« ….with time…. | Main | The art of bargaining salaries in the corporate world – part 2! »
May 22, 2006
The art of bargaining salaries in the corporate world – part 1!
I was a major flop in the corporate world. Though I never bothered about the money I used to make, as no money could solve all the problems of our lives, still I used to get a lot jealous, when I saw people with less talent, less educational qualification, less potential and less experience being awarded with promotions and more salaries. Of course the first vital reason was being good to your boss and second was to know, “how good are you at bargaining salaries!”
It is so true that we are being conditioned from childhood that you should not crave for power and that you should not be money minded in life. At the same time, when we give examples of successful people, we always choose people like Abdul Kalam who quit being a scientist and moved towards holding a powerful post, and Bill Gates who happens to be the richest man.
Who is more desperate?
I always thought that money wasn’t important in life, and that it was always effort that will lead to success & recognition. Hence in my first interview, when the interviewer asked me about my expected salary, I quoted the bare minimum that will take care of my daily needs - Rs 100 a day, hence Rs 3000 a month. They agreed to offer me a job immediately. I was under the impression that the salary scale is fixed depending on the post they offer and the experience a candidate has. I was clear till I spoke to my colleagues, who were less qualified, and who had less experience too. They were offered 50 times more than me – that was because they joined the company, when the company was desperate, and I joined the company when I was desperate. So the first rule to get a handsome pay pack is to know and understand who is more desperate – you or the company. Your desperation level is considerably less when you already have a job in hand.
Don’t be ashamed to say, “I work ONLY for money”
Though the truth remains that we work ONLY for money, we always feel ashamed to accept it. Who would love to get up early in the morning, to leave the family behind at home or the children at crèche? Who would love to get caught in the traffic during peak hours? Or who would love to hang in the crowded trains for hours to reach the office on time? This remaining the scenario, most corporate will force upon you an idea which would say – money is not everything. You work just for the pleasure of it – bull shit! At office don’t try to portray yourself as a hardworking asshole – it will take you nowhere, portray yourself as a person full of potential, who will show the company his/her middle finger the moment he/she gets a better offer.
To be continued….
*Gone are the days of loyalties
*Always keep your options open
*Jump only if it brings a change in your lifestyle
*Don’t mix spirituality with corporate world
Posted by Kenni at May 22, 2006 03:51 PM
Comments
Comments are now closed for this entry.