How much are you worth in today’s job market? All too often job seekers bend over backwards to attract the potential employer of their dreams – without considering their own needs. It’s not uncommon, especially in these situations, for employees to find themselves being significantly underpaid.
Are you currently being paid the industry standard? Do you even know what that standard is? Workers are more than a position or a professional; they are commodities. All businesses, no matter the industry, rely on their employees to stay productive and profitable. That’s why it’s essential that you, as a worker, know your market value. Salary, benefits and other amenities are negotiations between employees and employers. It’s a contract – you will provide a service to the best of your ability in exchange for payment. However, if that payment is lower than you’re worth, what should you do?
Determine Your Earning Power
Do some research and figure out what other professionals in your field and at your level are earning. Your goal should be to know the salary range for someone with your background, experience and credentials. When you enter a discussion about your salary, either with a current employer or a new one, promote yourself at that salary level. Be sure to take the cost of living in your area into consideration. An administrative assistant in Dallas makes a completely difference salary than one in a smaller Texas town.
Understand your qualifications
When applying for a job, you may find that you have the minimum qualifications, but not the preferred. On the other hand, maybe you have all the preferred qualifications and additional training on top of that. Being underqualified or overqualified for a job will certainly impact your market value. An employer may like your personality, but you come in with a skills gap that feels risky. You’re a recent graduate and your work experience isn’t as full as it could be. These are all issues that can impact your market value.
Assess your accomplishments
If you realize you’re being underpaid, you may have to prove your case. Be sure to examine all of your performance reviews. If you’re perpetually late and miss deadlines, your employer might not see your work performance as being worth a higher salary. However, if you’re consistently ahead on your quotas, have been taking on more responsibility or put into decision-making roles, you have a good argument for a pay increase.
Knowing your worth is about more than a paycheck. It’s about understanding the value of what you bring to the table. If your employer can directly connect a boost in profits, productivity and morale to your performance, you deserve to be compensated. If you think you’re being underpaid and are looking for a new opportunity, contact High Profile Staffing. It’s our mission to help individual job seekers by offering resume assistance and career counseling. We offer contract, direct hire and contract-to-hire positions that don’t just change careers; they change lives.