Why Millennials Who Want to Improve Professionally Should Take Dance Lessons

Why Millennials Who Want to Improve Professionally Should Take Dance Lessons Why Millennials Who Want to Improve Professionally Should Take Dance Lessons It ispredicted that millennials will make up 75 percent of the U.S. workforce by 2025, and thats good news for everyone. Well-educated, passionate, and forward-thinking, millennials bringa new kind of spirit into the workplace. However, they may find themselves at odds with their boomer and Gen. X coworkers.Believe it or not, millennials can dramatically increase their professional success by applying principles from the dance world to their business lives, which is why I advise people to take dance lessons if they want to advance in their careersAside from the obvious fitness-related benefits, ballroom dance lessons can enhance millennials communication dynamics. In the dance world, millennials can learn how to better relate to others and how to succeed in the workplace (and life) through profound connection and teamwork.Still no t sold on dance as a professional development opportunity? Here are four tips from the dance floor that will help millennialsget into the rhythm of career success1. Let GoMany millennials seek control over everything their finances, their careers, their social lives, etc. Unfortunately, this need for control can limit a persons abilityto work in a team.lebensgefhrte dancing helps people let go of the need for constant control. When the ego is removed from the present moment, creativity, innovation, teamwork, and true freedom result.2. Adjust to New StepsMillennials have had access to an unprecedented numberof educational opportunities. Knowledgeis power, but the abundance of education can also invite the danger of complacency that comes with feeling like you know all there is to know.Intelligence comprises many aspects, including perspective (i.e., how we evaluate information based on our past experiences) and perception (i.e., how we apply this information going forward). Learning new dance routines challenges you to recognize new patterns, and in business, growth often comes from learning to connect the dotsin new, innovative ways.3. Express Yourself Through ChoreographyGrowing up in social-media saturated times, millennials often rely heavily on visual techniques to communicate. Unfortunately, this new way of communicating can make cross-generational understanding difficult.Choreography can teach people how to establish emotional connections even across seemingly large gaps in understanding. Choreography helps dancers ensure their movements are all geared toward effectively connecting with an audience a principle that professionals, especially those in the world of marketing, could really use.4. Ask for ScoresMillennials like toreceive frequent feedback, and theyre very good at using this feedback to improve their performance. When millennialsenter the workforce, they are often surprised and disappointed to learn that feedback rarely occurs outside of cur sory annual performance reviews.On the flip side, many managers falsely believe that millennials cannot take criticism. They thinkthis generation received too much positive feedback in its youth.In the dance world, you receivecriticism from your coaches and judges. This criticism is always aimed at helping you improve your techniques and routines. Scoring, a type of feedback, is built into almost all practices and competitions. The majority of dancers are more engaged and motivated as a result of this abundance of feedback.Millennials should speak up and request more frequent feedback from coworkers and managers. Contrary to popular belief, millennials would rather have (productively) critical feedback than no feedback at allValeh Nazemoff is the best-selling author of The Four Intelligence of the geschftsleben Mind and The Dance of the Business Mind,executive vice president and co-owner of the high-level data management and business performance consulting services firmAcolyst, and a leadership coach.

