Helene Lerner's Blog, page 202

Career Coach: Why You Don’t Deserve A Raise...Yet

I talked to a client this week who is coming up on his second year with his current company. “Jim” hasn’t had a performance review or a raise yet, and he is frustrated. What about you? When was the last time you received a real raise? If it’s been a while, you might be upset with your company, feeling you are being denied what you have rightfully earned. But do you really deserve a raise just yet?

It’s time for a reality check. You haven’t earned a raise yet, or you would already have one.

Perhaps you've bought into the myth that if you work really hard, work well with others, put in a few extra hours, do above average work, or get another degree, you'll have earned a raise. Don’t be too hard on yourself—millions believe the same story. In order to earn a raise, you might or might not have to do all the above. I say “might not” because plenty of people get raises without working extra hours, getting along well with others, or doing stellar work. Huh? How is that possible, you might ask?

Here’s how: They sell themselves, and they sell their boss on giving them a raise. They happen to be good at both things, and it shows up in their paychecks. Even the thought of broaching the subject makes many break out in hives, but you have to be the one to convince your boss that you are worth what you are asking for. Why should your company pay you more than they did a year ago, especially in this soft economy?

Build your case. Demonstrate that you have made specific contributions to the company that warrant a raise from their perspective, not just yours. What new skills have you developed? How have you used them to be more productive? What new procedures have you developed to save the company money, or to make more money? What new responsibilities have you assumed? How have you documented all the above? (If you don’t care enough to document these things, why would you expect your boss to care enough to pay you more?) In the last year, Jim, an IT professional, has obtained a new certification and taken on significant new responsibilities. What about you?

Now get behind it. Do you believe in your contributions to your company deeply enough to promote yourself? (What? You hate promoting yourself? You hate internal politics? Sorry about that, but that likely means you haven’t yet earned a raise.) Communicating your value and getting along well with others is part of earning a raise.

The bottom line is that you can blame your company for not giving you a raise, or you can be in the minority that accepts responsibility for the results they create. There’s no middle ground. I don’t mean to be heartless, but now, more than ever, we need to deal with reality. The reality is that you have to earn a raise. And the reality is until you earn your raise, you don’t deserve it. You are fully capable of doing so—now go out and make it happen.

—Alan Allard, Career Coach

Career Coach: You Know This Guy...

Hello from your May Career Coach! I am happy to be back. I look forward to sharing my insights for your success and fulfillment, both on the job and off. I will be drawing from my 20+ years of experience as a former psychotherapist turned consultant, executive coach, trainer, and speaker. 

If you have a topic concerning career or life that you would like me to address, I welcome your suggestions. You can leave comments or questions here on the blog, on the discussion forum, or on LinkedIn.

Together, we can move forward, think bigger, love more, and be more.

—Alan Allard, Career Coach

Career Coach: Work 360°

The past four years have redefined the way we work. Millions are unemployed, underemployed, working part-time, or temping, and recent magazine articles have even predicted the demise of the full-time, salaried employee. As a recruiter and career coach, I have noticed significant changes in the way companies hire, as well as the number of opportunities available. In light of these changes, I have developed a career strategy to help you not only navigate these new waters, but to succeed! I call it Work 360°.

Think entrepreneurially. I had a client who spent three years searching all across the country for a job in her field. Since this person is also a good friend, I know that she is a highly capable human resources manager, so I recommended that she try marketing herself as a “virtual HR Manager” in addition to continuing her job search. She did just that, announcing her virtual HR services over her social media channels. She found her first client within a week! After three years of a disappointment, she found success as soon as she shifted to entrepreneurial thinking. Not everyone is in a position to do this, but these days, it may be easier to find a client than a job. Start thinking about what services you might be able to offer should an opportunity arise—or better yet, start creating opportunities!

Establish multiple revenue streams. The old adage “don't put all your eggs in one basket” rings true here—no longer can we rely on companies for a guaranteed paycheck. Start brainstorming other ways to bring in income. In many cases, this might mean a combination of working part-time, taking on freelance/consulting projects, or even offering virtual services. Technology allows us to easily work around the globe, and with a variety of easy-to-use social media channels, you can market your services on a limited budget. You may have to cover a variety of expenses (such as health care and taxes), however, so research and planning are critical.

