by Vicki Salemi
Step 1: Ask for a raise.
Do your homework by asking your company's human resource
compensation department for salary ranges within your
position. Of course, you can't just take their word on it.
Check external sources as well, such as www.salary.com.
Sharon Winston, senior vice president and managing director
of the San Jose office of Lee Hecht Harrison global career
services firm, notes you should be prepared for the talk
with your boss.
"Identify three of your strongest accomplishments within the
organization or areas in which you took on extra
responsibility," she says. "If you are still turned down,
ask how you might improve in asking for a raise in the
future."
Step 2: Pursue an online degree or certificate.
According to Frank Mayadas, program director of the Sloan
Consortium, comprised of institutions and organizations
committed to quality online education, higher education
gives you the opportunity to fine-tune your skills or
explore different professional paths, making you more for
higher paychecks in the future. "Furthering education helps
people further their careers," he says. The advantage of
online degree opportunities?
"You don't have to be in a traditional classroom setting.
With time and geographic constraints of juggling work and
family, you can receive a quality education on your own
terms."
Step 3: Take advantage of tuition reimbursement.
Instead of considering a pay increase as money in your
pocket, think of the alternative: tuition money you're not
putting out of pocket. Many corporations recognize the value
gained in highly trained employees and offset the cost of
their educational pursuit. And, as more and more
organizations understand the benefits and equality of online
degree programs, eLearning is being written into many
organizations' reimbursement policies.
Step 4: Network.
According to Deborah Brown-Volkman, president of Surpass
Your Dreams, a career and mentor coaching company based in
East Moriches, NY, and author of "Coach Yourself to a New
Career: A Guide for Discovering Your Ultimate Profession" (iUniverse,
2003), networking is vital to increasing your intellectual
capital. The key to networking through associations,
business groups, or your local Chamber of Commerce is having
a plan.
"Know your 30-second introduction well, speak passionately
about what you do, and don't spend too much time talking
with one person," she advises. The intent is to meet as many
people as possible and initiate correspondence with them
soon after the event.
Step 5: Move laterally.
Alexandra Levit, author of "They Don't Teach Corporate in
College" (Career Press, 2004) and founder of
Inspiration@Work, a marketing communications consultancy
firm based in Chicago, IL, experienced this firsthand. Early
in her public relations career, she explored internal
opportunities and moved into another department, resulting
in a bigger paycheck. "If you're not moving up, it's
probably in your best interest to leave," she says.
Levit also points out that even if your supervisor is
supportive of a raise or increased responsibilities, there
may be roadblocks. "Your boss might not have the power or
authority even if he or she wants to," she says.
Above all, before jump-starting your negotiating power,
you'll need to exude confidence to show you deserve what
you're asking for in the first place. As per executive coach
Dr. Ted Sun, professor at University of Phoenix and
professional speaker who works with individual executives
and corporations to educate them on developing a balanced
leadership, "the first thing you have to do is believe in
yourself and your worth before you can convince someone else
to believe in you."
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