Are your salary requirements realistic?

It can be difficult to get perspective on your value in the workplace. Often candidates’ ideas of what they think they should be earning are misaligned with what employers are willing to pay, or what the marketplace will bear.

Wanting to earn more can be a reason to change jobs, but if that’s the only reason, it might mean you need to take a closer and more educated look at the marketplace, your value in it, and your value to your existing employer.

Before you begin, realize that your financial needs are not justification for earning more. Take stock of your experience, not only in terms of years in the industry, but projects and leadership roles that brought value to your employers. If you have accomplishments in your current position such as: money you’ve saved them; models you created; projects you were involved in or spearheaded; results that went beyond your job description, you could use them to ask for an increase. If not, make sure you include them in your next resume.

Knowing what your position with your specialties is worth in your field could be difficult to pinpoint. To assist actuaries, we gather information on actuarial careers and offer detailed salary information, via great query tools that make it easy to see how your skills and salary measure up, and what you need to reach the income level you want.  

Our job listings can also help you see the possibilities! 

Time management at work.

Most of us have more To-do than day.  If it seems that there simply isn’t enough time in your workday, it could be that you aren’t using yours wisely. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, yet some people accomplish so much and others barely move the productivity needle.

The biggest impediments to success are procrastination and wasted time. We all give in to these productivity eaters from time to time. 

The best way to overcome time-wasting habits is to embrace a plan that helps you focus. 

Here are some ways you can harness concentration, get more done in less time so you do have more free time.

1.  Create a To-do list and keep it in plain sight. If the activity isn’t on your list, it’s not “real”, meaning that if it wasn’t important enough to make the list, it’s not worthy of your work time. Writing things down keeps you from forgetting and keeps you realistic about how much you have to get done. Sticking to your list keeps you on track.
2. Get organized. Searching for the things you need is a huge time waster. Having what you need when you need it also keeps you from getting distracted with other tasks, ideas and thoughts while you are searching. This goes for organizing your desktop and the files you need on your computer.
3. Prioritize your list. While you list maybe extensive, some things are more time sensitive or important than others. If you prioritize and work on completing the most important tasks first, even if you only get one thing done, it will at least be the most important one.
4. Batch related tasks together. Doing like tasks or work that involves the same subject or information will allow you to get more done in less time.
5. Schedule some break time. Regardless of how much you have to do, you have to manage your energy. Allow yourself time to get up and stretch and move around. A good break will increase your productivity when you return to your desk.
6. Make it a habit to pay attention to your regular fluctuations in your physical and mental energy levels. Do the most intensive tasks when you know your concentration is at its peak.

If you are considering a job change, check out our new job listings here.