BC Business
In work, as in all things, self-knowledge has no substitute. How much am I worth? is a question much like, How attractive am I? Your answer is, by definition, cobbled together from different sources – some more reliable, some less. Those starting out in work, changing careers or wanting to pause and take stock can this month take advice from Christina Stewart, operations manager at Titan Recruitment Solutions; and Lindsay Meredith, professor of marketing at SFU. USE THE WEB
Your answer is, by definition, cobbled together from different sources – some more reliable, some less. Those starting out in work, changing careers or wanting to pause and take stock can this month take advice from Christina Stewart, operations manager at Titan Recruitment Solutions; and Lindsay Meredith, professor of marketing at SFU.
USE THE WEB It’s as obvious as telling a hungry person to check the cupboard for Triscuits, but, yes, your first stop is the Internet. Several sites will give you detailed information about typical wages, benefits, etc., in exchange for detailed information about your training, qualifications and current job description. Stewart prefers the services offered by Monster, PayScale and Work Futures. She’s got one caveat for seasoned professionals, though: “The more junior you are, the more useful the web will be to you.”
USE INSTITUTIONS This might seem counterintuitive: most debt-laden university graduates are more accustomed to being used by their institution. But specialty schools (inside and outside academe) are troves of information about the industries for which they prepare people. Ask the program co-ordinators what you’re worth. Two things to remember: (1) Again, the greener you are, the more accurate the numbers; and (2) schools are necessarily conservative in assessing your market value, so feel free to inflate what they tell you a bit.
MASTER THE ASK If you’ve already passed through the adolescence of your work life, you can be your own best source of information. Internet statistics are less valuable than a well-aimed question. That query requires, however, a subtle touch with colleagues. Don’t ask people how much they make, says Stewart. Instead say, “If I were looking at a salary in the $80,000 range, would you say I was in the right neighbourhood?” In this way, you’re offering something to get something. And don’t take your eyes off their faces; the reaction is everything.
ASK YOURSELF THE HARD QUESTIONS Figuring out what you’re worth is straightforward, says Meredith, but there’s no room in the calculation for sentimentality. Ask yourself these four questions: Am I productive? Am I irreplaceable? Is my work difficult to duplicate? Do I add value to my product? The closer you can come to answering an unequivocal yes to each, the higher your value. The more noes you have, the more you should be looking over your shoulder.
WHEN NEGOTIATING, SHOOT HIGH Sitting across the table from your present or potential boss is no occasion for diffidence, real or feigned. Meredith puts it bluntly: “What you’ve got to do is make it very damn clear what you bring to the party.” Once you do that, agrees Stewart, ask for more than what you’re worth. “Don’t be afraid to seem arrogant,” she says. A good employer will always interview someone who’s too expensive but never someone who’s too cheap. “The only danger is in coming in too low.”