Did you double your salary over years?

[RecordProducer]

Justagirl, your post was very insightful. Thanks a bunch. I would like you to tell me more about your job interview, when you said "I want this job" - i.e. how you behaved, dressed, were you brave and self-confident... And also, you said you had a lot of admiration for your boss. How did you behave with your peers? Did you experience any jealousy or rejection? If yes, how did you deal with it?

 

I know you're in the UK and this is US, but the mentality is not much different. Thank you for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

 

Both peers and management. Peers and management will move from firm to firm and be either looking for good people or have information leading to good jobs at other firms.

I see. So I have the same question for you as for JAGF: look above in bold letters, please. Thanks.

[justagirlforever]

Thinking back - and this is going back 5 years so memories are a bit vague! - but it was my first interview (moving across from veterinary nursing into finance) and actually quite honestly didn't think I stood a chance. That was before I went in there.

Not that I doubted my capability to learn quickly, but couldn't imagine that I'd be able to "pull it off" in my first interview. I was really only expecting to go in and notch up the interview as experience - so probably came across very relaxed but also confident - because I felt I had absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.

 

Co-workers? I have a very individual type role and noone else in the company does exactly what I do - or even remotely. So no direct "competition" on that level (which I like!).

And as for my other colleagues - as it happens, get along very well. I generally treat people as I wish to be treated myself. Kind, friendly, respectful & non-patronizing. And that mostly works very well.

 

I hate gossip, so try my best not to get involved in that. Which means that I actually get to know an awful lot of what goes on - because people know I won't spread rumors or gossip - so they end up telling me!

But that also sometimes puts me in a very difficult situation because I end up knowing things, I'd rather not have known - and no one to tell.

But guess that makes me very trustworthy & loyal - which is a good thing.

 

That's it I think. I believe that the world is our oyster and what we get is what we make of it

[RecordProducer]

Thanks again for your reply, Justagirl. These information are very valuable to me as a newby in the Anglo-Saxon world. I see that you're young, cute, and seem unique, so I had to hear about your approach to people. I know that someone who gives away an average person, even if they are not, are non-threatening to others and will always be accepted. But people who are different constantly face a certain dose of discrimination.

[norajane]

Wow! So I was correct in my thoughts that it's better to immediately find a company where you want to remain for a long time rather than count on a move from one company to another?

 

I think what you should take away from this thread is that everyone has different paths to success, and you can succeed within a company or by moving from company to company. It really depends mostly on you.

 

Career counselors will tell you to research the company, and not worry so much about the particular role. Is it a large, solid company financially with small but steady growth? Or is it a small company, without a long track record, but has a lot of opportunity for growth? Either type will have opportunities for growth.

 

Is your company gigantic? Is your occupation techinical or more financially oriented?

The company I was with for 9 years had about 80,000 employees worldwide. It's a tech consulting firm, but I'm not a techie person. My job wasn't exactly sales, but it enabled the sales people to sell.

How do you seek opportunities? You mean job openings or more subtle and less obvious opportunities?

You keep your eyes and ears open, and you talk to everyone from the mail room people to as high a level as possible. Yes, you pay attention to specific job openings that may be posted, and you also pay attention to what is actually going on in your dept, or in other people's departments - it is possible to hear about something that could possibly turn into a job opening, but isn't yet. You can position yourself so that you can either suggest a new role for yourself, or jump on a new role while someone is thinking about it, but before it is officially an opening.

Can you give me an example? As you know in ex-YU everything is f-cked up and things are totally different so I am kinda clueless. All I know is from movies and reading articles.

Recognizing an opportunity...there might be a project that others don't want to take on because it will be extra work, or maybe they don't want to work with someone on the team, or maybe they don't like the type of work it is...you can volunteer to take it on, which will be a relief for your boss, so s/he doesn't have to assign it to someone who doesn't want to do it. If you do a good job, not only will your boss remember it, but others (your boss's boss) will see the results, and you will get good revies, raises, and be remembered when they might have an opening.

