High Heels Are Overrated and Three Working Women Myths

High Heels Are Overrated and Three Working Women Myths 140 Stop conforming to outdated stereotypes. This is a guest post by Dana Manciagli. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines. Even though working women have been a growing force in our global economy for decades, there are still indicators that women’s career gains â€" not just economic gains â€" have been frustratingly limited. I believe that women can do so much more to take control and accountability for their careers and realize the economic gains they aspire to. After a 30-year career in I.T. and other male-dominated industries, I have witnessed women’s great success stories and self-sabotaging behaviors and characteristics. Here are three myths that need to be debunked:eval 1) Women only do well economically in “female-dominated” industries. Large differences in the proportion of men and women in different fields suggests that some women may deliberately avoid male-dominated industries, perhaps because they feel they will be unwelcome there. On the economic front, new research by compensation analysts at Payscale might hearten working women. Payscale crunched numbers on compensation and other factors in dozens of fields and extracted insights that suggest women are making larger strides than are often recognized.eval 2) Men view women as different enough to be disruptive. It’s plain to see that women and men simply approach work differently, and that has nothing to do with qualifications. After more than 50 years since the beginning of the “second” women’s movement, the workplace has been filled with highly skilled and accomplished women, whose education and backgrounds are on par with their male counterparts. However, the overwhelming majority of C-suite, executive, and senior management jobs in corporate America still remains in the hands of men. According to Teena Rose, an executive resume writer, “the workplace hasn’t become an all-out, battle royale of the sexes. In most professions men and women have gotten used to working together. But it stands to reason that the contrasting styles can lead to a breakdown in communication, a vital component in any successful business. But not to fear, men and women are more alike than different. Some may find that hard to believe, but it’s actually possible to improve cross-gender communication and smooth out the rough edges.” If you’re a woman who has frequent interactions with men at work, you will be overwhelmingly successful if you recognize one simple rule: Men think differently. And with that knowledge comes power: Men talk to get information. While women also talk to get information, there is an added component of personal interaction. It’s rare that women will talk “just to chat.” Women tend to ask more questions than men. Men sometimes see excessive questioning as a sign of weakness. Men hate asking for help or direction, as it is a sign of weakness. Women can’t understand this phenomenon because they’re more intuitive than men and have no problem asking for help. To deal with this touchy subject at work, women can approach this in an easy-going manner and offer a man help, “If he feels he needs it.” A woman who shares her feelings with a male co-worker is displaying trust, while men look more toward consistency and reliability as a marker. 3) Women need to act more like men to get ahead. This is where the high heels come in. News flash: Women are not men. Women are women. New research in the U.K. shows that many women are conforming to outdated stereotypes and acting “like an alpha male” to succeed at work â€" including dressing like a man, hiding “girlie” emotions, and being outspoken. The research, by telecommunications firm O2, suggests the lack of female role models at the top of business is partly to blame for why so many women felt the need to look or act like their male colleagues to succeed. Why do many modern women still feel the pressure to conform to outdated stereotypes? The fact is, men and women who know how to position and market themselves are more successful. Vicki Milazzo, author of Wicked Success is Inside Every Woman, says, “To match the success men can have in the business world, women need to be comfortable with talking about their achievements. It’s not about lying or exaggerating. It's about ultra-positioning. Clearly, we females need to take a page from the male playbook and make sure that we're getting the recognition and credit we've earned.” Career success for women is trending in a positive direction, albeit slowly in some areas. Achieving our career goals is hard enough, ladies, without the burden of these outdated myths. Shed them and move forward! About the Author Dana Manciagli is a career expert, international speaker and private career coach. She has spent more than 30 years as a Fortune 500 sales and marketing executive, now retired after more than a decade at Microsoft as general manager of worldwide sales. Dana is the author of the book, “Cut the Crap, Get a Job!” and a prolific blogger, including a national weekly “Career Mojo” column in all Business Journals. She sits on the worldwide board of Junior Achievement and received her MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Contact her at http://DanaManciagli.com. This article is part of the The $11K 8th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest. If you wantDana Manciagli to win, share this article with your friends. READ NEXT: Pregnant Job Hunting: When You Should and When You Shouldn’t