Stop priding yourself on being brutally honest

Stop priding yourself on being brutally honestStop priding yourself on being brutally honestThe truth already hurts. If you intentionally put the pain in the process, maybe youre honest maybe youre guilty of being just a little too brutally honest. So how can you determine the difference between honesty, brutal honesty, and outright cruelty? Heres one hint examine the intention. Are you trying to hurt the other rolle, even a little? Shock them into listening? Then there may be a streak of abusive intent behind that honesty. The Canadian writer Richard J. Needham once wrote that the person who is brutally honest enjoys the brutality quite as much as the honesty. Possibly more. So when is it not appropriate to be brutally honest? Luckily, the answer is easy.You never, ever need to be brutally honest in the officeA recent tweet about a rather exacting executives search for an intern sparked a conversation about whether brutal honesty is welcome in the office. The job posting said Ill pu sh you into the pool, but I wont let you drown, just before adding I will be brutally honest with you. I may be the first to do so.The reactions? Surprisingly welcoming from many.Is brutal honesty in the workplace necessary- much less to an inexperienced intern who will likely be counting this as one of their first professional experiences? Not necessarily, according to Ray Luther, Executive Director of the Partnership for Coaching Excellence and Personal Leadership at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Promises of brutal honesty are overshooting the mark, according to experts. Honesty is great and necessary - you cant build a good company on lies, after all - but you can leave the brutality at home.Your colleague experiences the brutality, not youLuther explained to Ladders that the concept of brutal honesty as a whole- both brutal and honest are relative terms to the person experiencing them, so the most important part is determining who will be on the receiving e nd. Luther continued, What might be very brutal feedback for one person, might work for another person. Its more about how they make sense of the feedback and their relationship with the giver. So, in the case of a newly minted intern with no previous working experience nor relationship with their new boss, brutal honesty might not necessarily be the best approach.How to give honest feedback without brutality know your listenerLuther helped explain the concept of brutal honesty in the workplace in terms of feedback, how its given, received, and processed. He says that as a coach working with young master of business administration students he regularly hears them saying they like clear, transparent feedback- which is a fairly universal comment to an extremely nuanced process. The important part Brutally honest feedback delivered the wrong way can cause the listener to shut down and lose any potential benefit.Stacey Hanke, a C-Suite mentor, says she has clients who need positive feed back along with the negative. She also works with other clients who tell her be tough with your feedback. I can take it. Hanke advises that before sharing honest feedback, make sure you understand your listeners style. Do you need to slowly work your way to the tough feedback or does this person prefer you tell them how it is up front? In other words, adapt your message and style based on your listeners style. Pay attention to what your listeners want so that your feedback is received and that you have influence on them. Before you hand out feedback, critique or your next brutally honest comment, Luther advises paying attention to the human dynamic going on. In a perfect professional world, the dispenser of critique or feedback of any sort really wants to make sure the person understands it and that the intended message is received. Consider the relationship are you speaking as a boss to employee? A manager to an intern? Luther suggests you try to understand how the person on the re ceiving end may be processing or filtering your comment. We all have our own filters, he says, Were making sense of it based on our own values, our own personality, our own experiences. And if youre troubled by the way someone interacts with you or offers feedback, you probably cant change them or their style- but you can change the way you react or process things. Hanke adds have a conversation with this individual to understand their style, for them to understand your style and to agree to how much feedback you both want, how often and how direct.What to ask yourself before being brutally honestIn case youre trying to find your own balance between honesty and brutal honesty, ask yourself to articulate whats important to you when receiving feedback. Luther says that by clarifying your needs, you become more conscious and a better giver of feedback. He says the sign of a good leader is one who doesnt say Im brutally honest and you have to take it and suck it up. The good leader wil l make people better and help develop them. Sometimes that requires courage and candor and tough love. While Luther says that he doesnt believe in beating around the bush and filtering feedback, he tempers it and balances it with his level of desire for the person to develop. It should never be about telling them theyre wrong. Luther ends by saying if someone is only doing or saying something to shout it out unfiltered without regard for the persons feelings, emotions or thoughts, that their level of influence is compromised. And thats being brutally honest about it.

