Re: FWD: Road blocks in negotiating raise

[John Posada <jposada01 -at- YAHOO -dot- COM>]

Dear Anon...this will be an honest response without
the candy coated wrapper...
>
> I was offered my current Tech Writing job after
> working as
> an intern last summer. I made a very good
> impression, and
> I demonstrated skills that are not typical of most
> interns.
> I unfortunately did not have any idea what I was
> "worth" at
> the time, so I took what I could get. Now that I
> have found
> out what the area standard for salary is, I realize
> that I am
> grossly underpaid. Not only am I underpaid in

You weren't grossly underpaid. You were a novice
technical writer (and actually, just barely leaving
that classification now). They gave you part of your
income as immediate gratification (money) and part of
it as deferred gratification (experience and
references).

> relation to
> others in the area with the same experience and job
> duties,
> but there is a serious parity problem within the
> company. I
> started at the same wage as someone in the company
> who
> has only a GED, and transferred from Clerical to
> Customer
> Service. This is one of my key points in the
> negotiation.

Unless you know every little background detail (and
you don't, you can't), don't base your requirements on
someone else. Base your requirements on the only thing
you know...you.  There might be something in the other
person's background that you aren't aware; specialized
knowledge, personality, Uncle on the Board of
Directors, it doesn't matter.

>
> The road block:
> I was told that the amount I was asking for was out
> of line
> because they just interviewed someone with a Masters
> in
> Tech Writing who is only asking $31,000. I was
> requesting

Again, who cares about the other person. The other
person doesn't care about you.  If you believe you are
worth more and should be getting more, do that
somewhere else. You aren't indentured, you have free
will. Use it.

Besides, after two years...you are still a novice and
you should be concentrating on building your skills,
not your rate. You get the skills, the rate will
follow.

>
> ALSO...
> for the past four months my workload has been double

Come on, group, everyone together in four-part
harmony...

"So has mine"

>
> My questions:
> Am I so out of line in my salary requirements given
> my
> education and experience?

If you have specific requirements, what does it matter
what we think. You would only be happy if we told you
what your want to hear, so instead of hearing it from
us, listen to yourself and act on it.

>
> How might I handle the issue of the person with a
> Masters who is only asking $31,000?

Aside from punching him in the face, there is nothing
you can do. That is between that person and
management.  If you aren't happy with the situation,
you won't be regardless of what we tell you. Just do
what you need to do to get happy.


===
John Posada
Western Union International
(w) jposada -at- westernunion -dot- com
(p) john -at- tdandw -dot- com
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