Know Your Worth

One of the most difficult questions an executive can ever hear is this: How much are you worth? You can have the most difficult finance job or banking job and still not know the answer to this question. However, it is one that needs an answer. Sure, fresh graduates would find it difficult to answer, but more so when it comes to executives, whose salary range can be as wide as it can be.

Really, the answer to such question is affected by a lot of different factors, such as the following:

• You really don’t know how much you’re worth. You may have been in the same position for a long time, and you are unaware of the job market as it is now.
• You’re not comfortable with how much you’re getting. Either you feel shortchanged or you feel that your salary is too high for what you’re doing.
• You don’t care about the salary. As long as you get a job offer, you’re good.

Even though you fall into the third category, the category of people who don’t care so much about the salary as long as they’re given their dream job, still knowing how much you’re worth is of utmost importance. Why? Because your perception of yourself and your value is reflected on the amount of salary that you want to negotiate for. In other words, your salary is very important. Your expected amount may even get you the job, as it can show how sure you are of yourself and of your abilities.

So think about your salary as early as possible. There are but a few times in your life that you get to dictate how much you want to get, so don’t blow it off. Once you agree on the amount that they offer, you might not get a chance to renegotiate it again. You, among the many people involved in a job application, are the one who should be aware of your worth in terms of monthly salary and other benefits.

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