Careers Advice playlist Vol 2 University of Manchester Careers Blog

Careers Advice playlist Vol 2 University of Manchester Careers Blog Back in 2015 I gave you my Careers Advice Playlist   so I thought it was high time to release that infamous tricky second album. Again you wont find anything   that current but the careers advice in this songs have stood the test of time. Are You Experienced Jimi Hendrix Experience   Well are you? This is what employers want to know. On your CV split   your experience to date into Relevant Work Experience Additional Work Experience This will mean that the most pertinent work youve done will be listed on the 1st page of your CV and will be more obvious to employers. Have a look at the example   in our CV guide Prove It   Television Who would have guessed that a 1970s rock band would understand the importance of the   CAR model! When making an application its not enough to say that youve developed certain skills or have gained particular experiences you need to prove it. To to   this we recommend   using what it known as the CAR model. CAR stands for CONTEXT, ACTION, RESULT. Start by briefly stating the situation you were in (CONTEXT) then go it detail about the things that you did and how   you did them (ACTION)   finish by highlighting the positive impact you had on   the situation and what the outcome was (RESULT). More information about the CAR   model can be found in out CV guide.   Hard to Explain The Strokes The boys were clearly struggling with writing their Covering Letters at this point.   Explaining why you want to work in that job role and for that employer can hard. Saying that you have always wanted to work in this job role/ for this employer wont cut the mustard, you need to demonstrate more of an understanding and appreciation. Consider the following things: what first attracted you to the   job role? Why does the role of job title appeal to you so much? What makes it stand out? Why have you been looking for opportunities in this sector? Where does this sector interest stem from? What steps have you demonstrated which shows this passion? Likewise, Why are you applying for this role within this specific organisation? Why not a similar role within another firm? What makes the organisation different?   Does the organisations ethos align with your own? How? Do you feel as though you would fit in? Use our Covering Letter Guide for more advice on getting your motivation across. One Size Fits All Frank Zappa The Mothers (of Invention) OK, so Im cheating a bit here this is actually an album title. However, its an album that includes my favorite ever song (Andy)   so I had to include it! Now Frank would top the list of my dream dinner party guests as we share a lot of the same beliefs but over dessert Id have to challenge him on this statement One size definitely doesnt fit all especially when it comes to applications. I may as well stick with the food   theme to explain why. When planning for this dream dinner party I would need to work out what what I was going to feed my guests and write a shopping list of the ingredients Id need to make these dishes.   Think of the job description as the employers shopping list, the skills and experiences listed are the ingredients needed to do the role.   If I got the wrong ingredients my dishes wouldnt be successful, similarly if   your   application doesnt contain the right ingredients listed on the employers shopping list it also wont be successful.   Another Brick Wall Pink Floyd I often think Roger Waters must have been applying for jobs whilst writing this song. After all the effort you put in to make a good application, not hearing anything back from the employer can feel like youve hit a brick wall. Remember its not personal, the employer   may simply not have the resources available to respond to every application they receive. Its frustrating I know but keep chipping   away. Sooner or later your applications will bring down this brick wall. Get It On Marc Bolan T-Rex Im obviously referring to clothes here! Marc knew how to dress for any (glam rock) occasion and its important that you too dress appropriately for any assessment centre   and/or interview you have. Dressing smart goes without but its also important to feel conformable on the day. Make sure your clothes fit well and arent to restrictive. Ladies those 4in heals may make you stand tall but are they comfortable to walk in? Remember you might be given a tour of the premises.   I also think its OK to add   a bit of individuality to the outfit. Im thinking a patterned (non novelty) tie or a necklace not a feather boa a la Bolan! Ziggy Stardust David Bowie On the surface not the most obvious of choices I know but you cant mention Bolan and not Bowie! Think about it, what Bowie created in Ziggy was a character that made it OK   to be different, and showed that there was nothing wrong with being an individual. This is something you need to remember when it comes to to your career decision making you need to find the right role for you. Resources on our website can help you start to think about what you want out of a job   and what roles might suit you. Inner City Pressure Flight of the Concords Many of you may have seen the Flight of the Concords TV   show but if you havent heres a brief synopsis Bret   Jermaine leave New Zealand for the big city of New York to make it as a band Unfortunately its not very successful so they write a song about the stresses that they face. The Concord guys thought that moving to a big city was   the only way they could make the big time, similarly   you might feel that all graduate jobs are in London. This isnt true the majority of opportunities are actually outside of London. Even national multinational organisations are likely to have regional offices dotted around. On CareersLink use the Advanced Search tool to look for jobs in different regions and check out our our where can I work pages Never Going Back Again Fleetwood Mac When I completed my undergrad as far as I was concerned Id finished with education. I never wanted to hear the words coursework, deadline or essay again.   4 years later I backtracked and decided to do it all again and start a masters degree! I went back again for my professional development, but there are many reasons why   you might chose to go back to further study at some point. If its something that you are considering or think you might be interested in in the future our Postgrad Study Funding Guide will be a good read. Id just like to point out that this time Im never going back again. I Want To Hold Your Hand The Beatles Well we want to hold your hand! If you are a recent graduate of the University of Manchester you can still use the Careers Service for 2 years after you have graduated. *** Please note that the Careers Service does not condone or agree with any of the   other concepts / themes these songs may contain*** Careers advice Graduate

