At the University of Richmond School of Continuing
Studies, we are constantly seeking ways to improve service to our
students. One of the new services we are offering beginning this
semester is Career Counseling. Effective October 1, students who are
currently admitted to a program (certificate, associates, bachelors,
graduate or masters), have a cumulative 2.0 GPA, and have completed
12 hours at the University of Richmond (transfer hours are not
eligible, will be able to use ReadyMinds, a customized career
counseling tool for students of the School of Continuing Studies.
ReadyMinds is a convenient, dynamic
online confidential career counseling program provided to a limited
number of students (first come, first serve) at no cost. Students
will work one-on-one with a nationally certified counselor via the
telephone, focusing on the student’s immediate occupational needs,
as well as their long-term career goals. Students can take a career
assessment and understand how this assessment may relate to their
educational or career plans. Students will also develop concrete
approaches to career decision making, and receive resume and
interview skills assistance from an experienced career counselor.
To sign up for the program or to receive more
information, please click on the following link:
http://www.readyminds.com/forms/registration_form.asp?next=Y&SID=105&CODE=RICHMONDCES&option_id=3.
You know you are worth it, but when it comes to
asking for a raise, you get a little weak in the knees -- you and
about 70 percent of the rest of the workforce. There are ways,
however, to strengthen your pitch.
When Mary was hired as senior vice president of
operations by a Boston-area real estate services firm, she was
determined to prove her worth -- and when raises were considered in
10 months, to increase her salary substantially. Because her company
had no performance guidelines in place, however, proving her worth
would be up to her.
She knew she'd implemented valuable cost-saving
measures. Having recently hired two people who would answer to her,
she also knew she'd be shouldering increased responsibility. And the
notes she had routinely taken during the course of her work enabled
her to accurately document her achievements.
"You can't expect other people to remember your
accomplishments, so you need to keep these things out front," she
says.
Because she was responsible for budget, she knew
what fellow employees earned. What she didn't know was how their
salaries compared outside of the company. That's where the Internet
proved invaluable.
"I did a market survey, which was one of the best
things I could have done," she says. "I found out that only two
salaries at our company were below market and one of them was mine."
Armed with surveys and confident of her value, she
negotiated a 30 percent pay raise.
Although 30 percent dwarfs the 3-5 percent that is
the current US average, it's still a testament to the power of a
well-planned approach, says Brian Veasy, senior career advisor for
Bernard Haldane Associates, a career management organization
headquartered in New York.
"Don't just go in and ask. Do your homework
first," Veasy says.
Start by knowing your job description and the
company's compensation policies. Are there minimum/maximums or
performance evaluations? Many companies have no tools in place to
measure your performance, which leaves it squarely up to you to
chronicle your accomplishments. Your self-evaluation should include
a general assessment of your strengths - are you the company's best
technical person, best rainmaker, best all-around resource?
"Today, more than ever, it's important to take
stock of yourself because there's so much change. People get a new
boss every year or two," says Dan King, president of Career Planning
and Management in Boston. "That means all of the good things you've
done probably aren't being recorded or remembered."
Next, research the wealth of information on the
Internet. Knowing what other people make and where they make it will
give you a leg-up in negotiations. Veasy recommends the Wall Street
Journal's www.careers.wsj.com
and
www.experienceondemand.com, which offer national and regional
salary ranges for a wide variety of occupations.
"Once you know where you are and where other
people are in terms of compensation, then figure out what you want.
It doesn't have to just be salary," Veasy says. "Go for the whole
package."
If the company has just had a shaky quarter,
consider other items you can negotiate -- incentive compensation,
stock options, an extra vacation week, personal days or education
benefits. Use them to offset a lower raise offer.
Consider timing when making your pitch. A booming
economy and the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years have combined
to produce an excellent climate for raise-seekers. But you can
bolster your case by making your move when internal factors are
favorable. If your company considers raises every January, then
that's the time to make your pitch. If you are just coming off a big
achievement, however, you can use this to reinforce your value to
the company. A company that has just posted big profits may also be
more receptive to your request.
Knowing your boss's schedule is important. "You
may want to put together a memo saying you want to meet to discuss
your accomplishments," King says. "That way you don't risk catching
your boss at a bad time."
Understanding your boss's personality also doesn't
hurt. A "nice guy" boss may not respond well to a "gangbuster"
approach. But if a gangbuster approach is required, figure out what
your boss values.
"Some bosses value loyalty, others are
by-the-number. For others, how well you get along with others may be
important," Veasy says.
For Scott, who was sales director sales for a
Boston-area beverage manufacturer, the 12-13 percent raise he
negotiated was as much the result of tactful negotiation as it was
thorough preparation.
"You have to have reasons why you deserve a raise
but they have to be professional and fact-based rather than
emotional and threatening," he concludes.
SCS Evening News