Episode 165 is live! This week, we talk with Dr. David Burkus in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
David is an author, speaker, and associate professor of leadership and innovation at Oral Roberts University. His new book, Friend of a Friend, offers readers a new perspective on how to grow their networks and build key connections. He also gave a TEDx Talk titled, “Why you should know how much your coworkers get paid.”
On today’s episode, David shares:
What pay transparency is, and the pros and cons of using it
Why we may feel underpaid, and what we can do about it
Why networking and professional networks are important to our careers
What a super connector is, and why they matter
What you can do if you’re looking for a networking option that’s not a mixer
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about David and his new book Friend of a Friend, visit his website at https://davidburkus.com.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send me your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.
Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
Diversity is one of the most important issues companies are focused on today. LinkedIn recently found that over half of companies say they are very or extremely focused on diversity. This is good news, especially when you consider this. The World Economic Forum recently estimated that it will take 217 years for women to reach complete equality in pay and employment opportunities.
It should be noted that one of the key tools we have available today that was not available years ago is the internet. The transparency now available, especially as it relates to employment, is a gold mine for job seekers. Sites such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Indeed.com provide important data points, including how much workers are paid and how employees rate their workplaces.
To further the mission of diversity, Indeed.com recently announced a partnership with three other websites that focus on inclusiveness in the workplace. This partnership with Fairygodboss.com, InHerSight.com, and Comparably.com will help to provide additional information to job seekers.
The information will show up on the Indeed “Company Pages.” It will allow job seekers to better evaluate the diversity and inclusiveness of an organization. Today’s Company Pages include ratings for work/life balance, compensation/benefits, job security/advancement, management, and culture. In the future, there will also be scores from InHerSight, Comparably, and Fairygodboss that will rank the companies from one to five stars and as a number from one to 100.
The internet still remains an unlikely place to land your next job. But, the data available will help you to decide whether or not you want to accept a job offer from a particular company.
Salary data will also help you to know what is considered fair pay in your industry. In corporate roles, employers setup pay bands. It can be surprising to know that for one job, the pay band can sometimes vary as much as $40,000 or more. That means that one person doing the job may make $65,000, and another person doing the same job may make over $100,000. In theory, this range allows companies to compensate employees based upon experience. In reality, how much you make is often tied to how skilled you are at negotiation.
Using the data available online will help you to ensure you’re getting a fair deal. It will allow you to verify that your future employer is a healthy place to work. And, it will give you a view into your employer’s values and priorities.
This sort of valuable feedback is often not something you can typically find out during a job interview.
Long story short, we still have a long way to go on issues related to diversity and pay equality for all people, including women and men from all backgrounds. But, this level of increased transparency will help you to be your own advocate. Perhaps together, we can shorten the time it will take to reach complete equality in the workplace.
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
Who wouldn’t like to make more money? If you’ve read my column before, you probably know that I’m an advocate of changing companies every three to five years (for many industries). On top of gaining extra experience, switching has the potential to bump up your pay considerably. But, there are often times when you need a raise at your current employer.
So, where do you start? If you want the best chance of landing a raise of more than two or three percent, do it at a time when your role has evolved quite a bit. This would be the case if your work has grown into a new area, has expanded significantly in scope, or has added management responsibilities. For example, if you were hired as an individual contributor and are now managing a team of seven, the scope of your job has changed.
It’s easier to ask for more money if your job has changed significantly because you aren’t asking for more money for your existing job. That may sound silly, especially if you’re doing more than your peers. You may be smarter, saving more money, or getting more done. But, it’s hard for a manager to justify paying you much more for any of these things.
When your job has changed, you’re essentially asking for a fair amount of money for a new job. While you’re making the case, it may also be a good time to request a new title and an updated job description. This way, you are officially taking your current position to the next level.
Once you’ve decided you’re ready to make a case for more, you’ll want to find the perfect time. It may be during your annual performance evaluation. Or, you may want to lobby for more money at another time, in hopes that your manager won’t be restricted by a certain pool of money.
Whenever you decide to do it, plan ahead. Request a meeting in advance, so your boss won’t be caught off guard. Prepare your case in such a way that your manager can easily advocate for you. In other words, don’t make it hard for your boss to give you more money. Do as much of the work for them as you can.
Consider preparing a presentation that shows how your job has changed. Highlight your accomplishments. Include any numeric results you can show, including how much you beat your goals, and how much revenue you saved the company. You put this much work into everything else you do at work. Why wouldn’t you take the time to put it into your own presentation?
Remember this. Your boss may say no. It may be out of their control. Be careful not to come across in a way that may jeopardize your current job. And, if your company isn’t willing to value you, be ready to begin looking for another one that will.
Angela Copeland, a career coach and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
I would scream this from the mountain top if I could. Big cities don’t necessarily pay more. Big cities don’t pay more! BIG CITIES DON’T PAY MORE (at least not enough more)!
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you shouldn’t move to a big city. I love big cities. Before Memphis, I was living in the Los Angeles area. It was beautiful. Given the opportunity, I would do it all over again.
But, as you already know – money doesn’t go as far there. In California, my apartment cost about the same amount of money as an apartment in Tennessee. But, can you guess what was different? It was less than half the size of what I was used to. It had no air conditioning. It had no dishwasher. It had no private parking. And, it had no washing machine or dryer for my clothes.
That sounds like it must have been a real shack, right? Wrong. I lived in the same neighborhood where celebrities lived. I ran into a few during my time there, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver (before their breakup), Hillary Swank, and Minnie Driver.
