Employee Must Leave Job To Advance Career by Lindsey Novak on Creators.com

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Employee Must Leave Job To Advance Career

Q: I found out that a co-worker with the same qualifications as I have was making about $10,000 more than I was. I met with my manager and explained all the duties I had taken on in my job over the year and why I deserved a raise, rather than tell him I knew another person was making more. My manager agreed with me and said he would talk to his director about it. When the pay increases came, I received the standard 2.5 percent increase and not the increase he had suggested. He told me that he had talked to the director and that the only way I could receive a substantial increase was to be promoted. He said he and the director would look for a position to put me in. I felt I was given the runaround. In the meantime, I took on even more responsibilities in my position and was placed on large projects on PeopleSoft implementation and SAP migration.

I applied for a job outside the company that was more in line with my degree and skills, and I got it. When I gave notice to my manager, he wanted me to go home and think about, but he didn't offer me more money. When I got to work that next Monday, I told him that I was taking the other job and that he should keep my notice. He told me what an asset I was to the company and how much he would miss me. In my last week there, the director asked me why I was leaving. She then told me she had two major projects for me to work on, and that would have led to the promotion for more money, but she never offered me more money to stay. I took the other job and absolutely love it!

After I left, I found out that my manager was the one holding me back from being promoted because he didn't want me to leave his department. I look back and see that I was too comfortable in that job. My friends all had three to seven job changes in the nine years that I had only one job.

A: As crazy as it sounds, people often have to leave a company to make more money. Employee loyalty often comes about simply because employees feel comfortable and secure in their positions.

The unknown always presents a risk, and that risk is too great for some people to take. Nine years in one job knowing you are qualified to do more and earn more is a long time, but you should feel proud that you finally felt confident enough to make the change. A job search is the best way to find out what you are worth. No one should leave a job without having another job, and discreet job searches are easy to conduct. Some companies make counteroffers once employees give notice, but changing environments can lead to more money and increased opportunities.

Laid-Off Sales Executive Exceeded Sales Quota

Q: I recently was let go and was told it was because of the economic factors and operational considerations. I was the top salesperson and exceeded my quota. One other salesperson met quota, and the others were below quota. I was let go in the group of the salespeople who were below quota, and I am the only one who is 50 years old. What can I do?

A: You're astute to realize that something was going on behind the scenes in the company's decision-making process. If the one remaining salesperson, whose performance was below yours, is younger than 40, you could meet with an investigator at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If the EEOC says you have a case, keep in mind that the process between filing a charge and resolving it is a long and arduous one — and often not without a residual effect.

If you can't persuade the company to reverse its decision based on your sales success, ask for a letter of recommendation and take your talents elsewhere. You also can consult a private lawyer who concentrates in employment law, but employees who have won cases can end up facing other difficulties when job searching. Reality lesson: Negative actions can lead one down a negative path regardless of the laws put in place to protect.

Please send your questions to: Lindsey Novak, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. E-mail her at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com, or visit her Web site at www.LindseyNovak.com. She answers all e-mails. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.