Twenty years ago, the rungs up the corporate ladder were laid out: Stay with one company for 10 years and you would become a vice president. Today when people change jobs much more frequently and titles are often ambiguous, the title remains an often-overlooked method of building your career.
Know What You Deserve
Consider why you deserve a better title. This will be the basis for your argument to your employer. Maybe as an assistant you do just as much work -- sometimes more -- than your coworker who has the title of coordinator. You would like equal billing as a fair and accurate reflection of your responsibilities and contributions.
Maybe money is tight in your company and there is no talk of annual raises. You want a more senior title as a sign of appreciation for your work. If there are obvious benefits to the company, make them known. Perhaps you have found that clients would rather deal with someone who is more senior.
Whatever the reason, when the time comes, walk into the meeting and confidently explain why you're asking for a new title and why you deserve it.
Plan Your Negotiation Strategy
Have a clear vision. The time you spend with your boss will need to be well-thought-out in advance. Not only should you prepare talking points as to why you deserve this new title, but you'll want to address how this promotion fits into the organization as a whole.
It's all in the timing. Timing is everything, and a great time to win a new title is at the end of a salary negotiation. Negotiate at a time when your value to the company is high. Adjust your strategy based on what the economy is doing, but act when your own stock is up. And always try to tie your request to the company's bottom line. You should also consider asking for a new title when your workload increases, the company is being restructured, or you have greater visibility with outside clients.
Be political. When suggesting a new title, it's important to consider office politics. Is there a clear reporting structure? Then try creating a title outside of current descriptions. For example if a director reports to a vice president, she shouldn't ask for a VP title. Instead she should ask for "senior director" or "group director." This enables her to achieve a higher position without diminishing the supervisor's role.
Bring a "brag folder." Employers are usually more open to requests from those who exceed their job descriptions. Your brag folder should contain information that documents your accomplishments.
You should include:
- Recent list of achievements -- peak sales, early quotas met or exceeded, and company improvements you were involved in and the resulting savings or efficiency enhancements
- Additional responsibilities -- those tasks or projects you either inherited or volunteered for
- Advanced education -- training certification or degrees that you acquired during your employment at the company
- Letters of commendation -- thank-you notes from clients bosses, direct reports, or peers that verify your efforts and results.
Turn Rejection Around
If your request is rejected, ask what exactly you would need to accomplish to be awarded the title you seek. Leave the meeting with a resolution, some solutions, or a few next steps with a definitive timetable. Your boss may need to see you perform at a higher level before giving you the title. Know what the issues are, and then establish a time frame for revisiting them.
If the boss suggests next year, you might counter with the possibility of five months rather than 12. Make it clear that you will be following up in the agreed-upon time frame and addressing any issues that need to be dealt with in the interim. In this way you create a record of the negotiation and will be able to have a targeted meeting in the future.
After the meeting, write up the terms you agreed to -- what goals to achieve within the time frame specified by your boss -- and e-mail them to her for final confirmation. Any good manager would want to encourage you to meet those goals and then would reward you accordingly.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the workplace contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." Connect with her at womenforhire.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.
**http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-experts-negotiating_a_new_title-45
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