How to Know When You Need a Company Policy

How to Know When You Need a Company PolicyHow to Know When You Need a Company PolicyCompany policies and procedures ensure a safe, organized, convivial, empowering, and nondiscriminatory workplace. Policies protect employees from a free-for-all environment of favoritism and unfair treatment. But if you try to create policies for every contingency, you wont have the management latitude you need to address individual employee needs. Having too many policiesalso increases the likelihood that managers will apply them unequally and unfairly. You can strike a healthy balance. In most circumstances, if you address employees directly who are behaving in ways that are inappropriate to your workplace, you may elend need to develop a new company policy. Policy Guidelines Consider creating a policy in ansicht situations If employee actions indicate confusion about the most appropriate way to behave (dress codes, email, internet policies, or smartphone use)If employees need guidance about han dling common situations (standards of conduct, travel expenditures, or purchase of company merchandise)To protect the company legally (consistent investigation of charges of harassment, nondiscriminatory hiring, or promotion)To stay in compliance with governmental policies and laws (FMLA, ADA, EEOC, or minimum wage)To establish consistent work standards, rules, and regulations (progressive discipline, safety rules, break rules, or smoking rules) To provide consistent and fair treatment for employees (benefits eligibility, paid time off, tuition assistance, bereavement time, or jury duty) There may be other reasons to develop a policy. Remember, though, dont let one employees poor behavior force implementation of a policy that will affect other employees. Articulate the Policy Goals Once youve determined that a policy is necessary, document in writing your goals for creating the policy. When possible, tell employees why you are implementing the policy. Include enough details in t he policy to make the companys position clear, but dont try to cover every potential situation. Keep the policy as short and simple if possible, but some policies about legal areas- such as the companys approach to the Family Medical and Leave Act, discrimination or complaint investigation, or the progressive discipline system- may need to be lengthy and comprehensive. Gather Information Check out sample policies. You may have trouble finding an example that is exactly right for your company circumstances, language, and culture, but you can use sample policies as a base rather than writing your policy from scratch. You can also subscribe to a tafelgeschirr that provides policy samples. The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) also provides policy samples for members. In some cases, you may want to speak with your employment law attorneys to see what they have available. Especially when a new law passes or the Department of Labor issues new rules, law firms write generic policies for their clients that you can customize to your needs. Develop, Write, and Review the Policy Write the policy using simple words and concepts. Speak directly to the employees who will be reading, enforcing, and living by the policy. After each paragraph, ask yourself what-if questions to make certain the policy is covering the basics and normal exceptions and questions. Do not obsess over this, however no policy will cover every possible contingency. Select a pilot group of several employees to read the policy and ask questions to determine if employees will be able to understand and follow it. Rewrite the policy based on the feedback. Obtain Management Support and Legal Review Review the policy with the managers who will have to follow the policy to get their support and ownership of the policy. Although you likely started this process when you identified the need for the policy, management support as you implement the policy is crucial. If the policy has legal i mplications, is litigious by nature, or has personal implications for employees (such as security procedures), have your attorney review the policy before you distribute it. Make sure you communicate to your attorney that you want the policy reviewed for its legal implications and appropriate wording but do not want it rewritten in legalese. Implement the Policy Distribute and review the new policy to employees in small groups, individually, or in a company meeting, depending on if the policy is controversial and how easy it is to understand. Give employees a weg to ask questions. Provide employees with a copy of the policy and ask them to sign off that they have received and understand it. They should retain a copy for their own files. Sample Policy Sign0ff Statement This is a sample signoff statement to use I acknowledge receipt of and understanding of the Your Company policy. The policy is effective Date until further notice. ______________________________________________ _________ Employee Signature _______________________________________________________ Employee Name (Please Print) ________________________________ Date Decide How You Will Communicate the Policy in the Future Include the policy in your employee handbook. You may also want the policy to become part of your New Employee Orientation. Some companies place policies in their intranet or in a policy folder on the computer networks common drive. Determine if you want to distribute the policy by additional methods as well. Data and archive former policies that this policy replaces. You may need them for legal purposes or for reference. Interpret and Integrate the Policy Your policy application and work practices will determine the real meaning of the policy. Remember to be consistent and fair as you interpret the policy over time. If you find your practices differ from the written policy, review and rewrite the policy as needed. DisclaimerPlease note that the information provided, wh ile authoritative, is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality. The site is read by a worldwide audience, and ?employment lawsand regulations vary from state to state and country to country. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from state, federal, or International governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct for your location. This information is for guidance, ideas, and assistance.