Try your hand at consulting. As companies continue to reduce staff sizes and many professionals launch their own small businesses, a new market for specialists has emerged. Many companies hire consultants to work on a monthly, quarterly, or project basis. If you are in accounting, information technology, or human resources, you can market your skills to individuals and companies. Ask your friends for referrals, or use the Internet and social media to seek out opportunities and market your services.

Keep up with technology. This is paramount for a successful career. Stay on top of trends and learn new programs and software. Being ready for the future involves being fluent in modern technology.

The idea behind Work 360° is to shift your thinking. We are witnessing a transformational era in which the world we used to know is morphing into an information-based society. It is only natural that we also change the way we think about work and careers to open ourselves to new paths.

Thank you so much for welcoming me as your April Career Coach—it's been a great month! Shout-outs to WomenWorking.com, Helene, Emma, Sarah, Alan Allard, and all the readers at home. Best of luck, and keep moving forward!

—Kristi Enigl, Global Career Coach

Want to have some fun?

After a hectic week at work, I treated myself to a Broadway show.  And I picked a winner: Nice Work if You Can Get It. The cast was super and Matthew Broderick was adorable. I LOVE Gershwin songs, the music and the words.

I found myself singing in my seat. And the people sitting next to me didn't even pay extra to hear my performance!

What a delight. I highly recommend it.

 

Every Challenge Is a Lesson

This week's message is an important one: we have the strength within us to meet any challenge, and every challenge is a lesson for our growth. Choosing to see even the hard times as opportunities will keep us moving forward with hope and courage. This and more in our video, below. Follow us on Twitter to receive tips and encouragement all day, every day.

Never doubt your ability to overcome. Keep on keeping on, and we'll see you on Monday!

Dare to Reflect: From Hole to Whole

Hey, remember New Year's Day? When you decided to drastically overhaul your life overnight, from your cardio aversion to your Real Housewives habit? If you're anything like 99% of us, you've likely been back on reality TV for about four months now, cheerfully explaining away missed workouts but secretly suspecting you must be some kind of weak and inefficient subspecies of human being. Symbolic beginnings can prove a useful impetus for change, but falling short of our own unrealistic expectations fills our minds with doubt, keeping our bodies stuck on repeat. Today - Thursday, April 26 - consider the following:

There's a Hole in My Sidewalk
By Portia Nelson

I.
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost…
I am helpless.
It is not my fault.
It takes forever to find my way out.

II.
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

III.
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in…It’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

IV.
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

V.
I walk down another street.

Portia Nelson's poem has been called "an autobiography in five short chapters," and you may find it helpful to keep in mind that the type of growth she describes takes place over a lifetime. We can't expect ourselves to transform instantly, particularly when we're wrestling with deeply engrained habits and emotions—all we can do is keep taking the next right action, trusting despite setbacks that we have both the strength and the stamina to evolve. Various aspects of our lives exist in different chapters from moment to moment, and we shouldn't allow big dreams to keep us from celebrating small victories. Today, make peace with your holey sidewalk, knowing that you - right now, just as you are - are whole and enough.

—Emma Aubry Roberts

Career Spring Cleaning: Put the "Work" in Network

You made it! Here we are in our final week of Career Spring Cleaning. If you've been organizing along with us, your documents are wrangled, your resume is renovated, and your contact database is consolidated. There's only one thing left to deal with—your network. Professional networking is a career management essential that should start as early as possible - preferably in college - and if you put in consistent effort, your work will pay off immeasurably. This week, put the “work” in network! Follow these tips to streamline your efforts.

Go for the "Goldilocks effect." Create a list of all the groups you belong to, both in person and online. Assess each one for fit: Do you attend sessions regularly? Are you an active participant? Is the group beneficial to you? Are you able to contribute to the group? Are you spending too much time in one or two groups when you could be broadening your reach? Find synchronicity in the groups that you're involved in, and if you find that some are not working for you, it may be time to move on. You are looking for the "Goldilocks effect"—the type and number of groups that are “just right”.