 

There was one guy in my group that other people had a hard time working with. I actually didn't think he was bad to work for, he just had a different style and wasn't conscious of the social graces, so he seemed obvlivious to what other people were thinking. I volunteered to work with him, and because I kind of understood where he was coming from, I was able to be successful in that position. He gave me a glowing review, and my boss was thrilled to have that headache taken away from him, and that led to my first promotion there.

 

Or, like in my case, I wanted to move from my position to one in another part of the company, so I started talking to everyone, subtly, to find out more about what was happening in that part of the company . I heard about a new department being formed, so I found out who was involved in that process, found a contact who knew someone in that department, and had them introduce me, and that led to them hiring me for a position in that department.

 

So the managers matter more than my peers or are they all equally important for success? People can be jealous sometimes when they see that you're more ambitious and goal-oriented than they are... so they avoid you or sabotage you. How do you establish perfect relationships with all of them in the sense that no one feels threatened by you and the boss is happy at the same time?

Your peers matter as much as your managers, especially since your peers may one day BE managers. When I left that consulting firm, the next job I took was because one of my peers referred me for a position they knew about at another firm. This job I'm interviewing for now, is also a referral from a former colleague that I've kept in touch with - and the funny thing is when I first met her, I didn't so much like her. But over the years we worked together I revised my opinion of her and she is one of the people I still keep in contact with as a friend...so when she heard about this opening, she sent my resume to her friend and now I'm interviewing.

 

Yes, there may be friction with colleagues, but often that can be smoothed over if you can be helpful to them. Say one of them needs to leave early to take their kids to soccer practice, but she is working on something that needs to be done that night. If you offer to help, I guarantee that she'll be grateful and some tension might ease, if it is there.

 

OK. And how should I act with my direct boss? Modest and meek or confident and energetic?

Modest and confident. I know, it seems like a paradox, but never be meek with your boss. The key is set your boss's expectations at the right level. If your boss says, here's a project, can you get it done by Friday? Be honest about what you can and can't do. She'll appreciate it much more if you say, I can get it done by Tuesday, and you get it done, rather than if you say yes, sure, I'll do it by Friday and then you miss the deadline. She needs to be able to tell her boss when to expect the completed project, and her boss won't be happy if the deadline is blown and your boss will look bad. Or if they really need it by Friday, then your boss can re-assign something else you are working on, so you can spend all your time on the thing that needs to get done sooner.

Are you talking about clothes? If yes, I intend to always look professional...

Yes, clothes. You'd be surprised how many people miss the mark on that, when it's pretty easy to look professional. People get very comfy and don't make the effort. Or, they like their own style, and don't realize it makes them look like a teenager or someone who won't fit in with the executive ranks.

 

What do you mean by "go places"? Get promoted? Work hard and network sounds logical. I just hate to think that my career would depend on other people and how much they like me and are willing to help me... regardless of my professional skills.

Your career will always depend on other people as well as yourself and your skills. It is people that make a company what it is. That's why they always want to hire someone who will be a 'good fit'. That means personality as well as skills. They are looking for someone who will blend into the team, and not be a problem for the team by being so different.

[kitten chick]

Yes to all of your questions but I had to sell my soul to Corporate America to get there. Also keep in mind that there are some very big swings in cost of living depending on where you are in this country.

[RecordProducer]

Thanks, Kitten Chick.

 

Norajane, you have been very helpful and your advice is of extreme value to me. We'll see how I will apply it, but in any case having someone introduce me to certain rules will certainly save me from some painful experiences. Thank you so much.

 

OK, I have two more questions:

1. Did you use a classic resume and CV style or did you think of soemthing original in order to be noticed?

2. Do you become close to your co-workers or do you keep a distance to stay more professional? What should be my goal if I want to go upward? I can be either way - open my heart and keep a polite distance.

[Trialbyfire]

How did you behave with your peers? Did you experience any jealousy or rejection? If yes, how did you deal with it?

 

 

I'm not much for office gossip and whenever possible avoid office politics although as you ascend, you can't avoid the politics.

 

Yes there was jealousy but again you ignore it and be the adult about each situation. If you're looking upwards, you're also too busy applying yourself to your next step rather than allowing someone to drag you down. Also, as you continue ascending the ladder, you'll leave the immaturity behind.