Starting Your Job Search Campaign

Starting Your Job Search CampaignStarting Your Job Search CampaignLaunching a job search will take more than polishing your resume. It is going to take some serious campaigning. It all starts with a strong platform and a plan to gain visibility.Your promise. Political candidates represent issues that benefit their constituents such as the economy, human rights or environmental issues. These are the problems they want to solve for you, the voter. Politicians want to rally your support by addresses and professing to solve your problems. Now, put your campaign hat on and make your campaign promise one that solves the problems your ideal employer would face. Through informational meetings and conversations, learn about their projects and challenges and incorporate that into your promise of value- the problem that you will solve for them.Start close to home. Before you jump on the campaign trail, you want your closest friends to support and advocate for you. For them to do this, they need to know what you stand for. Your closest supporters should know your campaign promise. Make it easy for them to remember and share. You can take it one step further by helping your friends, family and colleagues understand which employers would benefit from your promise. Let them know the company names so they can be on the lookout and promote your candidacy.Hit the campaign trail. No one will ever know about you if you arent visible, so get out of your house. Attend events where your voters are, the people with the power to hire you or who should at least be aware of your campaign promise. They belong to professional groups, volunteer in the community, host company events and they may even belong to the local gym. Be strategic. Your time and travel cost money, invest both wisely by knowing where youre going and whom you want to meet at these events.Your campaign materials. You probably havent seen signs that say Vote for Me Im running for anything. The same is true for your campai gn. Youre pursuing a specific role based on past successes. Your campaign materials should clearly identify the role youre seeking and your prior accomplishments. These materials are the tools you hand out to promote your campaign promise and could include a business card, a one-page bio or even your email signature. If youre serious about your campaign, you have to promote yourself and let people know youre in the running.Practice your speech. Politicians dont just wing speeches or show up at a debate unprepared. Likewise, you should practice and rehearse how you will answer questions until you come across as genuine yet polished. Your speech could be the answer to what do you do, a common question when you meet someone new. Rehearsing for an interview is equally as important, especially knowing how you will answer those hard to answer questions, like why you left your last job. Your campaigning is ongoing. Once a politician has been voted in, he or she continues to communicate wit h his or her constituents. He or she remains visible and shares updates on the promises made, or at least the progress he or she is making. Politicians know their term will be over and want to maintain the support they have worked so hard to acquire. You may not know when your term is up, however, it cant hurt to stay in contact with the supporters youve made along the campaign trail.Hannah Morgan is a speaker and author providing no-nonsense career advice she guides job seekers and helps them navigate todays treacherous job search terrain. Hannah shares information about the latest trends, such as reputation management, social networking strategies, and other effective search techniques on her blog, Career Sherpa.

