Women in Big Data in Silicon Valley hosted a virtual workshop on November 2nd, 2020, which is the last workshop of 2020’s WiBD Communication & Career Growth Series with Robert (Bob) G. Loftis. In this series of workshops, Bob taught W

WiBD members a comprehensive set of skills useful in the quest for finding our next job opportunity. This engaging workshop provided the tools to know one’s value and learn how to negotiate.

Through several real-life examples of Bob’s clients, the audience learned how to estimate a fair compensation range, options for getting what one deserves, language that shows one’s talent, confidence and willingness, and tips to practice in asking respectfully, with curiosity and assertiveness.

Key take-aways

• Natural assertiveness is more conducive to negotiations than overconfidence and arrogance.
• While negotiating, it is important to demonstrate willingness to compromise, while being naturally assertive.
• Research what’s reasonable, calculate your required expenses, and understand your lifestyle aspirations before negotiating for compensation.
• Full compensation includes bonuses, stock options, retirement contributions, vacations, relocation and other benefits. These need to be considered along with base salary.
• The keys to negotiating respectfully are to emphasize how you value the job offer, how excited you are about the position and team, and how you can add value and contribute towards business growth, while  showcasing your previous quantifiable successes.

This event was organized by WiBD volunteers Regina Karson, Stella Mashkevitch, Mridula Allani and Eliana Castillo. Thank you all for continuing to deliver valuable development opportunities for our community during these tough times.

Click here to replay the event. Handouts for this workshop can be downloaded by clicking here. Resources from previous workshops in this series can be found in links below.

Resources from previous workshops in this Series

March, 2020 – Your Professional Brand and Career Strategy

• How values inform your brand, one that you want people to recognize.
• Practice in crafting your brand statement, positioning statement.
• How to create an Aim for your career in 3, 5, or 10 years.
• How SMART goals track your path toward your Aim.

April, 2020 – Speaking Your Successes, Strengthening Your Resume

• How to quantify your project successes.
• What recruiters look for.
• Matching your achievements to job descriptions and promotion requirements.
• Creating a human-voiced resume that gets attention.

June 2020 – Using Linkedin for Networking and Visibility

• Key elements for attracting views.
• Brevity and action language.
• Building your connections for job stability.
• Tips for best practices.

August, 2020 – How To Interview So They Hire You

• Guidelines for making best impressions.
• The importance of research.
• Typical questions and suggested responses.
• Importance of informational interviewing.