Let’s get this right. We’re not talking cheap – we’re talking different. When I lived in LA, my priorities were different. I have friends who still live in cities like LA and NYC. Some live in tiny apartments. Others have roommates well into their 30s and 40s. It’s not a big deal. It’s not bad. It’s just different.
But, what probably won’t happen when you move to a big city is this. The new company you’re interested to work for may pay you more. But, they won’t pay you that much more. They’re not going to pay you so much more that you’ll be able to have the same house in your new swanky city. You’re going to have to make choices – like whether or not you’re down for living in a smaller space.
Why is this? Why wouldn’t a company pay you an adjusted cost of living wage? If you take an internal move, they might – or they’ll get closer. But, if you’re going to work for a new company, it’s unlikely.
This is the thing. A big city like LA has lots and lots of people; 3.9 million to be exact. Many of those people are qualified to do the same job you’re qualified to do. Most likely, you will have more competition for your job than you do today in your smaller city. And, it’s a supply and demand job market. If you want to make $100K per year, but there’s someone else who already lives in the city (and is also qualified) that’s open to taking $85K, what incentive does the company have to pay you $100K?
It’s that whole “big fish, little pond” concept. And you know, sometimes it’s good to be a big fish. For example, a city like Memphis sometimes pays more for specialized talent than LA. Why is that? Because there are very few people in a city the size of Memphis who can fill a certain job. But, in LA, there are lots of people who can.
Now that I’ve said all this, let me say that it’s not impossible to make much more in a larger city. This is especially true if you’re jumping up the ladder so to speak.
But, just don’t assume that a big city will pay you much more. It’s not a given. And, for the most-part, that’s a myth. You may make more, but the question is – how much more? And, are you prepared to try living without air conditioning or without a dishwasher?
Of course, there’s no right answer. It’s all a very personal choice. Just be sure you understand the pond before you jump into it.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Oh my gosh! I have such exciting news to share with you today! My TEDx Talk video is live!
I haven’t said much about it, so in case this is the first you’ve heard about this news, let me fill you in. I was recently invited to give a TEDx Talk about my career success.
(Pretty exciting, right?! Also, what a big honor!!)
The event took place in Columbus, Ohio at TEDxWorthington with a theme of “Interference.”
My TEDx Talk, entitled “How I broke the rules & found my perfect job” shares my story of not waiting for permission in my career and a little obsession I developed along the way.
I share the story about how I went from being an engineer to being a marketing executive to a career coach. I share the bumps and the bruises — and the good parts (like negotiating up my salary – more than once!).
Oh, and, it turns out, I really like interviewing. Did you know that I once snuck into a graduate school campus where I didn’t go in order to get a job interview? When word got out about my ‘love,’ people starting asking me for help with their careers.
But, the biggest lesson I learned along the way was… well, you’ll just have to watch the video to find out!
This is my career story, from the beginning to now. I really hope you’ll enjoy watching the video as much as I enjoyed making it! You can watch the video on YouTube by clicking the link below or any of the photos in this email.
Please watch it, like it, and share it with your friends. You can share the video on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Or, you can simply forward this email to a friend who’s currently on the job hunt.
My hope is truly that the ideas behind my book Breaking The Rules & Getting The Job will catch on far and wide. I want to help job seekers to be more successful in their search, and in their lives.
It’s time to think outside the box and stop living life by other people’s rules. It’s time to push boundaries, to try new things, and to dare to ask for more money. It’s time to find a job that you TRULY LOVE.
And, speaking of love— I need to thank so many people. First, thank you to the TEDx Worthington team for inviting me to participate in such a wonderful event in your special community. A special thank you goes to Dirk for all your support and for listening to my talk countless times in multiple states. A HUGE thank you goes to Irene Crist and Roy Kaufmann for your incredible guidance through this process. Thank you to Daniel Lynn for doing what you do the best. And, thank you to all of my friends who encouraged me to have the courage to share my own story.
I would love you to help me share my “big idea” too. Please forward this email, share on Facebook, share on Twitter, or whatever way works the best for you. I don’t usually include an ask in my e-newsletter, but this is it. Please share my story.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Let’s face it. We all want to be paid fairly. But, what “fair” means can be hard to tell.
After all, we were all taught not to talk about a few key things with others: politics, religion, and money. So, how can you know how much you’re worth on such a taboo topic?
As you can imagine, determining whether or not you’re being paid fairly can be tricky. But, fortunately, the internet is making it a little easier.
Research is where it’s at. You need data to help you determine what’s truly fair. Here are a few ideas for helping you to determine your fair market value.
Salary.com – Salary.com provides salary data by zip code and title. This can be useful information, especially if you’re searching at a small company.
Glassdoor.com – Glassdoor compiles anonymous, self-reported salary data. It’s reported by title, location, and company. They also rolled out a new tool earlier this year that can be very helpful called the “Know Your Worth Tool.” And, best of all, Glassdoor periodically sends you updates to let you know if your market value is increasing or decreasing.
Your University – One area that many job seekers overlook is called a post-graduation report. Most universities put these reports out, sharing how much their graduates make 1-2 years after graduation. Some also include data about the specific companies their graduates are working for. Although this report is the most helpful when you’re a young professional, it can help to provide another data point in your search for information.
Last, the good old fashioned way of salary research can help here too. Talking with friends a little more openly about money can shed quite a bit of light. And, if all else fails, a few competitive job offers from other companies will definitely give you a better idea of what your current going rate is.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
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