There is a recession and so many companies are making it clear that no one should expect a raise; if anything the company is looking into areas to cut cost – which could mean job losses. Here you are thinking about the announcement and calculating how much extra you are having to pay to the commercial bus driver, the food vendor, the clothes store and the electrician because prices of almost everything has hit the ceiling while your income remains the same.
You are sure that a little raise will make a world of difference in the face of recession. It is making you consider pitching for a new position in another organization. The only snag is the best way to approach a description of your work – your true value.
Maximizing your income depends on learning all you can says an expert, understanding your real value and presenting yourself in the best possible light.
What is your personal value system? It is a set of principles or ideals that drive and guide your behaviour. It helps you express who you are and what you stand for. It defines your character and impacts all aspect of your life including your work, which is our focus on this piece.
You may be a good writer. You are passionate about it to the point that you have taken a post-graduate degree just to improve your writing. Maximizing your true value as a person however have a lot more to do with being a prolific writer for your company. It does not even come close to describing your real value.
Think about it, you are not the only prolific writer out there. There are thousands – perhaps millions, of them. So you telling someone “I work for XYZ Company as a writer” is like saying describing your house address. I may not know it prior to the time you told me but once you do, what difference does it make to me the listener?
Communicating your value in such a way that the listener finds it relevant and a potential solution to a challenge is the best way. Hence rather than say “I am a writer” you can try “I am a gadget and digital technology analyst,” if you were pitching to a technology based company. Tailor your values to what the listener can relate with.
If it is a position higher than the one you are occupying, it might serve your interest to find out what exactly people in that position do and how your values can align. To attract more into your life, start thinking of yourself as capable of giving more. Change how you think about yourself.
A financial expert puts it thus “While you do not have to define your character by the amount of money you make, you do need to have the mindset that whatever you can earn, you are worth.” He also advised that you get prepared to make the choices throughout your career that will enhance your ability to earn more money.
Whether you are a front desk manager, a HR assistant or technician what you earn is determined by how you communicate your values to others, and then delivering even more than you pitched.
FRANK ELEANYA
