Marlena writes:
I work at a large retail company. I have been doing clerical work, but I am
now interviewing to be in the executive training program to be an assistant buyer.
I passed the first interview with the head of the program, and now I have interviews
with three other people in one day! They call it career day where you meet with
people all day and attend seminars and such. What advice can you give me?
The Career Doctor responds:
The most important thing you can do is to continue to show interest and enthusiasm for the company and for the opportunity for advancement. You
will need to be “on” all day long because you’ll need to make a
positive impression with each person you interact with.
Here are the things I would work on for your big day:
First, have confidence in yourself and your abilities. If you made it past the first
round with the head of the program, the company obviously sees your potential.
Always remember that.
Second, if you have not done so already, prepare what some experts
refer to as an elevator speech about yourself. Have about a 15-20 second
speech about who you are and why you are a perfect candidate for the
training program. It’s called an elevator speech because it’s about the
amount of time you might have to impress someone you meet as you ride
up an elevator together.
Third, be an expert on the company and the training program. Be prepared
to demonstrate what you know about the company and the training program
and why you want to do it. Information is power.
Fourth, plan what you’re going to wear on the career day. Dress as formally
as possible — and know all the key rules of dressing for success.
Fifth, get a good sleep the night before the big day so you will be mentally fresh
and ready to face all those interviews and seminars.
Karen writes:
I’ve been a travel agent for 10 years and am making less than $25,000 per year.
I’ve recently received my bachelor’s degree, and am very interested in changing
careers to the human resources field. Since my salary is so low, do you feel even
with my degree it would be hard to even change careers and achieve a salary over
$39,000 per year? What is the best route to break into a new career in human
resources?
The Career Doctor responds:
There are any number of reasons why people change careers, though usually it
revolves around discovering a new career passion or interest — and not so much
on the money. I’m a little concerned that you have such a focus on salary and
not on other issues.
Often when you change careers — no matter how many years of work experience
you have in other fields — you take a pay-cut because you have achieved a certain
level within your old career. The good news for you, though, is that you should see
a pay increase from the $25,000 you have been making — but don’t expect a huge jump.
The salary offer you may receive depends greatly on the position within HR you are
hired for, the geographic location, the industry, and the company itself. You can get
an idea of salary ranges you might expect based on some of these criteria by
using a resource such as Salary.com.
I would also consult with the professionals in your college’s career services office,
a few of your former HR professors, and the resources of the Society of Human Resource Management — one of your professional organizations.
Your best method of finding a new job in this field is through networking. Use professional organizations, alumni, career services, friends and family, and other sources for building
your network of contacts. Let them know you have recently received your degree and
are in the midst of a career change.
Resources that can help you in this career change:
Amy writes:
I am a sales representative, also in charge of all marketing and branding.
My 6-month review is next week and I want to go in prepared and confident.
I also want to ask for a raise. I have never had a review before and I’m nervous.
How can the employee best prepare herself for the review?
The Career Doctor responds:
It’s only natural to be a little nervous, a bit anxious. The best advice I can give
you is to devise a strategy for the meeting. Go to the meeting prepared with
examples of your accomplishments and contributions and a plan for how you
will continue making those and more accomplishments in the future. You should
have a realistic idea of the size of the raise you want, based on company policies
and what you’re worth in the marketplace.
Some other tips concerning asking for a raise:
- Always remember to focus on the idea that you deserve a raise (and why),
not that you need a raise.
- Especially in this economy, be flexible and open to other options besides a
big raise. There are any number of options or perks you may be able to get instead
of a raise (or a larger raise).
- Be able to demonstrate your commitment to the department and organization
by showing how you have taken on new projects, acquired new skills, etc.
- Always be professional. Don’t make ultimatums, whine, or beg.
- Raise your profile within the department and organization. We’re taught to be
modest, but no one is really going to know your accomplishments and contributions
unless you broadcast them.
- Remember that the rules of asking for a raise mirror that of salary negotiation —
and always let the employer make the first raise offer.
- Find a mentor in senior management who can be your advocate for future
raises and promotions.
- If you didn’t get the raise you wanted, ask for suggestions on how you can
improve and how you can make more contributions to the department and the organization.
You find other strategies in an article published on Quintessential Careers:
Getting the Raise You Deserve.
Dana writes:
I’ve just received a great job offer that will be a real boost to my career and
offer lots of new challenges. My only concern is that it will be the 4th job
I’ve had in 4 years. Will taking this new job make me look too much like
a job-hopper?
