Making your pie and getting a piece of it yourself

By Christopher DeLong

I do a lot of English assessment interviews and I notice several things about the people that I interview. They almost always have a hard time talking about themselves. When I ask them what they are good at, or what they have done as highlights in their career, I always get some pushback as people are generally embarrassed to talk about their talents and skills. Once they warm up to me, I can see that some of them are potentially great negotiators and they light up as they explain their talents and accomplishments. I believe that most people think that it is wrong to talk well about their gifts and talents, but they need to have an argument ready to defend or highlight their hard work.

Be seen

I was often referred to as a brownie or a brown nose for treating my bosses and coworkers so well, as well as my classmates and teachers in school. I was raised in a way that made it necessary for me to make friends easily and quickly, and I continued with that mentality into my adulthood. My roots might not have run deep, but I was able to befriend others and help them as they helped me. It was never a problem for me to toot my own horn and I never let it get to the point of bragging I believe. Never be afraid to let your boss know what you are doing and always look for opportunities to do more.

?Now might not be the best time

A company is not always clear with its workers about how it is doing and the direction that it is going in. There are things in the pipe works that you might not have any knowledge about. You might think that your company broke records this year, but maybe they shifted some of their fiscal responsibility between another company that is not doing as well. It always puzzled me as to why things seem to take so long in the corporate world. I worked for a fortune 500 company in the US and my wife did too. Our managers were receptive of our questions and desire to earn more money and grow within the company. I knew that they were sometimes experiencing a slump in profits, but they usually took care of us and we didn’t have to beg. Timing is very important when seeking a new position or raise. Watch the playing field and know how your company is doing. You might also want to always do your best in your job and not focus on or compare yourself to your coworkers all of the time.

Get what you deserve

The word deserve is a complicated word. What I think my value is might not be what you are willing to pay. I’ve had some people asking about private English classes tell me that my price is cheap and I’ve had others tell me that I am overpriced. My value is a figure that I made up based upon some research and a general understanding of what the market is charging. The same goes for your job. You might think that you deserve more, and you might, but your manager may not think so and you might get annoying if you keep asking for a raise or bonus. Do some sleuthing to see what the market and your city are paying. The internet has a lot of sites to help with this. Have a ballpark figure in mind during a negotiation and be willing to lower your asking price if necessary. You can always get more after you prove your worth.

Benefits have a value

Money is everything, or is it? What additional benefits are being offered by your company? Your compensation is a package that has many aspects. I know some people that have a high monthly salary but get very little else. I also know others that have a lot of vacation, retirement, health plans, life insurance and bonus opportunities. They end up doing pretty well by the end of the year when you compare them to other people. Money and benefits are very important, but you need to compare them in such a way that makes it fair to make a good judgment. There are lots of cool benefits that you can take advantage of.

Relax

Most of the people that I interview have the jitters when we first talk. I imagine that they experience the same sensation when they are entering a negotiation process for a job, promotion or raise. I know that not everyone is extroverted, but try to get some exposure to contact with others and train before you speak. Share some ideas with those around you that you can trust, a kind of mentor if you will. You can learn a lot during a role-play and it can help you to loosen up and to be more realistic. You deserve to be respected, but you need to show others that you deserve what you believe that you do. Be realistic and remember that a raise or promotion is not based on one day alone; it is based on your history. Work hard every day and with whatever task you are assigned.?