Need Advice Bad!!I' ll try and summarize this as best as possible. I really would like some advice on my current situation. I' m in my late 20' s and work at a small research and consulting firm (less than 50). I' ve been with the company for seven years and started with them when there around about six employees, as an analyst. I was going to college at the time and ended up stopping my education as responsibilities increased, etc (bad move, I know). However, we have grown and I' ve been in management positions for at least the past three to four years. I currently make just under $70,000 a year (w/o college degree). Problem is, though I understand I don' t have a college degree, I am outperforming everyone in the company, consistently. When there is turnover, I am the one the CEO calls and asks to step up and take it over short term. I practically manage the owners director-level staff by myself and am responsible for training ALL new employees (extensive research and analysis-based training). What do you think? If I had my degree I' d probably be able to get $80-95k. My lack of degree as zero effect on my company. They gain nothing by me getting it. (Personally to me it has high value) Sorry for length. Not sure if anyone will bother reading and responding but wanted to get feedback. If you could walk out the door today, right now, and get a job without a degree for more money, then go ahead and ask for more money. But from what you said, it doesn't sound like you can. You can address it with the CEO by telling him that you have taken on a lot of responsibilities without a raise since ____ date and see what he says. In the meantime, get your degree. Go nights and weekends while you are still young enough to do it. It will pay off in the long run. Well, just on the face of it, I think you owe it to yourself to finish your degree - you never know what tomorrow will bring. In the meantime, I think you need to make a list of all your responsibilities, as well as your accomplishments, goals met, objectives achieved, problems solved, initiatives taken, additional responsibilities assumed - anything that will clearly show that you' re doing more now than you were before. Make two copies of your list. Then ask the boss for a performance and salary review. Give one copy of your list to the boss and keep one - so you' ll both be looking at the same information. Politely make the point that you' re doing and accomplishing more now than you were before and ask for a performance-based increase. If you' re asked how much, I' d suggest that you say you were anticipating an increase in the 5% to 10% range. You might as well be realistic about the size of the increase instead of asking for more than the employer is likely to give. Make sense? I' m curious to know when your last raise was at what percent increase?
Thanks to those that responded. Getting the degree is definitely my first and highest priority. My last pay increase was 3% and it was about two months ago. I know how it sounds lol. I wasn't happy with the review and based on my calcuations of the quantitative assessment, I should have gotten much more. I def felt screwed. Then I was given 50% more responsibilities due to the turnover. That changes my thinking greatly. Your opportunity to address this was two months ago. a 3% increase is probably OK for a raise with no responsibilities and you may have deserved more but it should have been taken up back then. In addition, let's make sure that you have taken on MORE responsibilities, not just DIFFERENT responsibilities. Are you still working about the same number of hours? Did you go from being 75% busy to 100% busy? Many times we think we are taking on more when it is just different OR we are just now filling our work capacity. Excellent point. "Different" doesn' t always mean "more."
I definitely took on more responsibility. I was doing 45-50 hours before and since new responsibilities it's gone up to about 60-65 so far. I imagine there will be weeks when it will go higher and probably a few where it'll be at 45-50. I talked to HR and I can still meet with him to further discuss my review. I wanted to do this even if I don't ask for an increase because there were inaccuracies in my review. He kinda is the type to talk to you , not with you . So there wasn't much chance for me to talk in my review. He brought up constructive criticism/areas to improve that were based on things he heard not facts...he's not around enough to know. I'm probably goign to hold off. I just am concerned that they are taking advantage of me. They know how bad it would be if I left (again, don't want to sound too ####). Lets face it! you sort of set yourself up, the money is great but you have become a slave to that company and they know that! They can make you the president of the company but if you were to leave you would still be the receptionist that you started out as (not that u were a receptionist). What I would do is take classes from a very good school and let the company pay for it! All the while I would some kind of why get letters of recommendations from all department heads, (oops, forgot you are the department heads). Even though I do not believe in lying I would make up a reason why I would need it (for the counselor at the school). Just to have in your record. Because the fact is you are a bright person and when you decide you have had enough it will be ugly, who wants to lose a good thing, its not like you are going to inherit the company. I hope you are banking some of that money. I hope he gives you what you deserve, but why would he? He can have his cake and eat it too. ps The good thing is that you can turn it around, because if you leave he may realize how valuable you are to the company and ask you to come back! Then you have him by the @#@#' s. GOOD LUCK congrats on you successes they are that. | |
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