The Career Doctor responds:
If you’ve received a great job offer that will boost your career and spark
new interest because of the challenges, then there’s no question that you
should take the offer. Obviously the company making the offer did not consider
you a job-hopper — and three jobs in three years is really just as bad as four
jobs in four years! So, take the job offer and continue to grow and thrive in your career.
The whole issue of job-hopping is a mixed one. Job-hopping isn’t as big an issue
as it has been in the past, partly because of the large number of companies forced
to re-engineer themselves into smaller companies over the last decade — then add
the tech and dotcom meltdowns, and more recently, the slow economy, and you get
an understanding that job-seekers are often forced to move around in what appears
to be job-hopping. On the other hand, even as employers can’t always offer stability,
some hiring managers still do raise a red flag regarding job-seekers who seem
unable to stay with one job or one company for more than a year.
So, besides my advice about taking the position, I would also encourage you to try
and build a career with this employer — for at least a couple of years — so that you have
at least one longer stint on your resume. Now, of course, if problems arise in this position
or with this firm and you feel you must make a move, go ahead and do so — but be prepared
for future potential employers to raise the question then.
Fred writes:
I am a 23-year-old newly-minted college graduate with a degree in journalism.
I have a job working for a small-town newspaper. I have worked for my current
employer for about two months. Before graduation, I felt my hard work in
college would not go unnoticed, but my futile attempts to get hired at a bigger
place make me feel as though it has.
Working for a small paper was never my idea of a permanent career. I felt it
would be a stepping-stone to a larger paper and what I would consider more
challenging and fulfilling work. I don’t feel comfortable where I currently work.
Nobody in their 20s intends to graduate from a college filled with other hip
20-somethings and go right to work in dullsville, at least not permanently.
My question to you is: how soon is too soon after starting a job to begin
looking for a new one? I itch to dust off my resume and send it to larger papers,
but I worry potential employers might not want to take a chance on me because
I have worked for my current employer for such a short amount of time.
Am I right to be concerned?
The Career Doctor responds:
Let me preface with my answer with a note that I am biased. I interned at
a small-town newspaper for two months one summer, and while it was not a
hotbed for investigative journalism, it was a solid and safe place to develop my
budding journalism skills (even if eventually I was won over by marketing). And
now I live in a small town…
When you are in your 20s, you want everything… some say your generation
especially feels this way, labeling you folks the entitlement generation.
No job is permanent, and you could leave at any time. But, I totally believe that
this job could be the stepping-stone you suggest. However, you need to work there
long enough to build the clips and reputation before moving on to a bigger media
outlet. Take initiative, ask for more responsibilities, bigger stories.
That said, I also believe in having a current resume — just in case. And it is never too
early to start building bridges to larger newspapers by developing your network, joining
a professional group, etc.
Anonymous writes:
I was recently promoted; however, I found the company does not want to give me the money or the title. I also found out that co-workers below my position are getting paid more than myself. I attempted to bring this discrepancy to my manager’s attention, only to find out my pay will not compensate my work. What is your advice? I feel I should go elsewhere.
The Career Doctor responds:
I think every person — at least once in their career — has what has happened to you happen to them. I don’t understand why so many employers have not realized that promoting someone without giving them a new title or a raise is really a demotivating factor. It’s like the employer is saying, “we really like you. In fact, we like you so much we want you to work harder and longer, but for no more pay and no more prestige.”
Unless you can build a case with your manager, the unfortunate truth is that it may be time to polish that resume and start looking for a new job with a different company. Don’t give up on your current company, but start talking with the people in your network, and start planning a job-hunting strategy. If the situation does not get resolved at your current employer, then begin job-hunting at full speed.
Mary writes:
How do most employers feel about promotion from within with on-the-job experience,
and/or/combination of experience with educational degrees? Thanks for any advice you can provide.
The Career Doctor responds:
Many employers would much rather promote from within because the people they
are considering for the new position are known to management. When companies
recruit new employees from outside the company they always risk hiring someone
who does well in the job interview but then performs horribly on the job.
Some career experts say that the day you start a new job you should begin planning
for your next job/promotion.
So, if you are looking to position yourself for a promotion, take heart knowing that if you have done well in your current position — and have been in it long enough — that you
should seriously be considered for the new position.
Some quick tips for you as you devise your plan for the promotion:
- talk it over with your mentor
- quantify your accomplishments
- ask for more responsibilities
- acquire new knowledge and skills
- be a team player
- create your own opportunities
And remember: even if the company does not promote you for this position, you will
have made your case and shown your initiative, creativity, and value to the firm — and
these things can only help you the next time you request or apply for a promotion.
