4 ways to know it’s time to ask for more from your job
Guest Contributed by Deepa Ramaraj
According to a recent US census, only 19% of women executives reach the highest ranks of business.
The same census showed that the fastest growing demographic of business owners in the USA today are women-owned businesses.
Before you leave your corporate job, ask yourself questions about your aptitudes, aspirations and what really drives you to succeed? The below questions may help you to be better equipped to know if now is the time to ask for more from your job and may give you more clarity about what direction you could consider taking.
1. What will my life be like in 5 years if I keep this job?
If you were promoted, what is the level of responsibility and what are the daily tasks of this new position? Is this something that you are willing to take on? Is the level of salary increase over the next 5 years in this position something that you are excited about receiving or is it lacklustre? According to 2018 forecasts, most executive positions can only expect a 3% salary increase, barely keeping up with cost of living. Is working in this job creating difficulties in any other area of your life? Personally? Physically? Relationships? Health? Mental Health? Note down what impressions that you have about keeping this job in all of these factors.
2. What will my life be like in 5 years if I don’t keep this job?
What if you could decide for yourself what your life will be like if you don’t keep this current job? What are the other opportunities for employment? What marketplace demand is there for your skills and what salaries are being offered to seasoned entrants? What is your value proposition as a candidate, how will you shine? Could you choose to take time off right now or choose a different path?
3. What do I love about this job?
Challenge yourself to write 25 things that you actually love about the job that you are in. The 80/20 rule could be applied to your work. If 80% of your job is taken up with things that you enjoy and feel masterful about and only 20% of your job is not, then you are probably in a sustainable career for you. If it is the opposite, it may be time to consider a change. What else is possible for you to love about this job that isn’t obvious at the moment? Sometimes we get bogged down and don’t actually ask for the job to be enjoyable.
4. Is now the time to change?
Jumping back to fantasizing about winning a lottery or having an astonishing inheritance come in so you can retire from working altogether, which of course would be wonderful, realistically is now the time to actually ask for more from your job? What are you aware of politically from the company structure? Could you be promoted? Could you ask for more responsibility and get a pay raise or more benefits that would add to your life?
What if it’s possible to ignite a fire under your current job and develop it into something more profitable, something that you are excited to arrive at every morning? Asking and answering the above questions will start to point at possible changes that you can make to your job and your life, to increase the level of satisfaction and joy. Yes, it is possible to have both satisfaction and joy at work and settling for anything less is just that.
About the author
Deepa Ramaraj is a Computer Science Engineer turned Health and Wealth Educator, as well as a Right Riches for You facilitator, a specialty program from Access Consciousness. Deepa facilitates workshops for corporate companies to boost sales, to dissolve interpersonal or inter-departmental challenges and to transform the way business is done. These workshops are totally unconventional in approach. She also conducts workshops for individuals about how to receive more money, reduce stress, have better relationships, improve health and upskill as a parent.
Disclaimer: The opinions and advice of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com
