Ask a Manager

It’s your Friday good news!

1.  “I wrote in a little over a year ago about asking for a pay increase and title change based on work I had absorbed. You did not publish that but responded personally. I took that advice and got a 5% increase at the time with the seed planted that I could be further promoted at the beginning of this year. That kept not happening, the work kept piling on, I kept talking about it but I saw the writing on the wall that it was not a priority. Recently I received a message on LinkedIn from a recruiter that after taking advice I had read on your blog and really just being myself and knowing what value I bring, I accepted a position that gave me a 35% increase for my base and a bonus on top of that. Additionally, the position is fully remote so there’s no potential return to office hanging over my head that was really holding me back from feeling settled. When they originally offered a bit lower than what I am getting, I had the confidence to ask for more to make up for the benefits costing a bit more. To anyone interviewing and getting an offer – negotiate! If they want you and it is a good company to work for, that will not be a barrier.”

2.  “I just wanted to say a huge, huge thank you. I was really struggling in 2019 — I’d just lost a job in one industry, and was looking to change into a different one, but I had no idea how to do it.

After several months out of the workforce, and a lot of time spent reading your blog, I managed to land an entry-level role using your guides on leveraging soft skills picked up in other roles. When that company foundered during the pandemic, I managed to use the few months’ experience there to get the same role at another company and got stellar feedback all the way through.

Now, in 2022, I’ve just been offered a managerial job! Not only that; when my preferred employer offered me £5k less than a competitor, I was able to go back to them with a request to match the higher offer. And they accepted! And then the really mind blowing part – one of the competitors then came back to ask how much more I would want to consider taking their job instead. This assertiveness and ability to successfully market myself like this is something I could never have imagined before reading your blog.

I’m really excited for the new role (and the new paycheck!), and I wanted to let you know how glad I am that I found Ask A Manager — I recommend it to everyone I know who’s job-hunting now.”

3.  “My (now former) company went full remote back in March 2020, but the whole process was a mess. Not the work itself — most employees were actually more productive, and those who struggled could simply be suffering from the effects of the pandemic itself — but the new arrangements were just disorganized. When we were called to return to the office, a lot of people hadn’t even got fully vaccinated yet, myself included. We were told at 4pm that we were expected back the following morning. So yeah, messy.

I had never worked from home before but I enjoyed it very much, to the point that I don’t ever want to go back to work in person. At first, company told us that we could work on a hybrid schedule, but that never happened. My last straw was when I requested (in advance) to work from home for a day so I could have a plumber over. Instead, I was told to use my PTO for that. My only interactions with the plumber were to let him in and later to see him out, which amounted to less than 15 minutes. That is all to say that WFH that day would have had little impact for the company, but would be of huge help for me. Since I was already considering looking for a fully remote job, that was the boost I needed to start actively job searching. I was also considering a hybrid position, but was asking for 30% more money if that were the case, since the commute would add extra costs.

A few months later I landed an interview with a company I had never heard of, and it was set to be a disaster from the beginning: it was raining heavily that day and, since it was a Zoom interview and I was working in person, I had to go home for the call, but got there soaking wet. Due to the heavy traffic caused by the storm, it took me longer than I expected to get home and I didn’t have time to dry my dripping hair before joining the call. The power went off, TWICE. I had to do the last half of the interview from my phone, using my cell phone data.

And yet, the interview went amazingly well! I liked them, they liked me, and the conversation went on for two hours, even though we were only scheduled for 45 minutes. I had a couple more interviews with the company, then nothing. Since I hadn’t heard from them for a while, I went on a previously scheduled vacation overseas and didn’t have phone service during the trip. Well, I had a pleasant surprise when I got back: turns out they tried to contact me while I was away and even though I was unreachable, the company held the offer until they could contact me! The best part: the position is fully remote and they offered me 30% more than I asked! Yes, the same amount I was asking for if the job was hybrid.

I’ve been working here for four months now and I love it. I get to do exciting work for a good salary, with nice people and realistic goals, and all from the comfort of my couch. Thank you Alison for all the job hunting tips!”