Looking for a job is not for the faint of heart, especially in a market which is driven by employers. You get lots of no thank yous. The question is, what are some of the strategies that people use to get over that no and stay in the game? Let's dive in. Securing a big salary should be as easy as asking for more, right? Turns out, it's a little bit more than that. First, let me ask you, which of these apply to you? Reading org announcements with envy as other people get promoted? Did you get it?
Working long hours with little to show for it. Getting more degrees hoping to be seen. Don't feel bad, I made the same mistake myself without even realizing it. And it's not your fault. In this podcast, I'm going to help you master the strategy and techniques on how to get promoted, how to double your paycheck, and how to secure more flexibility without adding more work or more degrees.
You are listening to Salary Negotiations Made Simple, the show that builds your confidence and inspires you to negotiate for the career you deserve. You want to double your salary, secure an ideal career, and increase your confidence to powerfully negotiate every call. And you are in exactly the right place. What do you do when you work really, really hard, the interview goes so well, and at the end, you get a no thank you? It feels like the end, doesn't it?
I talk to hundreds of people per month, and this has been a recurring topic from so many job searchers right now. I get it, it is an employer's market, and finding that dream job has been more difficult than it has been in the last few years. So this got me to think about today's podcast topic. It's not about salary, but how do you recover from that no? Let me tell you a story. A few years ago, I was up for a promotion. I wanted that promotion more than anything. I worked very hard.
I believed that would be enough. But then the decision came. The promotion went to someone else. Someone with more experience, more time in the field. But in that moment, for me, everything crumpled. It felt like the world was crashing down around me. I was devastated. All that effort, all that dedication, and for what? I felt like a failure. And what did I do? Throw myself a pity party? Yup, absolutely I did. I worried, I fretted, I moaned and complained.
Absolutely, I was a pit of self doubt and shaking nerves. It was about a week or so of this. And then, after that, I decided to ask myself, what now? Around that time, I came across a speech by Richard Makowicz. Richard was a Navy SEAL. In the speech, he's talking to a group of NFL players. And one thing resonated with me. He says to them, not dead can't quit. Meaning, if I have a pulse, I have the will to fight. Fight for my dreams, fight for the life I wanted to create for myself.
So, I decided to ask myself, what do I really want? I asked myself this question about a hundred times that week. What am I going to do next? In the movie, The Martian, Matt Damon's character, Mark Watney, was stuck on Mars for 560 Martian days. At the end of the movie, he's seen giving a speech to a new batch of NASA recruits. He says, at some point, everything's gonna go south on you. Everything's gonna go south and you're gonna say, this is it. This is how I end.
Now you can either accept that or you can get to work. That's all it is. You just begin. You do the math, you solve one problem, then you solve the next one and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home. Now, my problem about not getting the promotion, not getting ahead in my career was far from life or death, even though it felt like it at the time in the podcast, salary negotiations made simple.
I talk about how to advance your career, how to negotiate for the value that you bring. And how to build your own table if your current organization does not recognize your worth. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Now, back to the episode. Now my problem about not getting the promotion, not getting ahead in my career, was far from life or death, even though it felt like it at the time. But that's exactly what I did. I got to work.
I made a list of people I wanted to reach out to, Those who could give me guidance, support, and maybe even open doors to new job opportunities. I signed up for a recruitment service, updated my resume, and I started reaching out to recruiters. I was relentless with my follow ups. No one could ignore me for more than a day. I was following up, and I was sending follow ups after the follow up. I wanted something badly. Like Mark Watney, I wanted to come home.
In other words, I wanted to find my dream destination career. And of course, I got no after no. There were days when I questioned myself, why am I putting myself through this? I have a job. It pays the bills. Why am I this restless? But I kept going. Like Richard McEvoy said, not dead, can't quit. Finally, after an eternity, or what felt like an eternity, I landed an interview. The culture was right, the people were right, the mission was right, the role was right.
And the rest, as they say, is history. I've progressed significantly in my career. I've made transformative decisions. I've led global teams. Looking back, I realize that the struggle forced me to grow, to embrace what I really wanted, and to fight for it with everything I had. And this story has a happy ending. And I promise you, yours will too. Go ahead, if you get negative news, take the time to feel sorry for yourself. Then ask, now what?
Then just solve one problem, then the next, and then the next. Don't quit. You got this. There you have it, my friends. As you know, I'm on a mission to close the pay gap. Every podcast episode is designed to give you the tools, techniques, and inspiration so you can bravely advocate for yourself. Enjoying the podcast? Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Stay tuned for more insights and stories to help you navigate your career journey and get the pay you deserve.
Hit that subscribe button now. Thank you for listening and bye for now. No.