Cornelia “Coya” Knutson always wanted to become an opera singer. It was a distant dream for a girl born in 1912 and raised on a small farm in North Dakota, but she went for it. After earning her degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, Knutson was admitted to the Juilliard School of Music. A year into it, though, she decided a career in music wasn’t for her.
Did you know that in the state of MN, hiring managers can not ask about your current salary or salary history? Instead, they must rephrase the salary question to inquire about your salary targets.
That question – or any of its many variations – initiates one of the trickiest, most consequential decisions you’ll have to make when communicating with a potential employer.
How should you respond?
With forethought, a well-prepared answer, and a clear, confident tone, sure.
But what should you say?
That depends… on a number of factors.
If you write “salary negotiable” on the application, it might keep you in the running and buy you some time to figure out a more specific response. However employers are looking for candidates who understand the market, know themselves, and are confident placing a dollar figure on their professional worth. If you just keep dodging the question by saying it’s all negotiable, you look timid and unprepared for the actual negotiation.
At the same time, your answer needs to vary from employer to employer. Here’s how to determine – and adjust – your response for each opportunity:
As part of the sweeping employment changes that were signed into law in the summer of 2023, Minnesota’s new pay history ban goes into effect on January 1, 2024. Why the ban and how will it affect the hiring process going forward?
For most jobseekers, December is traditionally written off on the assumption that employers delay filling new vacancies until the New Year hangover has worn off.
That’s a myth.
At SkyWater, December is frequently one of our best months for placing candidates and our hiring activity continues throughout the holiday season. Don’t put the brakes on your job search. For candidates, the holiday season is the perfect time to secure that elusive job offer and end the year on a professional high. Here’s why:
Here’s How to Find, Recruit, and Hire Today’s Top Candidates
Even in our state’s sustained, historic low unemployment, a small wave of layoffs has been disrupting the lives of a growing number of Minnesotans. If it happens to you, take these 6 smart steps next.
In his classic 1974 book, Working, Studs Terkel interviews Americans about “what they do all day and how they feel about what they do.” It covers a broad swath of 1970s jobs, from farming the land, to coaching a football team, to being a comedian. In some ways, the book now reads like a peek into a time capsule; we don’t have switchboards or their operators anymore. But at its core, the book is timeless – and more timely – than ever.
Over the past many months, we have all watched as the term DEI (for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) gets batted around by political figures, the media, and of course, social media.
Before I continue, let’s pause to acknowledge the obvious. These three words, “Diversity,” “Equity,” and “Inclusion” are self-explanatory:
Juneteenth is a newer national holiday, and as such, many of us have the day off work. Do take a minute to think about why this day has become a national holiday. Think about your workplace and how you and your colleagues can be inclusive an welcoming to coworkers with different backgrounds and life experiences from your own.
2023 is set to see an increase in employee turnover with at least three-quarters of the American workforce actively pursuing alternative employment. It’s a trend that is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, but as a candidate, how do you know when it’s time for a change?
These are some of the reasons we hear most frequently at SkyWater in no particular order (and it’s not all about the money):