 

At the top level, you'll have the opportunity to play strategy games with the big boys. Quite a different challenge with so many substantial egos involved.

[RecordProducer]

I'm not much for office gossip and whenever possible avoid office politics although as you ascend, you can't avoid the politics.

I am not into gossip at all either, What are office politics?

 

Yes there was jealousy but again you ignore it and be the adult about each situation. If you're looking upwards, you're also too busy applying yourself to your next step rather than allowing someone to drag you down. Also, as you continue ascending the ladder, you'll leave the immaturity behind.

So it's all in the attitude you position in your mind, huh? Good advice, T. Thank you.

 

At the top level, you'll have the opportunity to play strategy games with the big boys. Quite a different challenge with so many substantial egos involved.

I kinda know what you mean, but can you elaborate the term of "substantial egos" that the managers have, if you have time, please?

[Trialbyfire]

I kinda know what you mean, but can you elaborate the term of "substantial egos" that the managers have, if you have time, please?

Usually, not always, people who want to have power enjoy the use of it. At the lower levels of management, you will experience the petty manager who will be blatant about their power and want to apply it while at the same time demanding respect attached to the title, even though they don't always deserve it. As you ascend the ladder, each level gets a little more polished and better about hiding it. By the time you reach the Exec levels, it will be a very sophisticated game of strategic alliances between different camps of management primarily for personal gain. Do I sound a little cynical? You bet, lol.

[norajane]

Norajane, you have been very helpful and your advice is of extreme value to me. We'll see how I will apply it, but in any case having someone introduce me to certain rules will certainly save me from some painful experiences. Thank you so much.

 

You're welcome, sweets. I'm happy to help. I know where you're coming from, and I know what it's like to work your way up from nowhere with no connections and no clue. I grew up in a neighborhood where everybody's parents were steelworkers, mechanics, cleaning ladies, or worked at the plastic cup factory.

 

OK, I have two more questions:

1. Did you use a classic resume and CV style or did you think of soemthing original in order to be noticed?

2. Do you become close to your co-workers or do you keep a distance to stay more professional? What should be my goal if I want to go upward? I can be either way - open my heart and keep a polite distance.

 

1. Standard resume. It needs to be easy to read, and easy to scan quickly.

 

2. I think it's best to find a middle ground. Don't get so involved in other people's lives, but don't be stand-offish. Keep your personal problems out of the office as much as possible and be professional, but also be friendly so that people do talk to you. Be friendly and talk to everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are in the organization. Secretaries and file room, mail room people often know a LOT about what's going on and rumors and what's going to happen. They can also help you by getting your very important package FedExed on time, while someone else's doesn't. They can put your call through to the senior exec, while someone else's call waits. Listen more than you talk.

[RecordProducer]

Usually, not always, people who want to have power enjoy the use of it. At the lower levels of management, you will experience the petty manager who will be blatant about their power and want to apply it while at the same time demanding respect attached to the title, even though they don't always deserve it. As you ascend the ladder, each level gets a little more polished and better about hiding it. By the time you reach the Exec levels, it will be a very sophisticated game of strategic alliances between different camps of management primarily for personal gain. Do I sound a little cynical? You bet, lol.

Got it.

 

1. Standard resume. It needs to be easy to read, and easy to scan quickly.

 

2. I think it's best to find a middle ground. Don't get so involved in other people's lives, but don't be stand-offish. Keep your personal problems out of the office as much as possible and be professional, but also be friendly so that people do talk to you. Be friendly and talk to everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are in the organization. Secretaries and file room, mail room people often know a LOT about what's going on and rumors and what's going to happen. They can also help you by getting your very important package FedExed on time, while someone else's doesn't. They can put your call through to the senior exec, while someone else's call waits. Listen more than you talk.

OK, I get it. Thanks, again. I must admit I was clueless about the importance of your co-workers and how much you have to prove yourself and fight for advancement. I thought you just go to work and do your job the best you can and make new friends with the ones you like and politely stay away from the ones you don't. I see now that they all matter professionally and I should leave my close-friend-making tactics at home.