Top 10 Most Misunderstood Jobs in the UK

Top 10 Most Misunderstood Jobs in the UK The workplace has changed a lot in one generation, and new research released by LinkedIn, the world’s largest online professional network, reveals 1 in 3 parents don’t have a clue what their children do for a living. The research reveals a user interface designer, data scientist and social media manager are the professions parents are least likely to understand, with over two-thirds of parents admitting they weren’t confident providing a correct definition of these roles. The top misunderstood jobs list has been revealed by LinkedIn to mark their third annual Bring in Your Parents Day, taking place today, and will see professionals across the UK invite their parents into the workplace to give them an inside view of their working life. The day aims to bridge the gap between professionals and parents as more than half of UK parents surveyed (52%) admit to not being very familiar with what their own child does for a living. Other professions that made the top ten misunderstood jobs included actuary (68%), sub-editor (66%), sociologist (62%) and radio producer (58%). Over 2,000 parents across the UK were surveyed on how confident they were providing definitions for a range of careers spanning investment bankers to fashion designers. It also revealed that traditional careers are best for avoiding confusion, with teacher (20%), fire-fighter (28%) and architect (28%) getting the lowest percentages for UK parents not knowing what the job entailed. To help improve parents’ knowledge of what their child does and give a better insight into their world, companies around the world including Doro, Samsung, Mars and Philips have opened their doors for this year’s LinkedIn Bring in Your Parents Day. LinkedIn’s Darain Faraz, commented: “Parents can be a valuable part of their child’s career, and an important source of advice and guidance. Our research shows that almost half of parents have an opinion on their child’s work situation but often hold back because they don’t fully understand what they do for a living. Bring in Your Parents Day was born with one goal in mind to bring employees and their parents together, arming parents with the knowledge they need to open up those potentially important conversations around the world of work.” The top ten misunderstood jobs (measured by the percentage of UK parents who weren’t confident about correctly describing them) are: UI Designer (86%) Data scientist (76%) Social media manager (71%) Actuary (68%) Sub editor (66%) Sociologist (62%) Radio producer (58%) PR manager (57%) Investment banker (55%) Fashion designer (51%) What do your parents think you do? These families had some hilarious responses: https://t.co/EewOS1ukGQ #BIYP https://t.co/1cF0O8CISD â€" LinkedIn (@LinkedIn) October 27, 2015

