There's been some shuffling around at work, and the end of the year draws near, heralding even more change. I'm still gunning for a promotion, and I'm hoping it comes with a sizable pay bump. I could really do with a sizable pay bump. If I got one, I think the first thing I'd do would be dial up my 401(k) contributions. The second thing would be getting myself a gym membership. I really want a gym membership. If I don't get a substantial raise, I may have to figure out what I can cut in order to get myself a gym membership anyway. Even the same raise I got last spring, though, should cover the cost of a gym membership, and it's important enough to me that I'd be comfortable allocating a raise that way.
But I'm really just jittering around about the promotion. Whether it comes with a little more money or a bunch more money (I'm due for a raise regardless, so it won't come with no more money), I want a more interesting job description. I think I've proved my abilities; my bosses consistently get great feedback on the development work I do with authors. Just today, I got an email from an author (cc-ed to my boss, huzzah!) commending my comments as "right on target."
My strategy so far has been to semi-subtly remind my boss (the big boss, the head of the department) that I'm doing editorial work, and doing a good job of it (easy logical induction: I deserve a real editorial position!). I cc him on every editorial email I send.
The thing is, though, that I passed up the chance to apply for another higher-level job for the promise of the higher-level job that I really want. And if I don't get this promotion, I'm going to feel really dumb for doing it, because I'm confident that I was more qualified than the girl who ended up getting it, and I'm not confident in my ability to do her contracts, check requests, and manuscript prep for her and shut up and smile about it. I'm all but positive that if I don't get this promotion come the end of the year, I'm going to start looking for a new job.
But I'm perfectly happy working here; I just want to work here doing more interesting stuff than I've been doing. And I want a gym membership. And a fatter 401(k). Promote me! Come on!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Getting Antsy For a Raise
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10 comments:
I hope you get it. I am pulling for you!
Soon as I get a new job with a higher salary, I am going to up my 401k contributions too. I have a crapload of debt but it makes me feel so good to see that I am doing something right.
Well, I'm convinced! If I were your boss, I'd give you a raise!
I think it's smart to cc your boss on the emails that show the work you're doing. It seems like a lot of times people don't let their bosses know what they're doing, so it's difficult to build a strong case come raise time. It sounds like you're doing everything right, though. If you don't get what you want, I say go somewhere that will!
You're taking all the right steps.
As for the gym membership (something I really want too!), have you looked into the YMCA? Does anyone in your family have a gym membership they could add you on for another $10 a month? have you looked at buying one that's a 3-4 year contract? those are cheaper and it usually comes out to $5-10 over the course of the term.
When you get the gym membership, just remember to not get pressured into their bronze, silver, gold, and platinum memberships for ridiculous amounts of money!
Good for you! You did the right thing passing up the other job that you didn't want--you're young and have plenty of time to get where you really want to go, and now is the time of your life to try and make it there.
And if you don't get that promotion and you think you deserve it, you should look for another job and then tell your boss why you are thinking of leaving. Sometimes they need that reality check to realize how serious you are about their company and your place in it. And if they still won't give it to you, then you know what they think of you and have another great option (the new job) to move on to!
Congrats for the chance to change things!
Just remember that subtle is sometimes not enough. Sometimes you need to lay it all out for them and (gently) force them to make a call about it.
While your bosses theoretically want you to be happy, they may have other people under them gunning harder than you (in other words being less subtle about what they need) and they also have their own careers to manage. While this is not a good excuse to ignore your desires, if you don't initiate an unsubtle conversation about it, they can convince themselves that it's not something that's high enough priority for them to deal with right now... and that can keep happening over months and months and reviews and reviews.
I'm at the next level up career-wise from you and I can now see some of the stuff I didn't push hard enough for at my first job, so I'm just sayin'. ;) It's definitely a delicate balance to toot your own horn just enough, but not too much.
"I'm hoping it comes with a sizable pay bump" -- "Hope", unfortunately, is not a strategy.
Hate to sound like a hard a$$, but I wrote a lengthy comment on this blog several weeks ago (maybe longer) about what steps you need to take to get a raise. Did you read it?
Good luck.
The cc-ing is good, but I also think you should draw up a document detailing, with applicable metrics, how you've done good development work.
And wherever you've gone beyond your responsibilities, highlight that.
If nothing else, it will better prepare you for the conversation that you want to have with your boss.
Good luck with the raise and promotion. If you look for another job and you like your company, let your boss know you have another job offer (and the details, pay, etc) and maybe your current company will match it.
Hey good luck. Do you have an annual review coming up? We're being yanked around over raises/bonuses at the moment too, it's always "in the next couple of days". Quite aggravating once you get to thinking about it.
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