Understanding My Worth and Value in My Profession
When I started my career 11 years ago, I was very anxious and excited to enter the workforce. Sadly, I didn’t know anything about my professional worth and value and how that is so important to know as I started to progress in my career. After about 5 years in my career, I started to develop a sense of what I brought to a company. I started to understand how my skill set was unique and very hard to find. Many times we don’t see how valuable we are and we are working at a company in where we are underpaid and undervalued.
Determine Your Worth
Always keep a track of performance reviews/evaluations to see areas that are your strengths and constantly improve on areas that were identified as a weakness. It is nothing wrong with talking to a reference that you have used. If they were willing to give you a reference/recommendation for a job than they can provide you with feedback that possibly you have never heard of.
When you are having conversations with your co-workers, listen carefully to how they describe your work ethic. Such as “I can always reach out to you if I need help.”
Show That You Are Valuable
It is hard to show how valuable you are in the workplace if you are not working in a field that you are interested in. Your work will reflect that.
Be able to adjust to change and show flexibility. Employers look for employees who display adaptability.
Be a great communicator. Displaying excellent verbal and written communication skills will help prevent you from being overlooked.
Be confident in yourself. You might face criticism from time to time but this is how people start to gain your trust. Would you want to listen to a person who didn’t display confidence?
Be punctual.
If you don’t know something, research and try to find out more about it. If that fails, just ask someone.
I Have Determined My Worth and I Have Displayed My Value….What’s Next?
Remember, it will be other companies in where your skills and knowledge will be in high demand. Never be afraid to move on to bigger and better things. You want to be able to grow in your career. A company should provide growth opportunities which can include learning a new skill or receiving some sort of additional training that can be beneficial as you progress in your career. Your employer should display how they value you and don’t mind showing recognition for all of your hard work. Also, take a look at job opportunities in your field to understand the demand of your current role.
Once you have determined your worth, never settle for less than what you deserve!