Anonymous writes:
My employer is currently training me to serve as backup relief for a position
that I do not want to fill. The position requires excessive overtime and the
rate of pay does not adequately compensate for the demands of the job.
Eventually this training will lead to a promotion to fill this position. I personally
know I can do the work but would rather not have anything to do with the position.
The Career Doctor responds:
Yours is a problem that I am seeing more and more of in this current
environment of employers pushing productivity by training employees
for multiple positions so that one person can do the job of the others
who have been rightsized out of the firm.
On one hand, you should feel good about yourself that your employer
values you enough to expand your skills and prepare you for a possible
promotion. On the other hand, too many people get promoted or moved
into career paths that they end up hating — and wondering how they ever
got so far away from where they started.
So…you have a couple of choices.
First, given the current employment scene, you may decide it best to
keep your mouth shut for the time being and continue the training until
the employment picture gets better — which for many industries and
careers should be some time this year.
Second, if you have any kind of positive relationship with your supervisor,
you could try having a heart-to-heart and spell out exactly how you see
your career path — and how it does not include a switch to this other
position (with or without a promotion). Be forewarned that no matter how
good your relationship with your boss, this strategy could lead to you
being marked as ungrateful and not a team player.
Third, you could start a new job search by getting your resume together
and contacting all the people in your network. Depending on the size of
your company, you may even be able to do an internal transfer to another division.
Never settle for something that makes you unhappy. Life is too short.
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 were 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
are going to 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 twenties, 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.
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