I was recently having lunch with a friend and our conversation found its way to the topic of work. How our jobs were going, what we were working on, whether or not we were satisfied, etc. She casually mentioned how much she was making, and my jaw hit the floor. Not in a good way.
Here she was, my beautiful, intelligent, talented friend, with a degree and six years of professional experience, and she was making per hour the same amount I did when I worked as a nanny in college. This blew my mind.
It also got me thinking about glass ceilings. Not the ones we face in the professional world, but rather the ones we construct for ourselves. I’m very curious about whether we set limits for ourselves in regards to our earning potential, and then look for jobs and careers that make exactly that much.
For example, if I say to myself “I can make $X per year,” will I only seek out jobs that pay $X per year, even if I’m qualified to do jobs that pay more? If this is the case, then is the only thing stopping us from making more money … ourselves?
Normally, I don’t forage into musings and concepts on this blog, but I think that this is an idea worth thinking about. To determine whether you’re making the most money you can for the skills and education you bring to your job, I’d recommend checking out sites like Salary.com or GlassDoor.com. These sites will give you a pretty good idea of whether or not you’re making what you’re worth. It might also be worthwhile to talk to some close friends and compare notes. It might surprise you to learn what you’ve been missing out on!
Once you’ve determined what someone with your skills is worth, it’s crucial to decide whether or not you’re happy with what you’re making. If you are, then congratulations! If not, you may want to consider changing jobs. You worked hard to gain your education and work experience, and your job and pay should reflect that hard work. Don’t let your glass ceiling hem you in.
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