• Posted on Mar 15, 2018

“A promotion is not a promotion if you don’t get a salary increase. It’s just a way for your employer to attempt to get you to do more work without paying you accordingly.”

I recently saw this posted by one of my connections on my LinkedIn newsfeed.

And I agree. Yes exactly. True, true. But, this isn’t the end of the story. By far.

Let my caveat something here. What I’m about to talk about is not about doing “more” of the same kind of work. If that’s the case, then doing that is probably not going to help your resume (or your health for that matter).

Avoid doing more work unless its a different type of work that will your skills and knowledge base or higher-level work that can take you from a beginner/intermediate to advanced. Only do more work if you need the hours and money so you can get paid (overtime). Some may disagree with me and that’s fine (feel free to leave your comments below) but doing more of the same work in the same amount of time (hence not getting paid overtime) is dumb, in most cases. If you don’t get something out of it, you’re a doormat not a hard-worker. Don’t fool yourself. Keep it real.

This is about doing higher-level work with more responsibility, which is very different. Let’s not get it twisted. Doing higher-level work with more responsibility is a great way to get advanced experience and otherwise build your resume in a way that either:

1. May have taken you much longer to even have the opportunity to do or
2. You might have otherwise not have had a chance to get at all

When I work with my clients – I tell them that this type of situation is one of those that’s ALL about *perspective*.

Do you perceive it as a way for your employer to abuse and take advantage of you? Or, do you view it as a way to get into a position you probably would NOT have been able to otherwise get? Do you perceive this as an opportunity to stretch yourself and prove yourself beyond a doubt? Or is everyone just out to get you and make you miserable?

I encourage my clients to think of this situation as an unpaid Internship. You should too.

That said – when in this situation, the next step is to keep track of the numbers associated with your successes and responsibilities so you can build your resume with detail. As busy as you will be, if you don’t regularly keep track of these numbers and record your successes as things progress, it will probably be very difficult to do it on the back-end.

Remember, this is an internship. Like any internship, it’s a stepping stone to securing a paid job at your current employer or using it as a catalyst for a paying job somewhere else. Do well. Network. Ask for references. Be on your best behavior, you know the “internship drill”. 

By the way – if you’re not in the “in” crowd at work or people have prejudices against you because you’ve got piercings, tattoos, don’t like to gossip or go to lunch with everyone all the time, are super-shy, are GLBT, have blue hair or whatever – you actually may have been targeted for overwork (surprise, surprise). Maybe they think you’ll get overworked and quit. Maybe they just enjoy finding ways that might bother you so you’ll get the hint. Their reason doesn’t matter, so don’t worry about that just yet.

What matters is that you can’t really control what they assign or “do” to you, but you can control how you react to it. Leverage it to your own benefit. Get your money straight. Read on, my friend.

When the time is right, have a serious conversation with your employer about a raise. You’ve kept track of your contributions and can verify the value you’ve brought. Prepare well for this. If, it doesn’t go well or you don’t want to stay at your current employer for whatever reason (you can’t convince then to give you different or higher-level work, for example) – that’s fine too. Skip the raise conversation with your boss and instead give yourself a raise. Do this by applying for new positions for the salary you deserve. You’ll be more likely to qualify with your newfound higher-level experience.

Bonus Tip: In this situation, if you decide to leave your employer for whatever reason, you may not want to use your immediate supervisor as a reference. While doing well in your new higher-level position, you’ll be much more exposed to colleagues in higher-level positions as well. Treat them well and impress them. They may be willing to serve as your job reference for your new position if you’re not confident your current supervisor would give you a positive reference. References do not always have to be immediately supervisors. 

How do you know when the time is right? What’s the best way to update your resume? What are some scripts you can use during your salary negotiation? How can you leave your employer the right way without burning bridges and by making yourself unforgettable in a positive way? How and when should you ask for references? I’m happy to help.

Have you had any experiences with promotions with no pay? How did it happen and how did you handle it? What did you like most about my article? I really want to hear from you, so let me know in the comments. Talk to you soon!

Read on LinkedIn HERE.

***

💜 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗘𝗯𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗖. 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲

🔑 Providing HR consulting, podcast + special event speaking, facilitation, training, and heart-centered outplacement services for progressive nonprofits, liberal higherEd, and inclusive federal agencies

★ Helping LGBTQ+, Black, Asian, Latino, Native, female, non-binary, and folks who work in unconventional careers (where they experience stigma), leverage their career for joy and financial freedom via #lovecareerfreedom and #loveremotefreedom career consulting programs

🔝 Follow me on LinkedIn

🌸►Schedule a consultation for HR & Advisory services:
https://tinyurl.com/mryysekw

🌸►Schedule a free career strategy chat about your individual goals:
https://tinyurl.com/2zkupvme