The last thing many workers have been thinking about in this dismal job market is how to ask for a promotion or a raise. The popular mind-set: “You’re lucky you still have a job.”
But now it’s time to shake off those recessionary shackles and start thinking seriously about getting what you deserve at work, especially if your employer is seeing an uptick in business and looking to hire new workers.
“Companies are starting to worry about defections when the economy gets better,” said Laurence Stybel, executive in residence at Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University in Boston. “Once the drumbeat of hiring starts, that’s when you can go to the boss and say, ‘I haven’t had a raise or promotion in two years.’”
Patrick Sweeney, the president and CEO of ODIN Technologies in Ashburn, Va., said his firm hired no new employees last year and had a few layoffs. But this year he plans to add up to 15 new positions.
He also just promoted two employees.
“Both guys were often the last ones at the office at night and among the first here in the morning,” Sweeney said. “More than a great work ethic, they jumped in wherever it was needed, from figuring out complex engineering problems to sweeping up our lab to calling clients on the weekend when they needed help.”
Getting a promotion in this economy is not a lot different than getting one during an economic boom. You still have to show managers you’re willing to work hard and can produce results.
“If you really want to turn yourself into a loser, think about a salary increase as a reward for past good services,” advised Stybel. “You’re trying to extract money from a cheap company, and companies don’t care about the past they’re obsessed about the future.”
Saving a company big bucks
That focus on producing results is what got Hubert Rivera two promotions in 2009, one of the toughest economic years in recent U.S. history.
Rivera became a vice president for InCharge, a Orlando, Fla.-based nonprofit credit counseling organization, in October after 10 years with the company. That came after a previous promotion in April.
Despite having to cut costs because of the economy, the goal was to maintain service to the firm’s clients. So he took initiative.
“I spoke to my boss back in May of 2009 about ways we could improve our efforts and help the company grow,” Rivera said. “We have been hit hard by the economy and saw reductions in calls and business.”
He put in extra hours and came up with a ways to cut costs but still maintain customer service, including creating an online newsletter and getting customer referrals from banks. “We put our focus together and did a lot of work,” he said.
The new initiatives saved the company $826,000.
His strategy for promotion success: “Don’t ever feel you’re entitled to your job. Always feel like there is more you can do, and eventually they will notice. If they don’t, maybe you should seek other opportunities.”
Indeed, sometimes employees work hard and get little or no recognition. Last year I received many e-mails from readers who were frustrated after taking on extra work because of layoffs or furloughs and getting nothing in return. Some workers complained that managers dangled future job promotions as a way to get them to do more, but those promotions never came.
Amanda, a bank employee who did not want her full name used for fear of retribution, shared a typical promotion scenario, which I call the “promotion Ponzi scheme”:
“Last April, my current boss told me that he was going to promote me because of the additional responsibilities I’ve taken on and the excellent job I’ve been doing. As of today, I have yet to receive that promotion. Every time I ask him about it, his only response is ‘I’m working on it.’”
In this scenario, a worker has two options.
You can simply say nothing and allow it to eat you up every day you’re at work.
Or you can ask for a meeting with the boss to discuss your performance. At that meeting, bring a list that details what you want, including a timeline on when the promised promotion will go through. Be sure to pepper the conversation with comments like: “I enjoy my work and this company very much.”
Don’t be confrontational. Just say: “I want to know if I’m appreciated here. I see others being promoted in other departments, and I want make sure that it’s not my performance that’s keeping me from getting a new title.”
It’s important to keep in mind that any time you confront your boss, you risk creating an uncomfortable situation, especially if the manager is unable to give you a raise or really doesn’t want to.
Get that promotion
If you haven’t approached the promotion topic yet with your boss and think the time might be right, remember to “think like a CEO,” said Sweeney.
“This applies to everything from turning out lights to selling the company at a cocktail party or sports event,” he said. “Be fanatical about promoting the company and its products or services.”
“The secret is to create unexpected money for your company before you ask for a piece of it back,” said Larry Myler, CEO of More or Less Inc. and the author of the forthcoming book called “Indispensable By Monday.”
Myler offers two steps. First increase profits by cutting costs, increasing revenues or boosting produtivity. Second, document the financial impact of your actions so your boss can see it in black and white.
Remember it’s always a good idea to sing your own praises. Contrary to popular belief, your boss doesn’t know what you’re doing every minute of the day.
Wendy Enelow, director of the Resume Writing Academy, suggested keeping “a running list of your accomplishments” ranging from small process improvements to large projects handled. “Be certain to include any quantifiable achievements, such as increasing sales 22 percent by capturing a new key account or reducing operating costs 11 percent by eliminating repetitive processes,” she said.
Ask for a promotion from a point of strength, said Suffolk’s Stybel. Tell your managers you’re getting calls from recruiters, he said, but only if you really are.
You also should be networking, joining trade groups and social networking sites, growing your skills, and building your reputation in your industry outside your company,” Stybel said.
When you’re ready to talk to your boss, make an appointment and tell your manager exactly what you want to talk about so there are no surprises, advised Sandra Naiman, author of
”The High Achiever’s Secret Codebook: The Unwritten Rules for Success at Work.”
While all this advice may help you get that well-deserved promotion, the biggest hurdle is working up the nerve to ask.
“If you don’t ask, you’ll never know the answer,” Naiman said.
