SORRY EMPLOYEES; YOUR EMPLOYERS DO NOT OWE YOU A “DAMN” THING!

Now, tell me your qualms about your job again? You are not being paid enough? How do you know you are not been well?  Let me guess, after working for two years in an organisation that was lenient to take you on in your desperate moments, you suddenly realise that you are worth more than the “peanuts” they shove in your face at the end of the month?

If you would recall correctly, you did not raise any objection when the recruiters told you how much they were going to pay you. You were eager to sign on to the company because at that given hour, all you needed was a job and a regular paying cheque, nothing else! Fair enough, desperate times call for desperate measures. But you should understand that you were bought with the price you sold yourself. So believe me when I tell you that your employers do not owe you a “damn” thing!

Sigh! Admit it that you put yourself in this situation and take responsibility. After that pick up the pieces and move on or re-strategise and continue. Before you make a decision though, let me share this with you if I may.

Know Yourself

Before you set out on the job search, you need to understand who you are; your personality, values, philosophies and temperament. Does it resonate with the organisation you want to work with? Are your no-go areas something you can let go in order to blend in? These personal factors, if considered can give you a better perspective on where to go job hunting first and foremost.

Do due diligence

Research on the organisation especially their values and culture, to get a glimpse of what to expect.  Do well to remember this though, “All that glitters is not gold.” What a company may portray on the outside may differ from the reality on the inside. Nevertheless, getting a foretaste before you are eased in will make the shock less overwhelming. It will also make your decision to pursue the job or not, easier.

Get some education

Unfortunately, the concept of education in our part of the world can be dubious at times. We are too strung on the certificate so much that, we cannot look past it. That is not to say that the close room experience is not good, but it is not enough either. In this age of globalisation, it is imperative that one thinks outside the box. Learning about the industry you find yourself in, on both local and international stage would give you influence. You can capitalize on this to get you ahead in the process of any negotiation.

If you are already in the organisation upgrade yourself; whether it is through professional courses or furtherance in your present certificate.  Apart from that you can also make yourself indispensable by being the “go-to” person of the organisation, where the systems and operations are at your finger tips.

Be confident in your abilities

“Why should we hire you?” This is not a time to guess what you are good at. You should be able to demonstrate that one thing you can do exceptionally well, with a snap. Organisations want to employ skillful people and it would be to your advantage if they know you are asset from the start. Your ability to communicate what you good at, without being supercilious about it gives you leverage over others.

Learn how to negotiate

First of all, have a plan on how this is going to end, whether it is at the interview stage or a salary renegotiation. Take into consideration your market value (what the market is paying people like you) and what you bring to the table. If you are confident that you are high performer, then by all means, go in for the kill. However, do not make outrageous demands or threaten your employers.

On the other side, if you are a new recruit, with no tried and tested working experience, the organisation may want to insist on entry level remuneration. If that does not satisfy you, you can postpone negotiations to when you have completed your probation. That way both parties would be in a better position to bargain.

“Ignorance is bliss” some say, but you cannot apply this hypothesis when signing an employment contract. Working takes a chunk of your time here on earth. You cannot afford to sign your life away without reviewing the consequences first. If it must be done, then it must be done well.