[jsfg_cinti] ARTICLE: Figuring Out What You?re Worth

Dear JSFG Folks,

Here's an interesting article.

Regards,
Lance Feldman

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http://www.certmag.com/articles/templates/CM_gen_Article_template.asp?articleid=2591&zoneid=228
or
http://tinyurl.com/395kjo

Figuring Out What You?re Worth
February 2007 - Patrick von Schlag

Whether you?re looking for a new job or have had a
long and successful career at your company, the ?grass
is always greener? issue can gnaw at you. Given your
knowledge, skills and expertise, what are you worth?
How do you make sure you?re well paid for your hard
work? There are different factors that affect your
value in the marketplace, different places you can go
to get an idea of your value and different strategies
to help you work toward your goal.

Broadly speaking, your pay is a rough measure of the
value of the impact you have on the business you
support. Factors that tend to influence pay include
education, formal training, certifications, technical
experience, business experience, geography, and simple
supply and demand.

Education
During the bubbliest portions of the dot-com era,
there was a broad consensus that getting a traditional
college education was no longer relevant. When people
can become instant millionaires without business
plans, profits or even revenues, that type of thinking
might make sense.

Now that we?ve returned to the real world, it?s clear
the core measures of a college education ? the ability
to think logically, write coherently and finish
projects successfully ? have not gone out of favor. If
you don?t have at least an undergraduate degree,
getting one might be necessary to break through some
glass ceilings in your career.
...
Formal Training
In addition to traditional undergraduate and graduate
work, most organizations look for people who
aggressively seek out opportunities to add new
knowledge and skills to their arsenals. You?ll want to
mention technical conferences, instructor-led training
programs, and even e-learning and Webinar experiences
you?ve taken to enhance your technical prowess. 
...
Certification
No plan for finding out your worth and maximizing it
would be complete without certification. 
...
Technical Experience
No amount of training, certification or formal
education can replace the need for real, practical
experience with technology. 
...
There are literally thousands of organizations that
need technical expertise and would be thrilled to have
a ?learn as you go? resource to help them. Many
churches, nonprofits and community organizations would
be very willing to give you a strong recommendation in
exchange for a practical learning ground to help them
as you gain experience with new technologies. Be
creative: Ask your local school, neighborhood center
or church for recommendations. You?ll be astonished
how much need is out there. They might be able to help
you get access to additional training, as well.

Business Experience
Most of the time, when people ask about experience,
the natural response is to talk about technology.
Which application software packages do you know? Which
databases? Which Web application servers? There is
another kind of experience that is at least as
important, however ? real experience in business, from
the business? point of view.
...
Geography
When assessing your value, one of the most important
factors to determine is your exact marketplace.
Because the cost of living is so much higher in
certain parts of the country (and the world), it
shouldn?t surprise you that your salary range will
differ depending on where you live. 
...
Supply and Demand
As with other parts of the economy, some technical
jobs are priced on supply and demand rules. If you?re
one of the first people to gain a new Microsoft or
Cisco certification, it probably won?t surprise you
that, for a short period of time, you will be able to
charge a premium price for your services.
...
Getting the Skinny on Your Worth
You?ve done your homework, listed all the big projects
you?ve helped lead, documented your brilliant
technical career since you graduated from college, and
passed all the right exams. What now? Here are a few
resources you can use to help gauge your value in the
market:

# Job Boards: ...

# User Groups: ...

# Magazines: ...

# Your Company?s Key Technologies: If you were asked
which technologies and job functions your company
considers most important, would you know? Would your
boss? The closer you align your skills and experience
with those your company values, the more likely they
are to pay you well to deliver services and results
for them. Keep in mind, though, that if your company?s
technology choices are far from the mainstream, you
might have trouble maintaining your value if you
leave.
...

# Conferences: Many people go to trade shows and
conferences looking for jobs. Although it?s generally
seen as inappropriate to go booth to booth
aggressively looking for a job, there?s nothing wrong
with asking people about their companies and the work
they do. 
...
All in all, the biggest challenge to figuring out what
you?re worth isn?t the lack of information out there
but that there?s so much. Pick two or three resources
from this list and do your homework. You?ll be
well-prepared, whether you?re looking for a new job on
the outside or preparing for your next performance
review. You work hard ? make sure you?re getting paid
what you deserve.

Patrick von Schlag is president of Deep Creek Center,
an enterprise training and skills development company.
He can be reached at editor@xxxxxxxxxxxx

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