Benefit: Cell Phone (United States)

When I started this job I was very excited because it gave me an opportunity to work in a rewarding environment. I did not realize they had reduced the previous job title from Chief Operating Officer to Director of Operations kept the same amount of responsibilities but lowered the level of authority. I do almost everything but I am restricted from calling all of the shots that affect final outcomes. At this level the position should pay a min of six figures and have the authority to execute.

There are no such things as bad negotiations

only there are bad negotiators! Negotiate by asking for what you want. Don't be shy, put it out there! Tell them that you have to have at least a 3% salary increase each year just to keep up with inflation! Incentives don't cut it all the time! Unless they will not budge and then ask for double the incentive to allow for 50% missing.

Also, Don't buddy up with your boss ever! I regreted it because their are bad back stabbers out there that will leave you or take advantage of your hospitality!

How to start the human engine and engage others through Natural Management.

I have been in the healthcare field on and off since I was 15, (am now 39 with a disabled child). I definately am not getting what I am worth and never will, who does? However, in this day and age when you calculate what you are getting in terms of rate of pay consider the following, first health and wellfare: Is the company paying for your individual health care with low contribution from you? Secondly, if traveling what is the mileage rate and how many miles do you expect to travel each week? In addition is there cell phone reimbursement, shift differential and sick pay and holiday pay. Cummulatively add this up subtract actual cost and you will see what you really make. I happen to have been doing exceptionally well within this field. Also consider flexible scheduling between office and patient and the time I need to dedicate to my child when necessary. I am happy in what I do.

Worked for a company for years and only one raise through a five year bankruptcy. The company is making almost 10 figures now and there are still no raises or bonuses in site. Foreign owners will always think that those in the US are too highly paid. So my advice to those taking a job with one - negotiate as hard as you dare from the start because raises are too few and far between.

If you are ambitious, well educated, have a passion for fairness and justice, want to make a contribution to a better world, run from this job. Government managers will do anything and everything to drive out passion, independent thought, innovation. Ambition is seen as a threat. It is all about the pecking order except when it is about blatant favoritism. Things are done because they have always been done this way. If you want to work for change, do not go here. Too many people get into this field because their parents actually pass down the business to them. Licensing requirements make breaking in tough.

I'm 55 years old and nearing retirement with a Federal Agency. 6 years ago I read Dave Ramsey's Book, "Total Money Makeover." At that time, I was in so much debt that I truly believed that I could never retire. After reading the book I realized that I needed to get control of my spending. To make a long story short, I paid off all my debt, including the house, in 3 1/2 years and I can't tell you how great it feels to not owe anyone any money. So, if you want to feel truly free, get out of debt. You will find that you enjoy your job quite a bit more if you know that you don't really have to keep working forever.

The only advice for anyone in Field Service related fields that I have is be honest with your customers, strive to be better at what you do, keep open communication with everyone, and continuing education can only benefit you. Remember, the guy that knows everything...is usually over-confident and probably looking for a job. Flexability with a good employer is well worth it. Examine where your company is going and how they invest in their employees.

I had only been with the company less then a year and advanced two times. My second advancement with the company was the icing on the cake. There were no position advancement within my field but after searching for a new job within the company and sending in my transfer my manager, not wanting to loose me, created a new position with new title and new salary. It was awesome because I truly didn't want to leave my department. I came in and worked hard and asked for more work and gave extra time and my manager saw my dedication and hard work and it paid off. So don't think you can't move up if there is no position to move into if they really want to keep you they will create one. I also showed how much more I was going to be making if I transfered so they gave me more then that.

My role involves a lot of performance management for the services we deliver. My company isn't as regulated as something like a financial services firm (my background) - it's more like the Wild West and Jesse James is the marshall.

So I was able to get this job and a two-grade promotion in only 18 months by doing performance analysis, benchmarking and metrics for the first time in our IT shop.

Now, I'm rolling this out on a larger scale. We are only now implementing ITIL processes, only now centralizing IT functions (multiple acquisitions) and only now starting to see how easy it is for IT to be outsourced - so it isn't just my job, it's the entire org that has to be shown as valuable.

And therein lies the security. I make sure I can tell a story - with achievements, statistics, reliability and solid delivery - that makes my boss's job more secure. I spot the problems early, and raise them to the folks who deliver those services.

That way, all those guys see their future success as entertwined with my ability to help them manage issues and provide a better product.