I'm pretty sure I've never worked in or even heard of the place where the general consensus by the employees was that they were overpaid for the work they put in. In fact, it is quite common the opposite is the case, that the prevailing belief is wages should be higher for the work given. Furthermore, I have found that it is easy to talk oneself into believing that the 'market' for one's wages is higher and that going anywhere else would result in a significant increase in compensation and benefits.
Yet, at the same time we believe all these ideas, we do something that flies in the face of these beliefs - which is, we hang on to the job we have as if it were the last one we could ever get. As I contemplate this behavior, I consider that it has one of two causes. Either I truly am overcompensated and the next best option is worse for me and I had better hold on to the current situation for dear life, or I don't understand my personal value in the marketplace - making it difficult for me to understand where and how I create value for my employer and also difficult for me to translate what I do into another company or department or location.
As a cure for both of these situations I recommend a good thorough resume rewrite. An exercise in writing a resume as if I had to apply for a job tomorrow can help me inspect not only my skills and abilities, but also the areas where maybe I could use some enhancement in my skillset. This is healthy introspection which can guide me to begin thinking of myself as a value creator, rather than a commodity performing a needed function for my employer.
When I start to think this way, I can begin to have the tough conversation with myself that forces me to answer the question...if I were the one doing the paying, would I hire myself?
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