Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited

Return to career-consulting-limited.com
Managing
People
Managing Your Career
CV Examples
Coaching
Cover Letter Examples
Pre-Employment Tests


Six Sure-Fire Ways to Get Yourself a Pay Rise


Many employees do not care too much for their bosses or supervisors. It is an all too common trait. Most feel as though the boss knows nothing, has a superiority complex, is arrogant, is unapproachable, expects too much and pays too little. Are you nodding your head?

Having stated all of the above, what are YOU doing to improve the situation? You see the boss or supervisor did not get to where he or she is by being a complete nincompoop. Oh, I can almost hear some people saying: "Yeah, but you don't know MY boss!"

Let's face a little bit of stark reality. Your boss or supervisor, for whatever reason, has ascended to a position that you probably aspire to. They must have at least some endearing qualities. Sure, they probably have faults too. You do. So do I. Hey! We all have faults.

I know that there will be some people who will be rolling their eyes and thinking: "Yeah, but..." Yeah but what? So what if your immediate boss is the CEO's ungrateful, lazy son or daughter whose greatest claim to fame is nepotism. You don't have to work there. Maybe you do. So why not make yourself useful? Why not make that person look good? The CEO will know where the results are coming from. The CEO knows everything. That is why he or she is the CEO.

So, having cleared that path, how do you put yourself in line for a pay rise or leadership promotion?

Before we commence, here comes a big tip right up front. Be positive. Nobody likes a negative, whinging complainer - except, of course, other negative, whinging complainers. If you are prone to this awful trait then stop it. Start reading some PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) books. A good general source of this information would be "The Magic of Thinking Big" by David Schwartz. If you want to track it down the ISBN locator is 0-671-64678-8.

So, first and foremost - be happy. Put a smile on your face. That is a champion start.

Idea # 1 - Start work fifteen minutes early. Better still, stay back fifteen minutes after "knock-off" time - when the boss is far more likely to notice. Don't make a big show of it or comment on your dedication to the cause. If asked just say you are finishing something up. You don't have to do it every night. Two or three times a week is enough to be noticed. Not only that - you will get a lot done and have your station tidied up for the next morning.

Here is something for you to think about. Observe how other employees utilize their last half-hour of the day. Are they watching that clock? The clock strikes the designated time and zoom - mass exodus. Don't stand in the way of the rush or you will be trampled. Think like the boss. Would you enjoy seeing that?

Idea # 2 - Volunteer for things. Bosses and supervisors are often under pressure themselves. Sometimes they need a person to do a little task for them. Usually when a volunteer is asked for most of the assembled crowd will busy themselves doing a menial chore, look the other way or offer excuses why they couldn't possibly offer themselves.

Watch people under these circumstances. It is pathetic to see. You can easily stand out from the rest of the crowd by being the "go-to" person. You don't always have to volunteer. If you do it too often you could set up resentment among other workers. That is a natural defensive mechanism they will use to cover their own lack of initiative.

Idea # 3 - Give freely of your time while you are at work. Too many "workers" do as little as they can. They shirk responsibility. They work slowly. They attend to personal matters during working hours. By giving a strong performance at work you will be noticed.

Don't be afraid to work through an occasional lunch or tea break. Offer to help another employee with a task that they find confronting. You don't have to stand over their shoulder. Just let them know that they can come to you if they are uncertain. Be helpful. It will be noticed.

Idea # 4 - Suggest things. Some of the greatest innovations in business have come from staff members. Can you imagine how you would be viewed by the owner of the business if something that you suggested earned the company an extra $100,000 per annum, or saved the company money or time?

Be an "ideas person." It's easy. Think about your job. How can it be handled better? How can you streamline the operation? Are there any areas where you could cut wastage? There are numerous areas where you could offer a bright suggestion. But only do it when you have thought your proposal through, made some notes and believe that you have something valuable to share.

Idea # 5 - Take responsibility for outcomes. Too many people blurt: "It wasn't my fault!" Bosses like to hear: "How can I fix it?"

The way of the world is to feign responsibility, find somebody or something to blame, look for compensation for ridiculous claims and generally take no responsibility for anything even if they were the prime culprit. Don't be like that. It is pathetic. Ask: "How can I improve the outcome?"

Idea # 6 - Strive to get on with other staff members. I cannot stress this strongly enough. Often, it is the differentiating factor between two otherwise equally talented people. If you try to get along with people you will get along with them. If you find every little fault in people you will always be disappointed with them. Find things to be complimentary of.

Every workplace has its menagerie of "toxic" people (see my article on "Hannibal Lecter" personalities for more information), rumor-mongers, drama-queens, back-stabbers and assorted slackers. That's life.

They are the six ideas.

Having presented them let me temper my remarks by saying this: DO NOT set yourself up as the workplace "brown-nose." That is, do not be, or be seen to be, a sycophant. There are ways to achieve all of my proposals in a subtle yet recognized manner.

If you approach these things in the manner that I suggest then next time your workplace review comes up, or a promotion is in the offing, guess who will be shining like a lighthouse? If you are over-looked the first time, or even the second time, don't lose faith. Your time will come. But it will never come unless you are prepared to show the effort FIRST. "Sow and ye shall reap" is a biblical principle which still holds true today.

There is an ocean of negative, under-performing, under-achieving, whinging, whining, blameful, resentful, complacent employees out there. Your goal is to prove to your boss or supervisor that you are not one of them.

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary's email address is budo@iinet.net.au. Click here to go to his Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website where you can receive his "Zenspirational Thoughts" plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book "The Power of Choice."


MORE RESOURCES:



Careers | Career Opportunities  West Virginia University





Jobs  City of Rochester (.gov)

Careers at TWU  Texas Woman's University


Careers  Catholic University Communications


Recruitment  St John's University News






Careers at VA  VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs

Job Seekers  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

City of Tampa Careers  City of Tampa


Careers  BASF


Nursing jobs  VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs


Jobs at BCA  Minnesota Department of Public Safety

Careers | Human Resources  The Seattle U Newsroom - News, stories and more



Careers  Washington State University


Employment Services  American Mathematical Society



Working for ICE  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Newsroom




UF Health Careers  UF Health - University of Florida Health



Careers at Prairie View A&M University  Prairie View A&M University


Job Search Results  UnitedHealth Group

UN COMMON CAREERS  VCU Health

Career Opportunities  Gilead Sciences


Careers  S&P Global

Careers  Medline




Job Opportunities  Bellevue School District

How to Apply  FEMA


Work at Syracuse University  Syracuse University


Careers  Micron

Careers at Discovery Education  Discovery Education





Join our team  FHI 360

Careers  KPMG



Careers  Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Careers  The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation

Careers at Air Liquide  Air Liquide

Internship Opportunities | Careers  Boston Consulting Group


Search & apply for jobs  Boehringer Ingelheim


Careers in  A&O Shearman

Work At Chess.com  Chess.com

Students and graduates  JPMorgan Chase

Careers  Oregon WildBlog

Career Paths  FEMA

Green Jobs  King County

Highest-Paying Engineering Careers in 2024  University of North Dakota







The Best Jobs in America in 2024  U.S News & World Report Money

Mental health at work  World Health Organization


20 Careers With the Most Job Security Right Now  U.S News & World Report Money




Why Employees Quit  HBR.org Daily

JobFeed  NSW Department of Education



Need More Information?
Site Home | Site Map | Links | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
© Career Consulting Limited.com 2011

tumblr visit counter