Congrats on your degree, but a raise is not automatic.

Many people still fall under the old assumption that if I obtain a degree that I will get a raise. More and more we see that is not the case. There several reasons why a raise is not automatic. I want to give a couple of quick reasons and what you can do to increase your odds of obtaining that raise.

One reason why its not automatic is that many organizations, and even some businesses' revenue has slowed over the past several years.  Another reason is that advanced degrees are not as uncommon as they were years ago. We are finding more and more people obtaining Masters or advanced degrees. In recruiting for a current position that normally requires a Bachelors degree, I have received a higher number of candidates that have Masters Degree. So in short, a higher degree may not set you apart as much as you think.

Now, let's talk about what you should do when asking for that raise. First, although obvious its often overlooked, make sure you are exceeding the requirements of your position. Please, don't let your reasoning for a raise be that I have been doing this for the past 6 months. That's not a reason for getting a raise, its what is expected of you in order to get that paycheck.  That's a minimum expectation from your employer. Or, at least it should be.

Secondly, prepare a presentation. In your presentation, you should be able to explain why you deserve a raise. This is the place where you will highlight all your professional accomplishments while with the organization. You have to be honest with yourself and make sure you're providing credible accomplishments and not just fluff. Make sure your presentation is both oral and written.

Thirdly, practice and execute. Don't let your brilliant presentation sit and collect dust. Fight off fear and execute. Give it your best and don't go in there half stepping.

And last, be prepared for both acceptance or denial of your raise request. If you receive the raise or not, be prepared to work just as hard, if not harder than you did before. Sometimes, especially when denied a raise, employees performance often suffers and raises and promotions become more difficult to secure. Don't let that happen to you.

Let me be clear, I am not against asking for a raise because you receive a degree. However, I am against you thinking its automatic. If you going to ask, you might as well increase your odds.

Much success to you.

What are your thoughts concerning civil citations issued to youth instead of youth being arrested? Here are some points from a panel that took place in Jacksonville. (Source: Jacksonville.com)





 



thefoodtree.org

The state arrests 40 percent more children than its peers, and if a high school student is arrested, that doubles the student’s chances of dropping out. If that child then has to go to court, it quadruples those odds.

 "Florida’s juvenile justice system is broken"

“Jacksonville is the epicenter of Florida’s broken juvenile justice system.”

   

African-American students make up 40 percent of Duval County’s K-12 population, but they account for 66 percent of all children arrested.

 

                                                             -David J. Utter, Southern Poverty Law Center Policy Director

                                                     

                                                                      
 Click here to read the entire article  on civil citations on Jacksonville.com


Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-09-12/story/panel-fewer-arrests-more-civil-citations-jacksonville-youth#ixzz2eswvaCBM



 

Headlines...

Some of today's headlines that caught my attention.

Source: Jacksonville.com





'Great investment' being made in 32209 ZIP code's future

By:Beth Reese Cravey

They spent Thursday morning talking about their largely impoverished neighborhoods on Jacksonville’s Northwest side and what changes need to be made to make their families safe, healthy and successful.

They spent the afternoon getting fired up about making those changes.

“I feel a lot of energy,” said David Abramowitz, Northeast region director for the state Department of Children and Families, which is leading the “Community of Hope” initiative.

Click here to read the entire story on Jacksonville.com

Ben Jealous resigns...

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/08/politics/naacp-ben-jealous-resigns/index.html

A little Light

On yesterday evening I was vacuuming out our vehicles. Since it was evening, it grew darker and darker as I finished up with my truck. I was in the trunk section or the boot as some may call it when my interior light when out. This is a normal function that happens when you have your doors open for a prolonged period of time in order to conserve the battery. So, I quickly finished up. Although it was little dark, it looked as if I had done a good job. 

I wrapped up by inserting my key in the ignition in order to let up my windows. As I did, the interior light came back on. So after I let my windows up, I walk back to the trunk aka the boot. Lo and behold, I saw that I had missed quite a bit of dirt/trash. I was surprised. Although it was getting dark, I thought, surely I had enough light to adequately finish cleaning my truck. How wrong I was.

In the midst of this experience I realized how significant a little "light" can be to us. Now, I'm not advocating for anyone to strive for the minimum. However, I am advocating that sometimes we are operating in the dark, thinking we are doing a good job but in reality we are missing a lot of dirt and stuff that is left behind. All we need to do is to add a little light. Add the light of God that can help you see the areas that you have missed. No matter what tools you have, if you don't have adequate light, you will surely miss some things.

So you might ask, how much light do I need? Enough light for you to make sure you are doing the the job right. And its not hard to turn the light on...its as easy as sticking the key into the ignition.