Stay in touch. Do you connect with people at events and then forget to follow up? Focus on building relationships and trust over time. The art of networking is slow process, much like gardening—it takes time to cultivate a garden, and the same is true of a network. Be sure to follow up with people you want to get to know. A good rule of thumb is to reach out within 48 hours of meeting someone—a simple “nice to have met you” email will suffice. Take some time this week to catch up on your follow-through.

Get linked. If you're on the hunt for a new job, be sure to touch base with your network every few weeks. One way to do this is through LinkedIn, an online professional network and a great way to share current job information. Explore the “Group” feature, a simple way to connect with recruiters and hiring managers—but remember to keep things manageable. Rather than joining a million groups, be selective. Focus on niche groups in your career field. And participate!

This concludes Career Spring Cleaning 2012. You're ready for whatever curveballs the rest of the year has in store for you. Enjoy the fact that your organizational work is done...until next year, that is!

Week One: Document Wrangling

Week Two: Resume Renovation

Week Three: Contacts, Contacts Everywhere

—Kristi Enigl, Global Career Coach

Dare to Watch: Decisions Over a Lifetime

When powerful women try to straddle the worlds of career and motherhood, they often find themselves in the line of fire. In the following excerpt from Decisions Over a Lifetime, Susan Taylor (the former Editorial Director of Essence magazine) addresses the criticism she has received as a working mother and explains why she's at peace with it now.

Can you relate? Please share your stories on our forum!

Career Coach: The Global Career

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pack up and work abroad? Have you dreamed of the adventure and excitement of moving to a faraway land for work? Good news—it is possible, and with a little research and planning, you could be boarding a plane to your new home before long! Just be sure to consider the following essentials before packing your suitcase.

Think internationally. If you know that you want to work abroad - say in Hong Kong or Brazil - plan for a career that will take you there. Apply for jobs at international organizations, such as the United Nations or the International Red Cross, or look into NGOs and multinational corporations. If you plan early enough, you can select a degree that lends itself to working overseas.

Be a destination scout. Try to spend at least a month in a foreign location before you officially relocate for work. A two-day vacation is not enough time to evaluate whether or not you could work and live somewhere over an extended period of time.

File your paperwork. Immigration laws vary from place to place, so every country has different visas, permits, and foreign worker programs. Start your research online at your destination country's website, but beware—not every country keeps this information up to date. Hire a lawyer in your destination country if possible, and even if your paperwork is handled by the company or organization for whom you'll be working, keep track of procedures and deadlines. You will also need to consult with a tax accountant, as United States citizens pay taxes on citizenship, not residence.

Speak the language. Job opportunities greatly increase once you speak two or more languages, and bilingualism may even be a requirement for many overseas careers (not to mention that part of moving to a new land is acclimating to a new culture and lifestyle). A surefire way to immediately start enjoying your new home is to have fluency in the local dialect. Obtaining at least a basic knowledge of the language before you go will ensure your integration, making your life much easier—and more fun!

Reach out online. Another useful thing to do before you go (or before you decide to go) is to join an online “expat” group. These websites are packed with helpful information about career opportunities, the process of relocating, and the local culture, as well as forums where you can discuss questions with those who have gone before. They often have an in-person event component as well, so once you're there, you can begin networking right away. A simple search for expat groups will garner results in every major international city.

With the US economy stuck in the slow lane, working abroad has become a viable option for many professionals. Any major change will undoubtedly bring challenges, but the adventure of a lifetime could be waiting!

Last Week: The 411 on Recruiters (from a Recruiter!)

—Kristi Enigl, Global Career Coach

Become Like A Child

It's that time again! This week's tweet roundup reminds us to become like a child—be enthusiastic about life, and your excited energy will bring good things your way. This and more in our video, below. Follow us on Twitter to receive tips and encouragement all day, every day.

Go play this weekend, and we'll see you on Monday!