Are You Getting Paid What You're Worth?

I was talking with a friend who works at the local Hastings here in Kirksville. He told me he had just gotten promoted. After congratulating him, the first thing I asked was "Is the raise worth the work?" He said he didn't know. "Did you get as much as you could?" Maybe.

The first topic I'm going to explore is salary negotiation. Most people make the largest part of their income through their jobs. So naturally, work is the place you can see the largest gains with comparatively least amount of effort.

Check out this video for a quick crash-course:

Practice negotiating with people.

For some different perspective, check this out. Use a salary-comparison website to give yourself a number to work off of.

Don't underestimate the subtle nuances of communication, either.

When you hear the offer, repeat the top value - and then be silent. "The most likely outcome of this silence is a raise," Chapman writes. The book offers a specific technique for responding when you hear the salary offer, a technique that's designed to give you time to think about it while also putting a little pressure on the employer.

From here.

Back to my conversation with my friend. I asked him "Did you negotiate at all?" Not much, he admitted. But he did find out what the typical pay for his position was and managed to get that.

Make sure you get paid how much you're worth.

p.s.: If you're more interested