Guest Post by Certifed Career Coach – Jill Ozovek
All too often, we end up putting one foot in front of the other, trudging to our places of work each day, and suddenly it’s time for the ol’ annual review again. Where did the time go? If you’re like many people, you haven’t thought too much about your goals and development since your last review period, especially if you’re full speed ahead day in and day out at your job, and many companies do not have programs in place to foster this awareness of your career and development.
So why is knowing your worth at work critical to your career?
Helps you ask for and get raises and promotions
Need I say more? If you’re able to quantify and explain, in real terms, what impact you’ve had on the company, your clients and/or the industry at large, you can translate that into real value for the company. Did you grow your book of business by 20% and thus add $300,000 to the company’s top line revenue? Did you save the company $225,000 through your diligent cost saving measures and vendor re- research? Talking in dollars and cents or talking about the impact you’ve had on a business unit or project, will translate into real value to your employer. Be ass pecific as possible.
Attracts mentors and sponsors to you and vice versa
Career mentors and sponsors are critical to a successful career. I’m often asked how one goes about ‘getting’ a sponsor or mentor. The short answer is that they don’t just fall into your lap- in addition to building relationships, your actions, persona and impact draw those people to you. If a higher up is able to see your value because you’re communicating and demonstrating that value on a regular basis, then that relationship will grow and a mentorship or sponsorship could naturally evolve.
Keeps you aligned with your career goals
Checking in on this every few months and updating your notes when you’ve successfully finished a project or added value to your team will help you naturally check in with your career goals. Is what you’re currently thinking for your next step or goal still aligned with the previous goal? Have you surpassed that goal given your recent impact and successes and now you need to revamp or update that goal? Knowing your worth at work will help you articulate your goals more clearly and update them when necessary.
Jill Ozovek is a certified career coach in New York City. Her practice focuses on helping Millennial and mid-career women find and develop careers that align with their passions and redefine their careers on their terms.
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