Bossed Up: A Grown Woman's Guide to Getting Your Sh*t Together by Emilie Aries

Author:Emilie Aries
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Published: 2019-05-20T23:00:00+00:00

SPOTLIGHT

“Just do it, you are worth it.”

Liz was ready for a new job. She’d been working in emergency response management for six years and was craving more work-life balance and a change of pace. After four interviews with a conference production company, she was confident she had the position in the bag, but she also knew switching industries would involve taking a pay cut. She’d been making nearly six figures in emergency management, whereas the position she’d been interviewing for was listed at $50,000. That said, Liz was prepared to meet them halfway in exchange for all the perks that came with the new industry: more predictable work hours, being part of a strong team, and seeing a whole different side of the working world. So as the conversation turned to money, Liz didn’t hesitate.

“My line in the sand was $75K,” Liz told me. “And I felt it was fair given the very transferable skills I had. So I just told them I simply cannot walk away from the job that I have for any less.”

She acknowledges the privileged, powerful position she found herself in at the time: Liz had a steady job that paid the bills (even if it wasn’t a job she loved), and she wasn’t going to be heartbroken if this offer didn’t pan out. She wasn’t desperately fleeing a bad situation, but, rather, wanted to ensure her next job would set her up for sustainable success.

Her prospective employer was willing to play ball, and offered her a $65,000 starting salary with quarterly bonuses that would total $75K a year. Sure, the bonus structure came with some tax differences, but Liz appreciated their willingness to find an amicable solution. Plus, they offered an additional sales commission on top of it all and reassured her she would be well taken care of financially.

“I’m very proud of that moment,” Liz said, reflecting on how she asked for $25,000 more than the starting offer without hesitation. “I was totally committed to it, so I just confidently blurted it out. I was almost surprised at how I got the words out without hesitation, because, at the end of the day, I felt I had nothing to lose.”

Liz signed all the paperwork reflecting her final negotiated offer and was off to the races on this exciting new chapter of her career. But two quarters into working for the new company, Liz realized there was something wrong: her bonus wasn’t present in her paycheck. She talked to the team accountant, who knew nothing about the matter, so instead brought the issue up with their CEO, who suggested they chat over coffee.

He acknowledged the issue and agreed that something had to be done. He suggested they make an adjustment to “make her whole” at the close of the next quarter, and Liz begrudgingly agreed.

“Apparently the direction was never communicated to payroll,” said Liz, “and by speaking up about it, I was made to feel like I was making a fuss, when all I was asking for was for them to follow through on what they’d agreed to in my contract.

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