It is a general tendency in human beings to place value in their material possessions, interests and skills – often forgetting the most important thing that they should be valuing ie THEM SELF. We tend to focus on comparing and measuring ourselves against others in the same field instead of focusing on our own inherent skills, experience and what we can offer and deliver.

What we do not realize is that if we do not value our self enough we are less likely to succeed at any role that you can imagine, be it your workplace, home, other personal roles in your life etc.

So be yourself and at the same time learn to be proud of it. Be also aware that SELF CONFIDENCE is a key element of SELF VALUE. Evaluate and recognize in which areas you are undervaluing yourself and then focus on learning to build your confidence in those areas. Doing so, will lead you to living a more satisfying, healthier and happier life.

• VALUE YOURSELF HIGHLY – Remember that n order to succeed, no matter in which field you may be working, you have to be confident that you can do the work you have been assigned to do. Here self confidence plays a key role, since if you are not sure of your ability to deliver the job, then there is a high level of probability that you will not get the job done.
• POSSESS HIGH SELF ESTEEM – Your sense of worth and level of confidence also plays a key role in the ultimate success of your career. Not only does this apply to rising in your position at work but also to the salary level you may be at presently. If a person possesses a low level of confidence in ones abilities, they would not risk a refusal from the boss by asking for a salary raise or promotion.
• VALUE YOUR SELF-WORTH – One should be aware of the negative impact of not valuing one self. The impact on one’s mental and physical health is enormous. Having a high opinion of one self leads to a stronger personality and vice versa. So take the right steps to build your self confidence leading to greater success and an elevated feeling of self.

The value you place on yourself will help you place your skills in the market and will be the best way to define and raise your compensation package and position. With the passage of time as you gain experience at your job you keep getting better at what you do. Not only that, you tend to give more value in return to your employer for the same amount of time you spend on the job. Therefore it is only fair that you are reimbursed accordingly. Quite often, if the company you are working for is not meeting that requirement, you start to look elsewhere.

If that’s the case, it is better to be prepared to do so beforehand by :

• Doing Market research : By finding out what is the standard package in the market, you will be able to assess where you stand versus competitors. Try and match qualifications, skill level and experience to get a realistic feel as only an apple to apple comparison would be rational.
• Defining your extra value areas : Be clear of the extra edge you have in terms of skills, additional knowledge or qualification and use those to define the extra value you can provide. Also take into consideration how much time and resources you may have spent on obtaining those extra skills and amassment of knowledge. Its important that you consider these when defining your self value in monetary terms.
• Cross check your determined value : Obtain feedback from colleagues and friends, on your proposed new assessment of your net worth and make sure that you are in alignment with market after you get a good gauge on what your proposed price should be . When deciding on a final figure, you should be able to be confident to look your Manager or future employee in the face and make a firm announcement that they would have to invest an X amount in terms of cash for your services.

REMEMBER that putting a price tag on your services with confidence and clarity is the key. If you are not comfortable with the price, your Manager or prospective employer will not be convinced either. However, once you have decided what the final figure is stand firmly by it – do not make the mistake of changing it. That will only project your own lack of confidence in yourself.

I know that it is a tough call and sometimes easier said than done, but also bear in mind that you may not be paid what you are worth because YOU WON’T ASK FOR IT.

We tend to get used to undervaluing ourselves and remain fixed at a certain level. We also hesitate to ask for more because of our inner fears of rejection, or lack of confidence. All too often, employees will allow these fears to make them under quote a package to prospective employees or even current employees. So even though we may be performing well at current jobs or have obtained the interest of future employers in our skills and experience, we may still end up losing a lot of potential revenue because we are being underpaid or we ask for less than what we are worth.

REMEMBER : “He who undervalues himself is justly undervalued by others” – William Hazlitt.