Leverage via offers from other companies did play a role in raise #2.Raises I got prior to year 7 were essentially cost-of-living increases with an occasional small bonus.Both raises took place at the same organization. ![]() I got my second big raise of 21% (raise #2) with 9 total years of experience. Again, I was already working in a Project Manager capacity by then. This involved getting promoted from Assistant P.M. I got my first big raise of 15.8% (raise #1) with 7 years of experience. Now that we’ve covered a brief history of my career and early experiences, let’s talk about how I got a 43% raise in a 24 month period! If these situations sound relatable, then definitely keep reading! You’re certainly on the right track for a raise, even if it doesn’t feel like it. This isn’t a fun place to be, but it’s necessary (more on that below). Last but not least – by the time I asked for my first big raise, I was essentially a Project Manager by workload and responsibility, but an Assistant Project Manager by title and salary for a few years. “More Than An Assistant Project Manager, But Not Quite A Project Manager” I ask for no sympathy – I elected to take on more. ![]() While they weren’t advancing quite as much in terms of skill, they had more regular hours and lighter workloads. Most of my ‘assistant’ peers were comfortable in their role and didn’t try so desperately to escape it. I desperately wanted to become a full-fledged P.M. It was implied that I needed to further improve my skills or prove myself in some way – no matter what I accomplished or demonstrated – before a promotion could be truly considered. In fact, top-level managers probably didn’t even know who I was except as a name on paper.ĭespite taking on more responsibility and gaining skill, I always had the ‘beginner’ reputation following me. I didn’t have much face time with upper-level management. I could put out a large volume of work, but not lead a team or make big decisions. To my bosses, I didn’t ‘look’ like a Project Manager yet. Surely I will be compensated in turn, right? Sort of…ĭuring my early years in construction, I was relatively shy, nervous around clients, didn’t know how to speak with upper managers and not comfortable being a leader. My mantra at work was: “ put my head down, don’t complain and do the work“. I was still expected to get my own work done, though. I consistently worked long hours and ran around like crazy, largely at the whim of my bosses’ needs. I was an assistant after all! Note: we all need to put in the years doing this stuff to a certain extent. Despite taking on bigger tasks over time, these time-sucking, tedious tasks were still “mine”. I was doing grunt work and boring tasks that few people wanted to do. I was working in entry-level or ‘assistant manager’ positions in construction title-wise for quite some time – long enough to no longer feel entry-level. For Some Time, I Was An Underpaid Project Manager Too…īefore I negotiated a raise (well, two different raises), the following comments sum up my first several years in project management. Some items will be predictable, while others are outside-the-box. This guide will be a no-frills, in-depth look into how I did this. In this article, I’ll be talking about how I got a 43% increase in pay over a 24 month period and what I did to get there! ![]() What gives? If you’re an underpaid Project Manager looking to get a raise, then stick around. It can be frustrating to work at an organization for while, having far surpassed the skill-level we had when hired, only to find out a new-hire for a similar position is making a heck of a lot more money right off the bat. Despite growing immensely in skill and experience, we simply don’t ever seem to get that big raise or jump up the ladder like we think we deserve. ![]() Some of us grind away at our job for years on end while feeling like we should be getting more. While many of us manage projects – even difficult, challenging ones – our salary does not always line up with our skill level. Not only that, but we want to be paid what we’re worth. Even if we love project management, we still want to get paid.
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