“A cure for being underpaid?” you might ask. “Really?”
On any given day, you can visit some of the job forums scattered all over the Internet and see dozens of people talking about how severely underpaid and underappreciated they are at their current position.
You will also see tons of articles talking about how you can march right into the boss’s office and start renegotiating your salary. Sometimes the straightforward approach with your company can work wonders to get you the raise you deserve but more often than not, it falls on deaf ears regardless of how excellent your job performance has been.
What can you do in this situation? Are you going to stay stuck in a job that you love but are obviously being underpaid for your services? What do you see in your future in regards to being able to support yourself and perhaps build a life for your family?
These are some of the questions you have to ask yourself before contemplating what your next move is. The most important question you should ask yourself is whether or not you sincerely believe this company is ever going to compensate you for your work and talents.
If the answer is no, then you need to start making your move right now. Not tomorrow, not next week, right freaking now!
Make a Move, Dude!
The worst thing you can do right away is to quit before you can line up another job. You need to start putting the feelers out with your friends and family so they can keep their ears open for you for a possible job opening; explain to them you are severely underpaid and unhappy because of it and how you plan on resolving the issue. Ask them to keep your intentions in confidence; the last thing you want to do is alert your company that you’re looking for another job. Then, quietly and methodically go about finding a job with a different company.
Start registering on job search engines and start looking for jobs in your area, and begin submitting your job applications and resumes to various companies. Job search engines make this extremely easy to do. Aside from that, they can provide you with all the available local job listings matching your skills and talents. If you’re someone who already has a job and you are performing it well , you will be a precious commodity for a company who can appreciate you and hire you for your talents.
Once you go through the hiring process and settle on a solid job offer, you can then approach your present company and inform them you plan to resign within the following two weeks. If you really love your job and don’t want to leave but are unhappy with the pay or working conditions, kindly let them know that you are open to negotiation if they want you to stay. Don’t let them know you would rather stay with them. You will have them by the groin!
You will be in an extremely favorable position to be able to negotiate just about anything you want at this point if they really want to retain you as an employee. Many companies find out the hard way how important certain employees are in their company and they’re willing to negotiate once they are backed into a corner. This is just a sad reality in the business world. Take it for what it is and for what it’s worth, and don’t take it personal.
With this solution you win either way and take comfort in the fact that you beat them at their own game. More importantly, you will be getting paid well for what you do until the next go-round!