10 Mistakes Youre Making on Your Resume

10 Mistakes Youre Making on Your Resume10 Mistakes Youre Making on Your ResumeChances are good that youre making a few of these common mistakes on your resume. How many are you guilty of?1. Relying on outdated sources of advice. Resume conventions have changed dramatically in the last 20 years. If youre reading a book that insists you use an objective on your resume or that you cant exceed one page, chances are good that youre reading something outdated (or listening to someone who hasnt hired recently).See The Death of the One-Page Resume?2. Including every job youve ever had, no matter how irrelevant or long ago. A resume isnt meant to be an exhaustive accounting of every job youve ever held. Its a marketing document designed to present you in the strongest, most compelling light. That means you dont need to include every job youve ever had, or the part-time work you did on top of your regular job last year, or even your degree in an irrelevant field if you dont want to. You get to decide what you do and dont include. The only rule is that you cant make things up.3. Listing only job duties, rather than accomplishments. Resumes that really stand out go beyond what your job description was and instead answer this question What did you accomplish in this job that someone else might notlage have?4. Including subjective descriptions. Your resume is for experience and accomplishments only. Its not the place for subjective traits, like great leadership skills or creative innovator. Hiring managers generally ignore anything subjective that an applicant writes about herself, because so many peoples self-assessments are wildly inaccurate theyre looking for facts.5. Leaving out volunteer work. Sometimes during the course of an interview, I discover someone has highly relevant experience they didnt include on their resume because it was volunteer work and they thought it didnt count. It counts Your accomplishments are your accomplishments, even if you did the work pro bo no rather than for pay.See 9 Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out.6. Including inappropriate information. Information about your spouse or children, your height or weight, or your salary history doesnt belong on your resume. (And yes, people really do include these things.)7. Getting creative at the expense of clarity. If youre thinking of trying something creative with your resume, like unusual colors or a non-traditional design, make aya your desire to stand out isnt getting in the way of the whole point of resume design. Heres what most hiring managers want from a resume a concise, easy-to-scan list of what youve accomplished, organized chronologically by position, plus any particularly notable skills, all presented in a format that they can quickly scan and get the highlights. Thats it. Creativity, while a nice trait, doesnt trump those requirements, so make sure whatever format you use works in those ways.8. Having tiny inconsistencies. If you want to come across as someone who t akes care in your work and is attentive to detail, pay attention to the small things Do you have periods after some bullet points but not after others? Do you use consistent verb tenses throughout? Do you randomly start using a different font or type size? These things seem nitpicky, but even small inconsistencies can jump out to an attentive reader.9. Sending your resume without a cover letter. If youre applying for jobs without including a compelling cover letter- customized to the specific opportunity- youre missing out on one of the most effective ways to grab an employers attention. A cover letter is your opportunity to make a compelling case for yourself as a candidate, totally aside from whats in your resume.See 5 Job-Hunting Ideas You Havent Tried.10. Believing every piece of resume advice anyone gives you. Yes, it may sound funny coming from me, but the reality is that you can give your resume to 10 different people who are all qualified to give resume advice, and youll get 10 different sets of recommendations Use this font, use that font, dont go over one page, two pages are fine, objectives are required, objectives are silly- it can be enough to drive you crazy.The reality is, there are few hard and nahe daran sein universal rules aside from the obvious (no typos, no illegible fonts, no 10-page rambles, no inappropriate sharing of your personal life). But there are trends- conventions that are gaining majority support. For instance, most hiring managers agree that functional resumes are frustrating and possibly hiding something. And two-page resumes have become completely acceptable these days. But even these trends arent flat-out rules. The best you can do is to get a feel for the types of things people care about and why and make choices that make sense for you and the job you want.

Uncommon Article Gives You the Facts on Resume Sample Templates That Only a Few People Know Exist