10 Tips for Planning a Successful Company Conference - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

10 Tips for Planning a Successful Company Conference - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Planning a company conference can boost your career and visibility. It can strengthen company sales and morale, depending on its purpose. Conferences are complex, though, and can be tricky to plan. A compelling agenda and great speakers are a must. But so are food, comfortable seats and a myriad of elements behind the scenes. Think air conditioning. Heat. Morning coffee. A conference that isn’t planned well can impact your career like a lead balloon. If the speakers don’t impress attendees, or you run out of food, it can be talked about for months afterward…and you might shoulder the blame, or at least share it. So plan your company conference thoroughly. Don’t leave anything to chance. Here are 10 tips for planning successfully. Initial Steps Decide on a Clear Purpose Successful conferences have a clear purpose. Do you need to motivate the sales force? Introduce a new product? Engage in team-building activities? Bring separate geographical regions together? The purpose determines much of the rest of the conference: its size, its speakers and the agenda. Brainstorm a Wish List Once you have a defining purpose, begin to brainstorm. What would you â€" and the meeting committee, if there is one â€" most like to see? Do you want to engage dynamic and well-known speakers? Do you want plenary sessions, where the entire group of attendees gathers to hear speakers? Or do you need a series of break-out sessions on multiple topics? What about the conference venue? Should it be near the company? In an area convenient to attendees throughout the U.S. and overseas? Create a Budget Once you have a purpose and wish list, set up your budget. Be sure to include all the categories you need. Set up a line item for each thing on your wish list. Will you need paid speakers? Will meals be part of the meeting? How about the venue? What kind of conference rooms will you need? Plenary session rooms may have to accommodate several hundred people, while break-out session rooms may only need to accommodate 20 or so. Will you be hiring vendors to create printed or web-based material? For meeting-related information? Create a list of everything you need and how much each item will cost, roughly. Then begin your search for a venue that can accommodate all of it. Look for meeting places that offer flexible meeting packages and are well equipped to handle your needs. Narrow Down the Wish List and Budget Once you’ve paired your wish list and the budget, one of two things might happen. One: Your available budget and the wish list are a match! You can now start the planning stage in earnest. If you have a shortfall in the budget for your wish list conference, revise the plan so it fits within your budget. If you planned eight breakout sessions over two days, for example, streamline it into four sessions over one day. If your desired speakers quote expensive fees, scout around for an equally good one who will speak to your business for less â€" or pro bono. Research Available Dates The planning period of a conference needs to be at least one year, and preferably more. Why? Because meetings have a multitude of logistics. You need a venue, vendors and speakers all available on a particular date. If your planning period is less than a year, availability of one or more of these elements may be limited. You will need to place a tent pole in the form of a date before all the planning is complete. It’s a good idea, though, to research availability dates for 1) venues that can accommodate the number of people and type of meeting you want, 2) well-known speakers and 3) vendors. Once you have their dates of availability, decide on the meeting date(s). The Rubber Hits the Road: Planning in Earnest You’re now ready to begin planning the conference! Book the Venue Set up commitments for the place where the conference will be held. If the venue will be responsible for preparing and serving meeting meals, set up commitments for those as well. Hire the Speakers and Vendors Make arrangements with any speakers. Send them the meeting date, time and any other material needed. Hire any vendors you will need. Develop the Agenda You may have a good sense of what the agenda is from the initial brainstorming sessions. Or, you may at this point need to sit down and draw it up, point by point. Developing a firm agenda should begin immediately once the date for the conference is firm. Be sure to circulate the agenda so that all relevant parties have seen and contributed to it before it is finalized. Publicize the Conference All meetings, whether internal or external to the company, should be publicized. If attendance is mandatory â€" say it’s a motivational meeting for the sales force â€" publicity will excite the attendees and let them know what the meeting is all about. If it’s not mandatory â€" rolling out a new product, so employees can attend or not â€" publicity can provide reasons to attend. Publicity should provide reasons that the meeting will be beneficial for attendees. Use it as an informational channel as well, to let people know the dates, the agenda, the venue and any surrounding attractions. Decide what the publicity methods should be. Web site? E-mail blasts on a regular basis? Flyers and brochures? A story in the company newsletter? A mix of all these? Evaluate the Conference This post-conference step is sometimes skipped. It shouldn’t be. You need concrete and measurable feedback on the conference for attendees. A short questionnaire asking what participants gleaned from the conference is a good idea. Go back to your purpose here. If the purpose was motivating the sales force, what was their take-away? If a new product launch, did attendees learn valuable information about the product? Were they comfortable during the meeting? Did they find it valuable to their careers? Conference planning is a great way to build your visibility and profile within a company. Because conference planning is complex, it needs to be handled with an overall plan in place and specific steps to execution. These 10 tips will set you up for a memorable conference.

