February 1st, 2008 → 11:40 am @ Jay
If you do not ask to be paid for additional hours requested by your employer, they will not pay you. For a relatively significant part of my professional life, I worked an inordinate number of unpaid hours beyond the usual 9 to 5.
In fact, my average work week was between 70 to 80 hours. Consultancy roles often called upon working weekends, lunchtimes, late nights, and even public holidays.
Our employment contracts stipulated that we are not to discuss salary or benefits with other employees. One late evening, this rule was broken. A distinguished colleague of ours revealed that he was indeed paid overtime. Between the seven of us, he was the only one who was able to negotiate this benefit.
Art of Conversation & Occupation & Productivity & Rethink your life & Your Money
January 30th, 2008 → 12:23 pm @ Jay
I used to tip-toe around the subject of money with my managers, so as not to discolour the dedication to my work. I soon found that employers pay you only what they need to.
If you cannot discuss money confidently with employers, your good intentions can soon be turned against you when you are overlooked for a pay increase. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way. I was a top performer but was seldom compensated because management knew I wouldn’t ask for more.
Art of Conversation & Occupation & Productivity & Your Money
January 29th, 2008 → 8:42 am @ Jay
Your expectation of salary needs to be discussed in a job interview, that is a given. When possible, you should not bring up the rate of pay and leave this for the interviewer.
I have been on both sides of this fence many times, I have played the role of an interviewer and an interviewee throughout my professional career. The single biggest mistake I have witnessed in a job interview is when an interviewee said “Before we bother starting this interview, how much does this job pay.” Yikes!
Career aspirations, wanting to gain experience, or working for our dream company are important factors in our happiness at work. Though we must not discount the importance of pay, as ultimately we are trading our valuable time for money. In a job interview, the interviewer will likely ask you, “What is your expectation of salary?” and “Are you flexible with your expectation?”.
Art of Conversation & Occupation & Productivity & Your Money
January 29th, 2008 → 8:34 am @ Jay
For some, the topic of money is just like any other. For others, the discussion of money can become uncomfortable, especially if it can make us appear greedy.
The discomfort we feel when discussing money with employers is perfectly natural, yet we should endeavour to develop the tactics and confidence to approach conversations that revolve around money. After all, the most important role of a career is to trade our time for money.
We want to be appreciated for our work, and do not want to appear “greedy” in the process. This is a topic that I relate close to. In my early years as an office worker, in an effort to be “polite” I avoided the discussion of money with my employers. As a result, I became severely underpaid compared to colleagues who had the confidence to discuss money with upper management.
Art of Conversation & Occupation & Productivity & Your Money
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