Uncommon Article Gives You the Facts on Resume Sample Templates That Only a Few People Know Exist Writing an impressive resume isnt a very simple undertaking. Everybody would like to understand what you can do to help their organization. Producing yur resume is vital. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. Utilizing a schablone can cut the quantity of time you need to spend formatting your document, which enables you to concentrate on adding content and polishing your resume. So in the event the typeface employed in your resume sample is inappropriate it may have a negative visual effect on the reader. The templates are editable, so you need to have the ability to edit in any data that you need to provide. Referring a sample template will thus help you in creating the the majority of the opportunity. As soon as you have your resume sample in place, after that you can make modifications in the sort of deletions or additions as per any specifi c requirement. All you need to do is simply edit the document to include your individual info. Make certain that you have replaced all the information from the template with your own, personalized info. Templates also show you exactly what information you want to put in your CV, such as what information to put in each individual part of your CV, and what sort of language to use. Perhaps while trying to find examples you noticed poor samples throughout the internet. There are several free resume samples or templates readily available online, which make it simple and convenient for somebody to modify one according to their very own requirements. You cant anticipate the retailers to get the identical profile as that of convenience stores. What Does Resume Sample Templates Mean? Transportation jobs involve a great deal of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can take care of that. Functional resumes make it resemble the applicant is attempting to hide someth ing from the recruiter. If there havent been any gaps in employment a chronological resume will flow smoothly and generate a superior impression. Occasionally a chronological resume is actually expected by a given employee. Show employers that youre updated and produce an excellent first impression by selecting the proper template. Furthermore, the design is modern and fashionable. The most appealing characteristic of his resume is his usage of color. Then it may be time to bring some style to your resume Resume Sample Templates Ideas Its a fact that writing a resume isnt an easy job. Below, you will discover a list of resume examples that could assist you with your work search. The ideal method is to select the assistance of Resume builder for writing a resume so you can not loose the work prospect. Double check to make certain that everything on the last version of the resume is about you. New Step by Step Roadmap for Resume Sample Templates You ought to take into a ccount not merely the field in which you are searching for a position, but likewise the position or level or seniority youre trying to obtain, when you make appropriate amendments to your sample resume. It is suggested to limit your career information to the last ten years unless there are unusual conditions. Take time to consider before you start. When youve reviewed resumes in your field, peruse resumes across fields to know how to vary the usage of action verbs and receive a feel for what makes an effective accomplishment statement. Some do not require any sort of download, you can just take the pointers you need and leave the rest. A template will inform you all of the relevant data that you need to be mentioning in your CV, with particular reference to the sort of position you are trying to get. A technical writing style which uses bullet points enables the reader to focus on important facts quickly and effortlessly. Dont hesitate to browse through our curation and pic k the acceptable general resume to utilize for the application sample that you are involved in. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. Also be certain to tailor the document to the job youre applying for. There are a number of different trends of resumes used to make an application for job openings. What Everybody Dislikes About Resume Sample Templates and Why A functional resume ought to be utilized in many kinds of situations. The first couple of lines should capture the readers attention and make her or him want to find out more about you. A functional resume is invaluable for someone whos seeking to switch tracks, professionally speaking, who might want to enter a different niche or separate industry altogether. Selecting the right resume template will not merely enable you to highlight the best aspects of your experience and techniques, but nevertheless, it will also focus your focus to demonstrating what value you may provide prospective employers. Together with the work experience, an exhaustive understanding of the skill set you possess should assist the recruiter rank your candidature. Or one may call for a skill based resume which helps to emphasize your abilities and achievements that are directly pertinent to a certain job target thats also offered. You also have to share your customer tafelgeschirr abilities. The skills a chronological resume may not have the capability to highlight are ready to be emphasized in a functional resume. Any appropriate experience from the telecom industry is going to be a bonus. Accounting and finance managers may want to see your technical understanding. Its possible to find all sorts of job in the telecommunication market. Distinct kinds of work in the food service industry require resumes with a number of the exact skills.