The New Year – sure, it’s a time to rejoice, be merry and have some fun, but to some folks it is a time to reflect on their lives, and yes (a big sigh here) that means making the ever popular New Year’s resolutions. The most common resolutions are losing weight, paying off debt, saving money and getting a better job. Try looking beyond the recession and the “doom and gloom” of 2009, and make 2010 a bright new year by kicking your job search into high gear.
“No matter the market conditions, there are always companies looking to hire talented professionals, and those people who are prepared will be best positioned to take advantage of new career opportunities as they are uncovered,” says David Sanford, executive vice president of business development at Winter, Wyman. Sanford says that people should always be looking for a new job (hey, you never know what’s out there unless you’re looking) and that the New Year is a great time to go out and make it happen.
If you want to know how to get yourself noticed and find your dream job during the New Year, follow these 10 tips for 2010.
Be ready to move.
As with all of life’s opportunities, you have to be ready to strike when the iron is hot — and sometimes even when it’s heating up. No matter if your plan includes pounding the pavement for a new job or sitting back and waiting for one to come your way, make sure you have all the groundwork in place for a successful job search. Update your résumé, prepare a compelling story to tell about why you would consider a new opportunity and know whom you would use for references. Start becoming mentally and emotionally ready for a change so you are better prepared for when it happens.
Don’t ignore the elephant in the room.
In soft economies, many people think it’s safer to stay with their current employer than to risk taking a position with a new company — and often it is. But don’t ignore the elephant in the room and hope that everything will be OK. Even in the best of times, companies routinely are merged, acquired, imploded and overtaken, sometimes leaving hundreds and thousands of people looking for new jobs. Be prudent and always be aware of your business’s conditions; keep your nose in the wind and your eyes and ears open for when it is the best time to move on to a new job.
Know thyself.
As people age and lives and goals change, so do their career objectives. Spend the time necessary to know what really makes you happy. Is it being an authority at work? Having a schedule flexible enough to see your kids play soccer on a midweek afternoon? Knowing the drug you are researching will someday eradicate a life-threatening disease? Have a heart-to-heart with yourself about what you want from your career and what steps would be necessary to achieve this goal. Have realistic expectations, but know that most career dreams are within our reach.
Step out of your comfort zone.
As human beings, we don’t like to admit that we don’t have all the answers, and it’s uncomfortable for most people to ask for help, especially from those outside their inner circle. Asking for assistance and advice is the heart of networking and the single most important thing a person looking for a new job should do.
Your next opportunity could come via a tip or chance encounter with a former boss, colleague, neighbor, recruiter, barber, golf buddy — but you will never hear about it if they don’t know you are looking (even passively). You need to be courageous enough to talk to people you meet about what you ultimately want instead of regretting that you didn’t mention it sooner.
Devote time to job searching.
Take a hint from the world’s greatest athletes. Succeeding at anything takes practice and hard work. If you are trying to further your career, you need to devote the energy needed to make that change, and that takes time. Find a way to carve out the hours necessary, whether it’s giving up an hour of gym time on Tuesday nights to attend networking meetings, or getting up early on Sunday mornings to search for leads and contacts online, establish some goals and set aside the time it will take to accomplish them.
Focus your résumé.
Most résumés are vanilla — overview, titles, tasks, accomplishments and education. But companies want to see the sizzle and the steak. They want to see progression in experience, skills and responsibility and how you have contributed directly to your employer’s, or former employer’s, success. Make sure your document includes enough substance to explain the strategies and tactics you were responsible for, but also the intangibles where you made a difference. It doesn’t have to be overly long or detailed, but back up any success claims with real facts and examples.
Join in and get connected.
There isn’t a profession or industry on Earth that doesn’t have a trade association, user group, online discussion board or fan club. Find one relevant to you and join it. Whether you are employed or not, opportunities flow from being around like-minded people, and professional associations and communities are where you need to be. They are a great way for uncovering hidden jobs, to further your knowledge and to make new relationships. Investigate which are appropriate for you and join in.
Sell yourself.
Unless you are a pompous, arrogant bore, you are probably not used to — and are uncomfortable with — talking immodestly about yourself, your attributes and shining moments. Get over it. Advancing in your career or finding a new job requires you to balance humility with bravado. Your résumé or a relationship may open a door, but you have to be prepared to march through it with a lot of confidence and a bit of swagger.
Find a way to get over any discomfort when talking about yourself and how wonderful you are. The best job candidate is one who truly believes he has something unique to offer and can articulate his message with words, body language and confidence. A hiring manager wants to fall in love with you; give her reason to.
Narrow your thinking.
Don’t try to be all things to all people, especially when looking for a job. You are not going to be good at everything you do, so don’t fool yourself into thinking you are. Figure out what you want to do and where you want to do it, and narrow your search to opportunities that fit into your realm. Don’t have interviews or networking meetings where you hope the other person can help you figure out what you want to do. The responsibility is yours; be targeted and specific about the jobs you want, skills you have and the companies for which you want to work.
Get started.
Self-assessment is important but can be paralyzing. Take the time necessary to be introspective and then craft your plan, but don’t let those activities stall you from taking action. Talk is cheap – get out there and take the steps to change or improve your career. Being proactive in your career will open up opportunities you never dreamed of and will start 2010 off right.
