How To Know What You Are Worth

I thought that it would be good to explain my tagline, “Earn What Your Are Worth”. I don’t think that people in America value themselves as much as they should. You are valuable to an employer, as much as they may treat you like a number or just another disposable asset, but the reality is that they need you. They hired you for your individual skill sets and what you might bring to the table. I believe that everyone has a certain worth determined by four different factors. Here are those factors.

1. Your intangible skills. Your intangible skills are the skills that you bring that are not quantifiable. Skills such as being a good seller, good communicator, negotiation skills, and organizational skills. You can’t quantify these skills on a resume, but you can display them once you’ve achieved the job. You have to convince the employer during the interview process that you possess these skills through your personality. The way that you present yourself, communicate effectively about yourself, and convey your thoughts, will show the employer if you truly do possess these intangible skills. These skills are more valuable than you may think. Employers needs well-rounded people, so you can use these skills to your advantage when measuring how much you are worth.
2. Your tangible skills. These are skills that you could show to an employer if given the opportunity such as technical skills with computers or other machinery, accounting skills, a specific knowledge about a certain subject or field, or anything else that can be directly portrayed to an employer if asked about it. Generally, these are the skills that drive most of the salary in a position, and the more of them you have, the more you can ask for when it comes to salary.
3. Your certifications and degrees. When you earn a higher-level degree or professional certification, you are investing in yourself. When you decide to pursue a master’s degree or a certain professional certification, you need to make sure that it is going to translate into a high return on your investment. Choose an upper-level degree or certification based on how much it will increase your value in your career. Then, once you earn that designation, treat it like it increased your value when applying for jobs or charging clients for hourly fees. Factor your designations and degrees into how much you are worth when asking for a specific salary or charging an hourly fee for consulting or other services.
4. Your experience. Your experience in a certain career field or industry will strongly dictate how much you are worth to a potential employer or when it comes to charging prospective clients. A rookie attorney cannot charge the hourly fees that a seasoned attorney in the business for 25 years can charge. However, just because you have a lot of experience doesn’t mean you’re great at what you do. Your track record is more important than just being in the industry for 20 years, so don’t let experience hold you back when you are figuging out what you are worth to an employer or potential client. If you only have a couple years of experience, focus more on what you’ve accomplished in that time frame.

I can’t tell you what you are worth. Only you can figure that out. It’s very important to be realistic about your worth in your profession. Don’t undervalue yourself, but also don’t overvalue yourself. You want to achieve a balance of confidence in what you are worth with a touch of humbleness. If you can achieve this, you’ll find yourself increasing in value every year in your respective career field.