How to Choose an MPFA Guide to Resume Writing For Your Job Search

How to Choose an MPFA Guide to Resume Writing For Your Job SearchThe more you study, the better the MPFA, or any other guide to resume writing for your particular career are going to be for you. This is just one of the many free resources for a more successful job search. The great thing about these guides is that they can really help you get through the job hunt process in a much more organized and efficient manner.There are lots of aspects to consider when choosing an MPFA for your job search. First of all, it will be a good idea to focus on areas of the guide that pertain to you specifically. If you're applying for a job as a project manager, for example, you may want to look at the career section and see what types of jobs project managers typically do. You will probably find out that yours is not going to be an interesting area of expertise, so it's important to do some additional research and find out if there are other ways that you can utilize the guide to help you with your job search.One of the first things you should do when beginning your job search is to visit the website of your state's chamber of commerce. You can use this site to find out about local opportunities in your local area. Many local chambers of commerce will also have links to local job boards and networking events in your area. This is often a great place to find out about upcoming job fairs and any other networking activities that you can participate in. The information that you glean from these may help you land a job faster.Once you've found the information you need, you should contact the local Chamber of Commerce or Literary Agent to see if they have a job board for writers. You will probably have a lot of information to provide them so make sure that you include as much detail as possible. Remember, this is not a resume, but a piece of writing and you should be able to share your experiences and skills in an interesting and useful way. This will help you get an even better wri te up that will attract employers.Before you send your resume, be sure to review the MPFA guide to resume writing to ensure that everything you're writing down is accurate. A grammar check should be included in your resume, but even if it isn't, it should have been reviewed before you sent it in. It is imperative that you proofread every single word you write, because even the tiniest error could cost you a job!After you've reviewed your resume and make sure it has been correctly proofread, you can begin posting to online job boards. You should include a link to your MPFA resume along with your resume. This will help you get a look at how a prospective employer will read your work. If you're using a sample resume, you should make sure that it clearly states your education, experience, and training.The next step is to take a few minutes to look over your portfolio and send a short and concise list of samples to your prospective employer. Be sure to include any personal references you have as well. Your portfolio should be an array of samples of your writing and show that you are knowledgeable and creative. Use the link included in your MPFA guide to resume writing and include your portfolio with your resume so that your future employer can read it.After you've finished your job search, be sure to ask your local Chamber of Commerce or LEO (Law Enforcement) Association about any local job fairs or other networking events that you can attend. These groups can sometimes help you get noticed during the job hunt. It is crucial that you always have fun and let your personality shine through when you're at work.