Was My Raise Too Small

welches My Raise Too Small Search Was My Raise Too Small? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQ I just had my wertzuwachs review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems min at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even titelblatt the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to reward employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what the median raise is for companies in my area?A Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 percent. Over the same period, the fully loaded cost of living rose 3.7 percent. So yur 4.75 percent raise is actually an above-average merit increase and a real increase of more than 1 percent. While a 4.75 percent increase may seem negligible to you, it may be all your company can afford to give y ou and it mucksmuschenstill beats the market.Still, you may want to ask your manager what the average merit increase is for your company. Then ask what you have to do next year to get an increase greater than 4.75 percent. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content Navigating the Resume Black Hole Understanding Raises and Promotions 6 In-Demand IT Jobs Worth Looking at in 2019 From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Career Development Was My Raise Too Small?Was My Raise Too Small Search Was My Raise Too Small? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQ I just had my performance review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems minimal at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even cover the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to reward employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what the median raise is for comp anies in my area?A Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 percent. Over the same period, the fully loaded cost of living rose 3.7 percent. So your 4.75 percent raise is actually an above-average merit increase and a real increase of more than 1 percent. While a 4.75 percent increase may seem negligible to you, it may be all your company can afford to give you and it still beats the market.Still, you may want to ask your manager what the average merit increase is for your company. Then ask what you have to do next year to get an increase greater than 4.75 percent. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content Navigating the Resume Black Hole Understanding Raises and Promotions 6 In-Demand IT Jobs Worth Looking at in 2019 From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Career Development Was My Raise Too Small?Was My Raise Too Small Search Was My Raise Too Small? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQ I just had my performance review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems minimal at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even cover the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to reward employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what the median raise is for companies in my area?A Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 percent. Over the same period, the fully loaded cost of living rose 3.7 percent. So your 4.75 percent raise is actually an above-average merit increase and a real increase of more than 1 percent. While a 4.75 percent increase may seem negligible to you, it may be all your company can afford to give you and it still beats the market.Still, you may want to ask your manager what the average merit increase is for your company. Then ask what you have to do next year to get an increase greater than 4.75 percent. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content Navigating the Resume Black Hole Understanding Raises and Promotions 6 In-Demand IT Jobs Worth Looking at in 2019 From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Career Development Was My Raise Too Small?Was My Raise Too Small Search Was My Raise Too Small? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQ I just had my performance review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems minimal at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even cover the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to reward employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what the median raise is for companies in my area?A Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 percent. Over the same period, the fully loaded cost of living rose 3.7 percent. So your 4.75 percent raise is actually an above-average merit increase and a real increase of more than 1 percent. While a 4.75 percent increase may seem negligible to you, it may be all your company can afford to give you and it still beats the market.Still, you may want to ask your manager what the average merit increase is for your company. Then ask what you have to do next year to get an increase greater than 4.75 percent. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content Navigating the Resume Black Hole Understanding Raises and Promotions 6 In-Demand IT Jobs Worth Looking at in 2019 From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Career Dev elopment Was My Raise Too Small?Was My Raise Too Small Search Was My Raise Too Small? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQ I just had my performance review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems minimal at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even cover the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to reward employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what the median raise is for companies in my area?A Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 percent. Over the same period, the fully loaded cost of living rose 3.7 percent. So your 4.75 percent raise is actually an above-average merit increase and a real increase of more than 1 percent. While a 4.75 percent increase may seem negligible to you, it may be all you r company can afford to give you and it still beats the market.Still, you may want to ask your manager what the average merit increase is for your company. Then ask what you have to do next year to get an increase greater than 4.75 percent. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content Navigating the Resume Black Hole Understanding Raises and Promotions 6 In-Demand IT Jobs Worth Looking at in 2019 From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Career Development Was My Raise Too Small?Was My Raise Too Small Search Was My Raise Too Small? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQ I just had my performance review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems minimal at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even cover the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to reward employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what the median raise is for companies in my area?A Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 percent. Over the same period, the fully loaded cost of living rose 3.7 percent. So your 4.75 percent raise is actually an above-average merit increase and a real increase of more than 1 percent. While a 4.75 percent increase may seem negligible to you, it may be all your company can afford to give you and it still beats the market.Still, you may want to ask your manager what the average merit increase is for your company. Then ask what you have to do next year to get an increase greater than 4.75 percent. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content Navigating the Resume Black Hole Understanding Raises and Promotions 6 In-Demand IT Jobs Worth Looking at in 2019 From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles C areer Development Was My Raise Too Small?Was My Raise Too Small Search Was My Raise Too Small? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQ I just had my performance review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems minimal at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even cover the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to reward employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what the median raise is for companies in my area?A Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 percent. Over the same period, the fully loaded cost of living rose 3.7 percent. So your 4.75 percent raise is actually an above-average merit increase and a real increase of more than 1 percent. While a 4.75 percent increase may seem negligible to you, it may b e all your company can afford to give you and it still beats the market.Still, you may want to ask your manager what the average merit increase is for your company. Then ask what you have to do next year to get an increase greater than 4.75 percent. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content Navigating the Resume Black Hole Understanding Raises and Promotions 6 In-Demand IT Jobs Worth Looking at in 2019 From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Career Development Was My Raise Too Small?Was My Raise Too Small Search Was My Raise Too Small? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQ I just had my performance review about a week ago, and I was rewarded with a pay increase of 4.75 percent, which seems minimal at best. According to my calculations, this increase does not even cover the cost of living. Is it a common practice for large companies to reward employees with such a negligible raise? If not, how could I learn what t he median raise is for companies in my area?A Most companies have a merit budget that dictates the amount of money they give employees when it comes time to deliver annual merit increases. The average merit increase in 2000 hovered around 4 percent. Over the same period, the fully loaded cost of living rose 3.7 percent. So your 4.75 percent raise is actually an above-average merit increase and a real increase of more than 1 percent. While a 4.75 percent increase may seem negligible to you, it may be all your company can afford to give you and it still beats the market.Still, you may want to ask your manager what the average merit increase is for your company. Then ask what you have to do next year to get an increase greater than 4.75 percent. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content Navigating the Resume Black Hole Understanding Raises and Promotions 6 In-Demand IT Jobs Worth Looking at in 2019 From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Ar ticles Career Development Was My Raise Too Small?