Friday, October 11, 2013

4 Things To Do When You Want To Quit Your Job Over Salary

By Tabitha Makumi,
Raise your hand if the job you are in right now does not give you satisfaction? It could be career growth satisfaction or the good old satisfaction of money. I can bet all my money (not that much) that if this question was asked in a seminar full of working people; so many hands would shoot up.
I received an email the other day from Gerald Kiprotich (not his real name) who is not happy with his current job. He is not getting the career growth that he would like to be getting. He says that the manufacturing company which he works & located in the Industrial area does really appreciate his skills and expertise but Gerald has a problem
“I however must accept that the employer is totally in need of my skills at the moment but not willing to increase my pay which is the key thing of my dissatisfaction. I believe that if I can get an appointment/new job somewhere he would consider increasing my salary but now I don’t have. Kindly assist me on what I should do.” The email read.
Isn’t this the fate of most workers in Kenya? So many people feel that they are worth a little more but the company is not ready to increase their pay. What do you do?…Do you  leave even if you do not have a clear plan of your next job like Gerald here or do you vumilia and hope that someday soon the boss will increase some zero’s on your cheque?
Here is what to consider before you decide enough is enough
1. Make a list of the benefits of your current job
Are you learning new skills? Focus on what you’re getting from sticking around. This could include salary, health insurance or being able to add one more project’s completion to your resume. You will find that in the scheme of things, staying at your current job for another three months, or even another year, really isn’t that long.
Is money the only reason why you want to quit? If this is the case how sure are you that even if you get a new job elsewhere stay for two months, you won’t feel the need to move again when your salary expectation are not met?
Remind yourself that your current situation is temporary and that you are doing what you can to change your employment for the better.
2.Acknowledge your choice to stay
Gerald has made a choice to stay regardless of  the salary issue . He could also hace choose to quit even without having something lined up. I’m clearly not one to judge or begrudge you this decision.
It’s a funny thing, but there is a big difference between “I have to go to my job today” and “I’m choosing to go to my job today.”
3. Learn to negotiate better
Maybe the whole reason you are not getting a salary raise is because you have not convinced the company that you are worth more than what they are offering and most importantly are you worth what you are asking for? Can the company afford your skills?
Try to have facts to back up your negotiations.
4. If you get an unexpected offer elsewhere quit
Don’t just stay out of loyalty. Don’t just quit because you’re mad. Determine how you would define your ideal next step, both professionally and personally, and weigh your unexpected offer against the prospects exactly where you are.
There are many reasons why you might be dissatisfied with your current situation. But, before you quit, ask yourself if the reasons for your dissatisfaction will actually be cured if you quit your job.
Quitting your job could very well be an excellent response to a bad career situation. More likely, it is several steps away from what you need to do right now.
Sometimes, it is even unnecessary, and your energy spent on quitting could be better used to improve your situation right where you are

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