Salary – What Are You Worth?
How much are you worth on the job market? It’s a question everyone asks. In fact 89% of respondents surveyed by SurveySite.com said salary was the most important factor in deciding whether or not to accept a job. At least half of us believe we aren’t company rating Singapore being paid enough for the job we’re doing. So money matters and everyone wants to get paid more. How much is too much to ask for? How do you answer the question of what am I worth? The first thing you need to do is ask yourself how much you want to make.
Ask Yourself the Question First
You need to look at the type of company you’re interested in working for. Large corporations don’t reward 120% effort with 120% compensation. Saving the company thousands of dollars will most likely get you some corporate branded swag. That’s because you’re just part of a coefficient in their corporate formula. Companies like this compute your salary by taking the number of years of applicable experience, any degrees you’ve earned, the job role you’re applying for and put it through their formula. Out comes the magic number. That’s not to say you shouldn’t apply for jobs at large corporations. The salary issue works both ways. If they’re not paying you for 120% effort then all you have to give is 100%. Just punch the clock at eight hours each day and go home happy. Unless of course you want some swag. For small to medium sized companies there really is some flexibility to the salary. Answer this question, “When you’re still in the office at 6:00pm on a Thursday what number will keep you smiling?”
Doing a Self-Appraisal
You wouldn’t sell your house without having it appraised first. Do an appraisal on yourself. Get a good feel for the salary range of your desired position in your area. Note your qualifications and assess maximum value. There are no shortages of web sites ready to tackle your salary questions. Salary.com, Glassdoor.com, and the multitude of salary calculators on the web are great resources for getting a rough idea of the salary range in your area for a particular job. Glassdoor is a favorite of mine because the salaries are submitted anonymously by current employees working at the companies you’re interested in. You can’t answer the salary question until you’ve done some research. I would still advise you check out at least one of these sites even if the job position lists a salary already. The salary listed is often lower than the maximum they’re willing to pay.
Cost of Living
It’s tempting to see what a comparable job in another state earns. Don’t forget to look at the cost of living in that area though. What if you apply for a similar job in San Francisco paying $16,000 more than a job in Alabama? At the end of the year will you end up with more money in the bank? Often times the answer is no. But there’s a way to know for sure. One of the most reliable sources for cost of living is ACCRA’s cost of living index or COLI (coli.org) for short. I’m always surprised how few people I talk to about salaries have checked the cost of living index. If you’re looking at jobs in other states or even different cities you should check this out.
What Should You Tell Employers?