5 Ways to Have Amazing Opportunities Land in Your Lap

5 Ways to Have Amazing Opportunities Land in Your Lap Have you ever had a really cool experience just drop into your lap? Or made a really good networking connection without expecting it? Well, both of those things just happened to me last weekend, and that helped me realize there are ways to make it more likely this can happen to you too. But first, let me set the scene. Here's what happened “Am I on a movie set?” My taxi had just pulled up to the Hyatt in Phoenix, Arizona, and I couldn’t wait to check in. I was hot, tired and hungry. But when I walked into the lobby, it was so packed with people that I couldn’t even see where the check-in counter was. Then I realized these weren’t the regular business people I expected to see. They were all wearing costumes. Amazing costumes! It looked like I had walked onto a movie set and I was the one out of place. At the registration desk, the two people behind it were also dressed in costumes. And all along the walls and counter were maps and references to Game of Thrones â€" a map of Westeros on the wall, house names like Lannister, Stark and Baratheon along the counter. As it turned out, this was the main hotel for people coming from all around the world to attend Comic-Con Phoenix, which was taking place at the convention center across the street. “I must take a selfie!” Comic-Con is a very cool event that my kids have talked about wanting to go to. So I was amazed and excited that I had somehow wandered into Comic-Con central! So I took out my iPhone and was turning around to take a selfie, saying, “I can’t believe I’m here and it’s Comic-Con! I can’t wait to tell my kids!” The woman behind me in line ended up taking the photo (probably to speed things along). Then the man who was with her said to me, “I just want to thank you for making my day. Your sheer joy is inspiring to me, because it reminds me of how my work is seen through new eyes.” I later learned that his name is Tim and he has a business that helps game makers market their products and build community. As part of his work, Tim goes to 30 or 40 conventions like this a year and runs the marketing effort for his clients. “No ticket? Leave it to me.” Tim and I started talking and he said, “Well, are you going to check out Comic-Con?” I said, “I’d love to but I don't have ticket. I didn't know this was going on.” He said, “leave it to me” and a series of great opportunities just landed in my lap. Tim arranged for me to attend Comic-Con in the convention center for a couple hours. Not only was this an amazing experience, I also bumped into a client and her family who were attending (who knew!). That shared experience will help us build a stronger relationship. He then agreed to an interview for my new video series (more on that later), and even found a professional videographer, Scott, who was part of the community and just happened to have his camera with him. And along the way, I learned about the gaming community and how doing something online can lead to greater connection offline, especially for people who are introverts. I’ve even become an adopted member of the community, getting to meet some of the artists and illustrators who are considered royalty in this field. I also came home with some swag â€" Magic the Gathering cards and a game mat signed by artist Steve Argyle, whose clients include Sony Online Entertainment, LucasArts and Capcom. Signed game mat by Steve Argyle 5 Ways to Have Amazing Opportunities Land in Your Lap This Comic-Con experience was a fascinating glimpse into a different world and it unexpectedly turned out to be helpful to my business interests as well. And for you, it’s probably something completely different that you’ll find cool and amazing. The good news is you don’t have to go in search of amazing experiences and connections like this. Instead, here are 5 ways to put yourself in a position to have more really cool experiences, opportunities and connections land in your lap. They’ll help you allow serendipity do its thing. Be Open Recognize that opportunities are everywhere. I was just going to check into a hotel â€" a pretty mundane occurrence. That led to the whole series of coincidences, but only because I was open to them. So make sure you’re open to spotting opportunities to engage and connect, and be prepared to go with the flow. Mindset Matters To capitalize on opportunities, your mindset is absolutely essential. What I mean is this: How you show up determines the quality of your experiences and opportunities. So, how do you show up? What’s the energy you're bringing? Are you attracting people or are you repelling people? You want to make sure you're attracting people. In my case, joyfulness is what attracted Tim and Kat to become my friends. Everyone needs joy and fun, so you’ll always be welcome if that’s what you bring. Embrace the Situation When I walked into that packed lobby, I had a decision to make. I could have been annoyed. After all, I was hot, hungry and tired. And there were all these people standing between me and checking in. Instead, I made a conscious choice to embrace the situation as something really cool and amazing. And so many good things followed from that one decision. Don’t Over-Schedule These days, we’re all so busy that our days are packed with calls, meetings and work. But when you over-schedule yourself, you can miss out. Don't schedule yourself so tight that you're under stress every moment to get to that next thing you have to do. And even if you have a strict schedule, make sure you give yourself some flexibility to change and adapt your schedule so you can take advantage of spur-of-the-moment opportunities. Connect with an Insider It helps to connect with someone who knows who everyone is and can give you the scoop. An insider. They’re like tour guides who share the inside stories and explain what you’re looking at or experiencing. That’s what makes things interesting and helps you learn. It's always better when you're with a guide. Without Tim and some of the people around him explaining the world of gaming, I would have walked right by Steve’s artwork and also missed out on what is a large global community without having any insight, without learning anything, and without connecting with anyone. When you’re with insiders, you can be the one with fresh eyes that helps them get re-inspired about their work. And they can teach you about a whole new world. What will you do? If you want to meet great people and enjoy amazing experiences, it’s all down to the way you choose to show up. So, my challenge to you: How are you going to show up so you can enjoy amazing experiences and meet all kinds of cool new people? Leave me a comment and let me know. And what amazing experiences have you had and how did the way you showed up make a difference? I’d love to hear your story.

