I don't track this.. It's uncommon to fail probation but shit happens. Most cases, they will extend the probationary period for another 3 months for the employee to buck up.

Hi there
Sorry to hear of your unpleasant experience. No answer to this honestly - it's simply a mismatch of expectations and poor role fit. Either your CV is not clear or the Recruiter does not have a thorough understanding of the role. It happens.

Congrats on still securing another role - wouldn't say they're "comforting" you - it's an expensive form of 'comfort' to offer you a job. I think the COO and CFO genuinely think you're a good candidate for another role during the interview so they decided to take the leap of faith and make an offer. Some roles are never advertised for various reasons (confidential roles, newly created role, a role with good pipeline of candidates so they didn't bother advertising.

The honest answer is yes, for some companies but not all of them.. But the first interview (if well prepped) should be able to eliminate all of that.
If you do happen to have gaps in your career, be sure to state the reason for each and every single one of them. As long as the gaps are justified, it should be fine.
The best gaps are entrepreneurial gaps where candidates went to start a business/venture that didn't work out so I will not be ashamed of that at all. As far as I know, many start ups love candidates with a combination experience in corporate and self employment - the key learning of running your own business is steep and you'll wear many hats - make sure you have a bunch of interesting stories to tell (both the good and the bad).

Hi sorry for the late reply

1. If this is an established company, yes they may drop you as the entire recruitment process is not complete.
2. I don't think they need to verify your salary by contacting your HR - they can do that with your recent payslips or EA form?

Usually background checks are to check your CCRIS, criminal records - not so much on your work performance - that's a reference check with an ex-manager.
When there is a background check, it's the final step of the process, you're pretty much hired as long as your check comes out clean!

Hello!

I get where you're coming from - jack of all trades but master of none. For someone like you with 19 years of mixed experience, I'd recommend you go for small/medium sized businesses where specialisation is not as important as 'general management'. Most larger corporation would want their Directors/Senior Managers to have a long stint of experience in that particular field whereas smaller businesses org structure aren't that defined. Most GMs wear multiple hats so your profile would fit right in!

Hi there - of course NOT. It's very common.
It's a free economy where employers are free to meet new candidates/vice versa -they have no rights to terminate you even if you're interviewing elsewhere; in fact if you're a good employee, they should use all means to retain you. However the unspoken rule is to maintain a high level of secrecy if you're interviewing elsewhere - you wouldn't want anyone to know so your application is not 'sabotaged' - not in a bad way per se but you'd want to avoid rumours circulating you're looking out to ensure you have the best chance at your new role. Or if you don't end up getting the new role - it's ok to stay and totally not awkward if nobody knows about your previous job hunt.

This is a very uncommon practice and unheard of. Background check will require consent from the candidate (you) and is usually done towards the final stage of the process so you can have the peace of mind (if you track record is clean).

There's so many questions on background checks and verifications. It seems like this is a common pain point for most candidates here.

A small tip : Only authorise background checks towards the final stage of your recruitment process. Ask for a conditional offer before they contact any of your references/company's HR. There's usually a clause stating the offer is valid subject to the clearance of background/medical check.....
Contacting your current employer without your consent is not exactly illegal but highly unethical in the industry. If they do this without your consent, it's a big red flag to you if this is a company worth joining.

Second tip: DO NOT fake payslips please. This is illegal and you may face termination if they find out later (I've seen a few cases in my life) - if this ever happens to you, it'll be 10X harder for you to find a new job in the future. Be honest and NEGOTIATE HARD instead.

This post has been edited by mimikw: Mar 28 2022, 09:21 AM

This really depends on the company; for most start ups/IT companies, it's very common to see candidates moving roles every 2 years, most of the time for bigger role, bigger salary, bigger scope - so there's nothing wrong with that. If you've grown bigger than your role, it's a clear tell tale sign for you to move on. In fact some companies love candidates who seek challenges beyond their comfort zone.

Can't say the same for more established, traditional companies (easiest way to tell is to see the average YoE of the current Directors/Managers); if everyone has been around for 10 years, oh yes your short stints could be a red flag for them as they often relate job hopping = having loyalty issue which is a big NO for some hiring managers.

In the end of the day, it depends on how your narrate your experience and your reasons for leaving - if you leave purely for more money or cos your previous job sucks, chances are you will leave very soon if shit hits the fan again in your next role or when a new company dangle a fat carrot in front of you - so we tend to avoid these candidates.
If you leave cos your role is simply not challenging enough or due to company growth, it's then partially the company's responsibility to keep you excited and motivated by crafting better scope for you as you progress with them.

Nothing is set in stone until you sign the contract so nego along.
However, most benefits are fixed as benefits are often tied to all employees of a certain grade so there's usually minimal wiggle room here. The best you can do is to renegotiate your base salary as this component varies highly depending on your negotiation skills. Also, sign on bonus is also another variable that is usually doable if negotiated correctly.

As for the base, the average is 15%; if you get anything above this; you should consider yourself lucky, anything more than 20% is already a bonus. But if you really want more, you'll need to justify (another higher offer perhaps? an impending internal promotion? high inflation?) - key to a successful negotiation is not to show you're eager to accept the offer. Play hard to get.

On sign on bonus; Have a list of your current benefits (in dollar value), potential future increment/adjustment/ and what you may lose out if you leave; convert this to a dollar amount and ask for this to be compensated in form of a sign on bonus.

Helloo

Working for an NGO is no easy feat so you deserve a pat in the back for the last 15 years of hard work. I'm glad you've decided not to look back in remorse and tbh your career trajectory is fine; Idk why you sounded quite grim in your post. You've good tenure and picked up some valuable skills over the years as an IT Manager. As a matter of fact, high growth start ups or small-medium size enterprises may appreciate your 'jack of all trade' experience more so than a IT Specialist from a large, established MNC with set processes in place as you'll probably be better at navigating uncertainties and wouldn't mind getting your hands dirty!

1. Start with furnishing up your CV - highlighting your key achievements and projects over the years especially stuff that are relevant in today's market.
2. Showcase career trajectory on your CV (It shouldn't be you doing the same role for 15 years > you should be adding more responsibilities/getting promoted as you advanced through the years.
3. Being in the same company for 15 years could be a double edged sword as some may not see you as being versatile/adaptable so do highlight any collaborations/partnerships you've done with other entities outside of your company.
4. Leadership experience should be present on your CV especially if you've worked for 15 years. # of teams/people managed direct or indirect
5. Are your hard skills up to date? Do you need any additional skills in your field to reflect your worth? If you don't, worth taking up a couple of extra courses to stay relevant?
6. Start your market map - what industry would be the closest fit to your experience and start pooling these companies and start applying! (Best bet are direct/indirect competitors/similar industries/mid sized companies that values tenure over pedigree).

Good luck!!