Have wheels, will travel. At least to the pub.
Writing cover letters is an exercise in both humility and self-aggrandizement. On the one hand you're essentially begging someone to give you a job, and on the other you're inflating your virtues with "action verbs" (admit it). You don't want to look foolish or desperate by applying to things beyond your reach, but, hey, they may NOT find a person who speaks seven languages fluently, has forty years of experience and an extensive network of industry contacts, and is willing to work for just over minimum wage. Every employer here wants to know exactly what I made at my last job. Which, given exchange rates and cost of living differences, puts me in a tricky situation, because my last salary converts to lower than I would want to make here. And here's a question ... when prospective employers ask for your salary expectations, do you shoot a little bit high? Or does that put people off? To be honest, after this longer-than-intended hiatus from work I don't really have a sense of what I'm worth or what I'm capable of. I've lost my groove! I hope I'm not also losing brain cells watching this much Olympic coverage (er, between writing cover letters).
When did female figure skaters start wearing those disco pantsuits? Good for them. I know I'd feel a lot more comfortable without worrying about the tiny piece of lycra normally constituting the bottom of a woman's skating costume becoming a visible wedgie. (Lovingly zoomed in on by cameramen and inevitably replayed in slow motion.)
The British commentators on the Eurosports channel are endearing and get excited by a good performance no matter which country it comes from. But I did smile at an aside about "the millionaires going home" when both Canada and the US got defeated in men's ice hockey. (But is it really fair anymore? Aren't all the teams made up primarily of NHLers these days?) When I heard the unmistakable Canadian accents of Cindy Klassen and Kristina Groves in an interview I felt a longing for Timbits.
Well, this week I got a library card and a bike. There's no stopping me now!
This is the largest women's bike frame that I've ever seen. I should have put a European car in the picture for scale.
(What, I should go out in the cold and remove the plastic bag just for a photo? That would require putting on shoes for the first time in days! Just kidding, Mom and Dad, I'm getting my fresh air.)
posted by Laura @ 2:15 PM
6 Comments:
Alright, last gargantuan comment, I promise (but i'm drowning in homework, so any chance for a break...). Pete was in the same position recently, having been paid peanuts at his job on the island. After some careful deliberation, we adopted the following strategy (which worked - his new co is paying him an appropriate salary):
1. do some research (to the extent you can) on industry salaries for people of your qualification level - have a range in mind
2. if a prospective employer asks how much you are expecting OR how much you made at your old job, respond with "I've looked into industry salaries (cite sources) and I think I'm worth/I'm hoping for..."
3. that said, recognize that a smaller organization may not be able to pay what a larger, established one can, so suggest a range, or choose a value from within your range
4. don't overshoot re your expectations on purpose, just be honest BUT
5. ultimately if they don't take the hint and insist on knowing what you got paid at your last job, feel free to lie if you are comfortable doing so (if they ever actually find out, they'll see why you did!), or in your case, maybe just give the number without doing the dollars to pounds conversion and let them assume it was pounds... OR as a last resort, if you are not comfortable fudging the truth, be honest but upfront about it not being enough to live on comfortably, that you felt undervalued and that there were other perks of the job that convinced you to take it anyway (making your own hours, unfettered decision-making power, etc., i.e., perks your prospective employer likely can't offer).
Pay and employment terms are negotiable, so maybe if there's someone you want to work for that doesn't pay well, you can negotiate on something else?? (1/2 day fridays?). That inspirational bullshit line about if you act like you're worth it people will pay you accordingly is true to an extent, I think. The bottom line is that you DO have a lot to offer and fantastic experience and you SHOULD be paid accordingly! How many people do you know that could've done your job as well as you? None.
So, inspirational crap aside, nice wheels! love the basket :)
Awwww, you rock. (My bike isn't NEARLY as cool as YOUR many bikes, though!)
some UK publishing salary info...
http://www.thebookseller.com/?pid=2&did=14743
and http://bookcareers.com/survey2004/results/results1.htm
you know, just in case you haven't been there already :)
Hi Laura. Love your bike. enjoying the photos. Keep slogging.Ann
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