1. relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
2. monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade: This piece of land has greatly increased in value.
3. the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange.
4. equivalent worth or return in money, material, services, etc.: to give value for value received.
- From Dictionary.com
What is my personal value? And what do I value? What are my values in life?
These are the questions I'm struggling with at the moment. The answers are critical to my job search and with the companies at which I interview.
I know I am a valuable employee, manager, co-worker. I bring a great managerial and experiential skill set to the table, coupled with compassion, understanding, a sense of urgency, and a dedication and commitment to success. But how does one put a price tag on that? What I feel is reasonable, may not be to any potential employer.
What do I value outside of money? In all honesty, money is important, we know this. It is the thing, for right or wrong, that society uses to judge us - is s/he successful? Well yes, he's bringing in $70k+ a year, just bought a new house/car/dog, etc. Or is this just in my mind? Am I so out of touch? Do I give in too easily to the voice in my mind that says success is only based on title and salary?
I've been struggling with this debate for a while. Long before I lost my job. I was getting burned out, feeling unappreciated, and yes - in some ways unchallenged (in the end), and ... I hate to admit it, over-compensated. But my life had adjusted to my income, so down sizing felt painful; yet I knew ALL of my friends and family had fulfilling lives, bring in much, much less than I. So I know it's possible.
A part of me has longed for a simple job - or one that is challenging enough, and satisfying. A job in which I can help others, learn, and grow into a better person. A simple(r) life. Time to go outside and enjoy the sun. Time to read a book and be alone. Time to spend with my significant other. Time to FIND my significant other. Time to spend with my family, my parents, who are not going to be here forever. It's just me you know, no brothers or sisters, just me and my crazy clan of parents ;)
So, when I go on interviews, and we get to the money question, I know what I need to survive. I know what I WAS making, and I know there is a HUGE gap in between. Which brings me back to my value as an employee. What is it? WAS I overpaid at my last job? I'm comfortable coming down from that number, but how much?
Yesterday - as horribly sick as I am - I went on my 3rd interview with the same employer, for a new kind of job. A job that will give me time to BE. Accounting/HR at a hotel. I had done a little research, I thought I knew the acceptable range of pay. And was crushed by the number. I took a moment and asked about the rest of the package. Health/Vision/Dental/401k (no match yet), 1 wk vaca after 1 year. 2 wks after 2 years. PTO after 1 year. No negotiating time off.
Done. My last card for this job was taken away - I had hoped to negotiate more time off if the salary wasn't where I needed/wanted it to be. I counter offered on the salary, asking for at LEAST another $4k, which would bring me to my rock bottom range of acceptable income. They agreed to consider and get back to me by Friday. I try to balance this knowledge with the fact that I come into this job with no direct accounting experience, but I DO have HR experience - more than I care to admit. I also come in with 9+ years of extensive Management & Hotel/staff/guest experience And I try to remember, TRY, that I'm leaving a company from which I spent 9+ years, building salary and vacation time.
This job will bring with it new experiences, new marketable skill sets, and could open doors to other avenues. Accounting & HR are fairly universal. It offers a fairly regular Mon-Fri, day shift-ish schedule, with limited to no at home phone calls. No staff reporting directly to me, but with my ability to support ALL staff and managers. Unlimited projects. And the chance to LEARN new things. And, they really do want me on their team. Everyone I spoke to was excited about the possibility of me coming aboard.
So what do I value? The money. The vacation time? The regular schedule. What do I fear? A part of me fears feeling resentment for being undervalued... A part of me is stuck on the 'want' of more vacation time, especially as they might come in on the LOWEST end of my range, or lower, if they cant do the $4k bump. Do I accept what I'm offered, and use this as a stepping stone to the next option? The whole VAC/PTO time thing seems to be a new situation emerging in the market. Companies are giving less and making you wait to use that little bit of time. So will I run into this elsewhere. Will I find another job that offers this unique chance to learn and grow - with a team that seems as friendly, welcoming, and engaging?
What do I value? What will I compromise? Will I have to?
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