Learn more in my article published on Quintessential Careers:
Moving Up the
Ladder: 10 Strategies for Getting Yourself Promoted.
And don’t forget to review all the workplace
resources we have available on Quintessential Careers.
Angela writes:
I recently read your article on Getting the
Raise you Deserve. I thought I would ask your opinion on the situation I am in. I was recently
hired at a rather large dry-cleaning company. This company has bought several small chains, and
is in the process of merging them all under one name, and starting a re-branding. I was hired on
as an administrative assistant for $10 an hour while I am working on my marketing degree.
Just recently the company’s marketing director was let go, and I was informed I was now the
marketing director. I streamlined all of her tracking methods, and innovated new strategies to bring
customers into the current stores. This is in addition to creating a logo for the new re-branding,
maintaining the client email database and all the mailings, collaborating with the designer for the
new website, creating new forms from scratch, designing letterhead, brochures, and door
hangers, and much more.
My boss is very impressed with my work and responds by giving me more marketing responsibilities,
which I don’t mind, as it’s my passion and what I love to do. However, I feel that this work I’m doing
is worth much more than $10. With the work I am doing, in my location, the hourly rate for the tenth
percentile is $16.51 an hour ($34,330 annually). The median is $35.46 an hour ($73,760 annually).
I was thinking asking for a raise to $15 an hour, or comparable salary, but the mere act of asking for
a 50 percent pay increase before my three-month preliminary time is up feels wrong. At the same time
I don’t want them to think they can take advantage of me.
Any advice you can give is very much appreciated.
The Career Doctor responds:
Wow. What an amazing opportunity for you — and it just shows how luck plays such a
role sometimes in career advancement.
You are obviously a very sharp and gifted job-seeker AND marketer. To jump into the fire
and achieve the rebranding and customer growth is amazing. And then to realize that if
you are going to ask for a raise, you want to have research that backs up your salary
increase request.
Should you request a pay increase? Of course. You should have really done so when you
were given the marketing position, but you also have more ammunition to ask for even
more now, so it’s ok.
Make a list of all your marketing accomplishments, including as many specific savings and
sales numbers as possible - even if just for a one-month period. Add to this list your salary research. Then request a meeting. At the meeting you can propose one or two possibilities.
One would be an immediate change in your pay to reflect your job status; the other would
be to request a smaller pay bump now, with a guaranteed review in three months and a
good-faith commitment to raise your salary again then if your success continues.
Check out this section of Quintessential Careers for other salary-related issues:
Salary Negotiation and Job
Offer Tools and Resources.
Jeff writes:
I graduated from college in May and started working with a great company in
August. The problem is that I am making practically no money and cannot
afford my bills. I am very cautious when it comes to budget and spending
but I am seriously struggling. I have been at my job for only 6 months. Is it
too soon to ask for a raise?
Today I was “recruited” by another company that told me I could make
$80K my first year, which is almost triple of what I’m making now.
Is there a good way for me to present this topic to my boss? As a new
employee and a new member of the “real world,” how can I best
address this?
The Career Doctor responds:
It’s so easy — at any age and any stage in your career — to look at other offers,
hear of higher-paying opportunities, and wonder whether you should consider
jumping ship. And when the money is so much more than you are currently
earning, that makes it ever so much more tempting. Just remember the old
cliche that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.
What appears to be an amazing chance to make a lot of money may not
be what it seems.
So, should you look at other opportunities? Sure, why not? I think it’s almost
an obligation of any worker to know your market value. While knowing your value
might make you a little depressed — like when you find out you are making
well below the industry average for your profession — it still should be empowering
and give you ammunition when you are asking for a raise.
Of course, there are risks associated with looking, interviewing. If your current
employer finds out, you might be labeled as someone not loyal to the company,
and gradually forced out.
And I know for new grads, who are experiencing real money for the first time —
yet also facing real bills for the first time — salary is a big deal. So, what do you
do? If you have a good rapport with your boss, I say there is no harm in asking
about a six-month salary review (though typically you negotiate that at the time
of the job offer). If it’s a no, then you move to your next decision. If it’s a yes,
gather as much data as possible to showcase not only your impact with the
company, but also industry salary figures for your level and location — but go
into it knowing that companies rarely give huge salary increases in the form of a
raise… so, you may get a bump, but it is not going to be a massive one.
Finally, remember that money is not everything. I personally think the job,
corporate culture, and your co-workers are much more important than salary.
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