Considering internal & external job opportunities
1332
Dear Joan:
I am currently employed by a small company, in which I wear many hats. The list of my job duties includes Retail Sales Manager, Employment Recruiter, Media Spokesperson, and Website Content Writer. I am planning to terminate my employment within the next few weeks because my husband has had to relocate for work purposes and I plan to move with him to another state. I do not have a job lined up in the new location yet. My work is very seasonal and I do not expect to have many opportunities from which to choose until next spring.
I am considering whether or not to negotiate the opportunity to continue to continue writing content for my current employer’s website. I could certainly do that type of work from any location. I am an excellent writer and intend to continue with that type of work, even if no one pays me for it.
Here is my question: How do I name my price? This type of job might be considered free lance, salary or hourly.
- I don’t know if my employer would pay me by the hour if he can’t see that I am actually working the hours I submit.
- A salary would make sense, as long as I produce enough content to make it worth the pay. But how do we determine how much content would be expected?
- Free lance payment (by the number of words, or by the article) would make sense as well, but I don’t know how to research a fair pay rate for that type of contract.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. .
Answer:
Good employees are worth keeping, even if they move away. Since you can still contribute electronically, and you already know the company, there would be a big advantage to retaining you.
I asked Christine Sharrow, a Milwaukee-based consultant, who contracts her marketing expertise for several remote organizations. “It’s really a win-win because she knows the company, the industry, and already has contacts in her role, and the employer doesn’t have to go through hiring and training someone new—and they can budget for the Website content.”
When deciding to make a pitch for this kind of relationship, Sharrow has some suggestions, “The first thing to consider is trust between yourself and the employer, since she will be working off-site.” Trust goes beyond the quality of work you produce. If they know you are reliable and have a good work ethic, they will consider structuring a deal.
You might approach your employer with a base monthly pay rate for say, 20 hours a week, which would include all your research for the articles and the writing time. If you also upload the articles, find graphics, or photos to illustrate the articles, these duties add to the time spent on the Website content.
Sharrow adds, “She could look at a prior month of Website work, estimate how many hours she worked on it, and come up with a monthly fee for that number of hours. As an example, perhaps she could ask for $2,000 per month, for 80 hours of work (20 hours per week) or $25 per hour.Sometimes she’ll work fewer hours, sometimes she’ll work more, but for the most part, it should balance out over the year. Since she’s working for a small business, the employer would probably rather have a set amount to pay her each month for budgeting purposes.”
Sharrow suggests, “Each month, she could submit an invoice listing the articles she wrote, with the number of words for each article (or whatever benchmark they agree on) and after six months, they could revisit the pay scale and workload, once they’ve each had a chance to see how it works for both of them.” This is especially true if they trust you and have a history of fair dealings with you.
It would also be a good idea to establish regular times to review your work and discuss changes they would like to make. That way there won’t be any surprises. You could set up a regular call schedule and then visit periodically, so you maintain relationships and keep the partnership solid.
Dear Joan:
Thank you for your advice regarding interview etiquette. I thought I would share a brief experience I had recently. I went to two interviews at a great equity firm. No decision has been made yet, but I did get feedback from one of my recruitment consultants. She said that their only concern was that I was perhaps "too enthusiastic” and they think I wouldn't blend in as well.
I wasn't overly enthusiastic, but I had to show them that I was ready for the challenge and that I was the best candidate for the position. I have never been told that before. Now they are in the process of interviewing someone else as a comparison to myself. So, if this individual shows no sign of enthusiasm and willingness for the position, will they have the chance? This is tough to take but a learning experience nevertheless. I live in London, where everyone wants the same job. It’s a jungle out there. What separates the right candidates (I thought) was enthusiasm to succeed. Any advice?
Answer:
If “enthusiasm” is defined as showing an eagerness and willingness to do the job, I side with you-- don’t change a thing. Perhaps this environment is extremely conservative and they fear an outgoing personality would upset the buttoned down atmosphere. Sounds boring to me. I say move on and don’t overthink it. Take your enthusiasm to a place that values it!
Do you need answers to tough job hunting questions? Are you looking for some added punch to help you stand out from the crowd? Joan Lloyd’s has developed job hunting tools that can help you to maximize your job search:
Joan Lloyd has a solid track record of excellent results. Her firm, Joan Lloyd & Associates, specializes in leadership development, organizational change and teambuilding. This includes executive coaching, 360-degree feedback processes, customized leadership & presentation skills training, team assessment and teambuilding and retreat facilitation. Joan also provides consulting skills training for HR professionals. Clients report results such as: behavior change in leaders, improved team performance and a more committed workforce.
Email Joan at
mailto:info@joanlloyd.com to: submit your question, for consideration for publication, request permission to reprint an article for distribution, or for information about carrying Joan Lloyd's weekly column in your publication, or on your Internet or Intranet site.
© Joan Lloyd & Associates, Inc.