"The more prepared and focused you are, the more likely it will be for you to achieve success." Very true. After some retrospection, we realised it was what helped us pass through the eye of the needle.
December last year, we were locked in the middle of a do or die struggle, trying to find a way of getting more people into our fanbase, something that would ensure us a stable number of visits. That time, reader's participation was a big gaping hole in our chests, the thing that was hindering us from going further into our GPOA, the Berlin wall of our Germany, in other words. The possibility of us surviving was thin due to lack of supporters. In other words, this place was dry.
Which made sense. Lots of. It turned out that not even our being the child of an established jobs portal was enough to get us what we wanted. And so we began looking around for strategies that could support our idealistic plans. The solution we came up with was a risky approach: to instead tackle topics with added humor so as to encourage readers to comment, a kind of 'we're friendly like that so talk to us' arrangement. Hence, the ranting and rambling, which we do until now. And we're still pleased at the results. Guess, it was a good choice after all?
Why settle with ranting when there are many other less annoying forms of humor out there? We suppose now's a good time to address this question. Two options: we can have a lengthy debate on the subject...or you can simply accept that it was all for the clicks, and move on. Well, more of 'being practical to be able to help more people in the future' kind of mind frame. We needed clicks to survive, and that was what we did. So we're still here, ranting and talking to you about our uncanny preference in humor (and keeping your career plans in tact).
And then we move into this choice's most painful aspect: annoyed readers. We've been a little boring with our write ups these past few weeks, allowing stress management, work life balance, career planning, time management, to rule the limelight. Haven't you noticed? Anyway, the reason for this little chat is that we just want to get things straightened out...because really, we think we haven't been clear with our new GPOA yet. November is going to be a month of revamps...and so, you have lots to look forward to, from training opportunities to career tips.
Perhaps it'll help if we say that our editors have excellent update plans for www.jobsdb.com.sg/Singapore. Another reason for you to check Career Advice and this career blog more often, we suppose? How excellent, you ask? Have you seen the new career guide on salary increase from Robert Walters Singapore? The one from Andree Mangels, Manager, Sales & Marketing recruitment division for the IT & Telco and Engineering sectors at the company? That kind of excellence. Speaking of which, we remember making a promise of featuring it on this blog within this week. We don't like making our followers wait for a long time...and so, this is it.
How to ask for a pay raise? We've been asked to comment on this subject a million times. Our take on this is that in order for the request to be granted, proper research and negotiation must be done. Sounds a little bit playing safe, but really, that's the way to do it. Too much of anything can be troubling, in this aspect of career advancement.
"The more prepared and focused you are, the more likely it will be for you to achieve success." Andree gets that argument into detail. Yes, these motivating words are from him. Research in what quantity and terms? What negotiation approach is the most appropriate for such a request? He's tackled it all in his 'How to get a pay raise' article. His tactical tips that can help working professionals secure the increase they've been waiting for are very thorough, but for our readers' quick reference, we've listed down the basic points below:
- Find out the current salary levels in your industry.
- Gather your past performance appraisals.
- Construct your arguments using the appraisals, noting your salary level findings.
- List down all the things your boss may use to say no. Practice with the draft.
- Be reasonable when negotiating. Settle with what you're comfortable with. Don't overvalue or undervalue yourself.
- Regardless of what the outcome of the negotiation may be, stay professional. No matter how emotionally satisfying, don't end the talk with threats.
- Send a thank you note. Let your boss know that you appreciate his considering of your request.
Worst case scenario. What to do in case of rejection? Andree has two words for that: stay positive. "Be proactive in creating the right environment and conditions to negotiate your next raise." Continue documenting your successes and achievements for a better "next time." He wants you to practice your communication skills and negotiation skills as well.
You can read the complete article at www.jobsdb.com.sg/SG/EN/Resources/JobSeekerArticle/ask-an-expert.htm?ID=489. Related articles we suggest you check out too:
What Are You Worth?
Double Your Salary
And since we're already talking about money... Can we interest you with this seminar from LearningDB.com?
The Millionaire Mind Intensive
Also, some upcoming finance courses from LearningDB.com:
Nov 15-16 -- Strategic Pricing & Costing by John Ho
Dec 10 -- The Art of Collecting Debts Through the Telephone by George Goh
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