|
Getting the Answers
Experts respond to some of the questions most frequently asked
of the Healthcare Executive Career Resource Center.
I
need information on representative salary, benefits, and
terms such as severance agreements that are associated
with a position for which I am interviewing. Where can
I get that information?
Salary and benefits data is the easiest to find, simply because
there have been so many surveys covering compensation.
If you are an early careerist, the Occupational Outlook
Handbook from the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics
offers salary information for a wide range of professions.
If you are further along in your career, surveys and studies
conducted by consulting firms, associations, or other
groups on a national, regional, state/provincial, or local
level are generally available for purchase from the organization
that conducted or sponsored them; however, they can be
quite expensive. Instead, look for the results of those
surveys in trade magazines, journals, newsletters, and
books, or in some cases, on the Internet.
Statistics on severance agreements are available from the above sources,
but one of your best resources for this information is
your professional network. Talk to friends and colleagues
in healthcare management, as well as those at similar
career levels in other fields to find out more about severance
agreements and other employment contract issues.
Many job hunters spend a lot of time researching an organization’s
background to prepare for an interview or respond to an
offer, but they neglect to research compensation and severance
agreements. A little legwork at the start of a job search
will tell you what you are worth and help you get it.
Michael A. Broscio, Director, Scherer Schneider Paulick
I was recently “downsized” out of a senior management position.
As I interview for new positions, how and when should
I address the fact that I am currently unemployed?
Employers today are much more receptive to candidates who are unemployed
than they were in the past. Downsizing in the healthcare
field is quite common; in addition, as organizations reengineer
and reorganize, a lot of people are leaving jobs voluntarily.
Therefore, I encourage job hunters to be candid about
unemployment early in the process.
The fact that you’re currently unemployed will be apparent
from your resume, so you should acknowledge it in your
cover letter. But don’t go into great detail: save that
for the interview. Instead, write something like, “Most
recently, I was a [title] at [organization]...I would
be happy to talk to you about my reasons for departing.”
The interview, whether on the phone or in person, is your
opportunity to clarify the extenuating circumstances.
Have a concise, specific explanation prepared. Discuss
the organizational circumstances surrounding your departure,
whether it was downsizing, reengineering, or moving in
a new strategic direction. If it was a mutual parting
of the ways, say so. And always be positive: never refer
to yourself as a “victim” (as in “I was a victim of downsizing”)
and never put down your former superior or organization.
Also, be sure to have at least two references from your last
place of employment, and talk to them ahead of time to
make sure you see the situation the same way. If a reference
inadvertently gives a different interpretation of the
circumstances surrounding your departure, it will reflect
badly on you.
The most important thing you must do in this situation is
be honest. The worst thing you can do is avoid acknowledging
your unemployment; it can give the appearance of deception,
and the last thing any organization wants is a dishonest
employee.
Robin W. Singleton, CHE, Senior Vice President, Tyler & Company
Do you have a career development question you’d like to see
answered in the Careers column?
Mail it to Healthcare Executive, One North
Franklin St., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60606-3529;
or e-mail it to the editor of Healthcare
Executive.
|
