distance between you and your employment
opportunities presents new challenges. For instance you may have very few
contacts and it is more difficult (and expensive) to get in touch with potential
employers. Take action to build and leverage your network on this end. Have
them make introductions and explain your situation. It is important for
you to be organized and persistent in your job search.
Your network can only take you so far however. It may be most beneficial
for you to take one or two "vacations" to research opportunities
in your new location, as well as build your network. Target different organizations
on your trip. Use this time for face-to-face meetings and informational
interviews in the new market.
The same rules apply for any job search; you have to present yourself to
these new organizations as someone they need on their team. If you have
done so, they will no doubt be considerate of your situation and will be
able to accommodate with conference calls, phone interviews, etc. By starting
your job search early, you not only give yourself adequate time to plan
for your move, but you also give your potential employers time to plan for
and make adjustments for your arrival.
In terms of your salary expectations with these potential new employers,
they are looking for another way to narrow their choices for potential employees.
This is where research into the area and organization is most important.
There are many factors to research that will impact what salary you should
expect, such as: the organization's budget; how many staff you will have;
what budget you are responsible for; as well as geographical location. You
have to consider what you are worth, what you would bring to the organization,
and ultimately what your bottom line is.
An easy answer to the question of salary expectations may be "salary is
negotiable". It is important though to consider salary versus total compensation.
Salary can be negotiable based on factors such as vacation time, educational
opportunities, flexibility in hours, etc. Also, given that you are returning
to Canada from abroad, it may be beneficial in the long run to look at a
new position with a lower salary as a strategic move - one that could result
in a great opportunity later in your career. Consider not only what you
are worth, but what you can earn.
Alan Kearns is the Head Coach and the Brand Champion! of CareerJoy.
He is one of Canada's foremost experts on all things career. With more than
14 years of experience coaching people through successful career changes,
he brings an intimate knowledge of the entire transition process to all of
his clients. To contact Alan about paid professional services, e-mail alan@careerjoy.com
or visit his web site www.careerjoy.com.
To submit a question for a future column, please e-mail it to careercoach@charityvillage.com.
No identifying information will appear in this column.
