One of the questions asked at yesterday’s talk at Remington College related to getting a raise. The student seemed to like her job and the people she was working with, but obviously wanted higher pay.
The fact she is in school is the first sign she is headed in the right direction. Medical skills have value in the marketplace and she was working on sharpening hers. If her current employer does not A) recognize her new skills or B) can not use her new skills, then it is time for her to move towards a new opportunity.
Developing new skills is a giant leap forward and financial rewards will follow. So skills are part of the equation. However, my suggestion was to make sure that everything she did show value. I rambled on for a few minutes about if you only follow the job description then you are only doing enough not to get fired. You are a warm body, a utility player.
I challenged her begin thinking about ways she can separate herself from the pack. Staying focused on accomplishments, I suggested, was her best bet. An accomplishment is merely something that gets done by you that probably would not have gotten done otherwise. An accomplishment does not have to be recognized on the front page of the employee newsletter to be important. Focus on two or three small accomplishments every day of every week and you will get noticed. You will get noticed because you are creating value.
I am not sure I gave her the answer she was looking for. But if she can see herself from the hiring manager’s perspective, then she will stay motivated to create value for the company. Consistently creating value is the hard part. Getting the raise will be the easy part.