Anyone who's been around Free Money Finance for more than a few days knows that I write a lot about careers and, in particular, how you need to maximize your career earnings to make the most money you can. As part of this line of thinking, I've written several times on how to ask for a raise:
A key part to asking for a raise is making sure you deserve one. And one way to make sure you deserve one is that you are a stellar performer -- over-delivering on the expectations of your job and contributing to the company in a meaningful way (and the more you can quantify this, the better.)
Recently I ran into Yahoo's list of six tips for career success right out of college, but to me, these were more a list of "how to over-deliver on your job so you can then ask for a raise." (Though this title doesn't really "sing.") As such, I just HAD to share their thoughts with you. Here's their list:
1. Maintain a positive attitude.
2. Work hard.
3. Deliver on your commitments.
4. Perform completed staff work.
5. Focus on the success of others.
6. Be a technology mentor.
My thoughts on these:
1. Attitude and accomplishments are the two keys to success in a career. If you can deliver results (accomplishments) and have a great attitude as well, you're almost guaranteed to do well and make a good salary.
2. Goes without saying -- especially early on in your career. And as you get older, you get smarter, and can accomplish more in less time.
Two great blogs for making the most of your career are Career Intensity and From Where I Sit. Lots of great career tips and guidance from each of these on working smarter and getting ahead.
3. If you say you're going to do something, be sure you do it. This is a good principle for non-work life as well.
4. Do your work and do it with excellence. Think to yourself -- "what else can I do to add even more value to my company?" then do it. You'll certainly separate yourself from the pack as a result.
5. Help others and you help yourself. Simple advice, but true.
6. This one is a place where younger workers have an advantage since they are more techno-savvy. But for older workers, you need to keep up too and certainly don't become afraid of technology.
The only other tip I'd add to these is that you need to regularly promote yourself and your accomplishments. You need to do this to your boss at a minimum but hopefully can include others as well.
I've found success doing this by providing a weekly email update to key people in my company on what my department is working on. I pepper it with our accomplishments and, as such, it contains a subtle advertisement for all we're making happen. This will serve you well as a record of what you've done, too. You can then use it as a list of why you deserve a raise or share it with potential employers if you decide to look for a job elsewhere.
Where I work, there are no raises, at least not during the time I've been there. It is wodely believed that the pay scale runs from minimum wage (almost everyone) to 20 cents above minimum wage (a couple of oldtimers who got their raises years ago and none since).
Since my credit is in the tank and I can't get it out of the tank on my min wage income, a better job is very unlikely.
Posted by: Minimum Wage | July 05, 2007 at 03:05 PM
I love raises. My job affords me a small raise every year so I can't complain. However, it only keeps up with the cost of living here in California, so that's the downside. I look at the fact that I have other benefits that make up for it though!
Posted by: The Digerati Life | July 06, 2007 at 12:43 AM
Minimum wage guy --
Prehaps if you weren't reading blogs at 3:00 PM on a workday, you could get a better job.
And you've already admitted that you've turned down jobs that make more than you currently make (quit McDonalds, etc).
Either you are wallowing in self-pity about a situation that you've created for yourself despite being a college graduate and having tons of opportunities to do better, or, more likely, you're a troll who's lying about it all.
-- Jake
Posted by: Jake | July 06, 2007 at 07:42 AM
MW --
Jake is right. You either need to 1) change your comments from "woe is me, I make minimum wage" (how many times can you say the same thing?) or 2) move on. I'm not going to allow the same comment/types of comments over and over and over again.
Posted by: FMF | July 06, 2007 at 08:34 AM
HUH? WTH? What jobs did I turn down? I flipped hamburgers ONE SUMMER while I was in college and while I had indeed planned to quit that job to return to college (60 miles away), I didn't even get to do that because the corporate suits came in and laid off all the employees to use the store as a management training location.
What opportunities do I have to do better? I am a baby boomer, I am no longer a spring chicken, so to speak. How did I create this situation? I stayed in school, got good grades, didn't do drugs or crime or any of those culture of poverty things that are dysfunctional. Realistically, at my age and without any "career-related" experience, what opportunities exist for me? My resume has not gotten me a job interview in 20 years there is nothing in my resume to get an employer excited.
Posted by: Minimum Wage | July 06, 2007 at 09:53 AM
p.s. i have medical issues which take up 15-20 weekday daytime hours a week, so i can't do a normal 9-5 m-f job. so i work evenings and weekends. is that a problem? if i thought i was employable i'd be spending more daytime hours looking for a job. glut of cheap young college-educated labor here (they're moving in from around the country) and i'm no longer employable.
Posted by: Minimum Wage | July 06, 2007 at 09:58 AM
So what are you going to do about it? Just accept defeat? Your attitude is what's holding you back. People in worse situations than you have turned it all around and come out winners.
Posted by: FMF | July 06, 2007 at 10:11 AM
"if i thought i was employable i'd be spending more daytime hours looking for a job."
self-fulfilling prophesy. end of story.
Posted by: Jake | July 06, 2007 at 01:56 PM
Okay, oh brilliant founts of wisdon...
Yes, I am no Edison (10,000 failed attempts at inventing the light bulb would have been too much for me - esp since I have no money and Edison was skilled at lining up investors). But do I have any non-crummy options with my dead-end track record? I pounded the pavement for quite a while, there comes a point where you gotta stop wasting your time and effort.
Posted by: Minimum Wage | July 06, 2007 at 05:01 PM
troll
Posted by: Miguel | July 08, 2007 at 03:01 PM
I find it immensely humorous to find a troll on a finance blog of all things (actually he seems to be making the rounds). I know there are elements of finance one can be disagreed upon by others but this isn't politics or Star Trek or anything.
Posted by: CTDeLude | July 19, 2007 at 04:42 PM
list of the top 10 possible reasons why you're not finding a job:
1. You're not making finding a job a job itself!
2. You haven't developed a system of finding a job.
3. You have an unrealistic idea about the market for your skills.
4. You aren't acknowledging the psychological and emotional stress that changing jobs entails.
5. You ignore small businesses.
6. You don't recognize that face-to-face interviews are the only things that matter.
7. You don't prepare well for interviews.
8. You're not selling yourself.
9. You have the attitude, "What can you do for me?"
10. You give poor reasons for leaving your job.
Posted by: Rich Guy | August 22, 2007 at 03:01 PM
Most non-profit organizations are usually looking for volunteers that cover many skills. Often, if they have willing, motivated people they are happy to let them try new things, enabling you to develop marketable employment skills and experience you may not be able to get elsewhere.
Posted by: Tom | July 11, 2008 at 06:09 PM