A mid-career professional recently shared a passionate story with me about her employer not valuing her professional worth. Intrigued, I asked for details, and she indulged me with stories related to how she works long hours to exceed objectives. However, no one ever rewards her with a thank you, promotion, or raise. Instead of receiving praise, the workload increases and she misses important life events because she is in the office working.
I was able to get in the weeds with this aspiring leader but with her permission here’s a summary of the advice I shared with her. Do not expect praise for doing the job; you were hired to perform. You were hired because you were the best-qualified person to do the job, so keep crushing it.
Make your career aspirations known, if you are accepting more challenging assignments with the intention of proving you can add value to the team/company express that to your supervisor. If you do not tell your boss you would like to advance in the company how will they know?
Before you take a stand to show what you are worth, take an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses so that building a case of your contributions at work to the value you add to the team or organization is clearly outlined. Do not gloss over big mistakes be prepared to discuss what you are doing to improve in weak areas. Equally as important is being able to define how your top strengths help you exceed expectations.
Knowing your worth and value to an organization is vital to navigating from one area of the career jungle to the next. Knowing exactly what skills, knowledge, and expertise you bring to an organization and how those skills move the needle toward helping the company achieve its goals is something that should stay at the forefront of your mind.