Myth Busting You Get Paid More Because Youre the Best.

Myth Busting You Get Paid More Because You’re the Best. Myth: I should make more money because I am the best at what I do. Myth Busted: Higher pay comes with broader job scope and is not necessarily based on merit. In other words, pivot your brain (and wallet) to think and talk in terms of the quantifiable differences in the size of your responsibility now compared with a previous job. Here are three strategies to stay in your “wheelhouse” and parlay what you already do into a higher paying position. Strategy #1: Seek a promotion within your current team at your current company. Most employees do a pretty lousy job at asking for a promotion. Either they make it about a comparison to someone else, an emotional plea, OR simply come across entitled and justified based on their long hours or great quality of work. Remember, your pay check IS your compensation for great work. However, here are two tactics you can use: Prepare the points you want to make, in writing, before you ask for a dedicated 30-minute meeting with your manager to talk about your career. During that meeting, explain your business rationale for an increase. Use business facts to demonstrate that the job you are doing today is bigger than the job you were doing, say, one or two years ago. For example, are you managing more people than before; are you processing X% more claims than before, or taking X% more calls than before? Everybody has some way to measure that they are doing a bigger job. Strategy #2: Seek a path to a bigger position within your company. You don’t have to leave a good company if you feel “stuck” in your current role. Not every position has upward mobility, so you may need to step out to move up. Go to your company’s career site and see if there are one of two types of positions open: A lateral position (same pay level) that has bigger jobs on the team. A bigger job than the one you have now at a higher pay. Be sure to discuss with your current manager why you are considering applying to other internal positions. (Don’t mention that you are looking outside the company if you are!) If you do interview internally, prepare for a formal interview process and don’t assume you will get it! Work hard for it. Strategy #3: Job search for a higher paying position at another company. While this strategy takes a lot more effort, the income increase is likely to be significantly better than an increase within your current company. The tactics to apply: Before you embark on a job search, “window shop” on the big job boards (Indeed.com, Monster.com, etc.) to get an understanding of what is out there so you are clear on your job search goal. Only work on your job search outside of work hours and do not use company equipment, including phones and computers. Learn how to job search. Period. So much has changed, you can’t assume the old ways work best. The most economical investment is to buy a job search book like my Cut the Crapâ„¢, Get a Job! which is a workbook with templates and tools to see you through every step. Research salary levels for similar positions in your city on Glassdoor.com when click on “salaries”. Remember: Your job search expenses are tax-deductible as itemized deductions â€" check with your accountant. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class ® now and get the most comprehensive job search system available!