Can Too Much Career Success Work Against You?

I got this from a LinkedIn reader:

I was lucky enough to land a good job early in my career. My boss was an incredible mentor and I moved up fast. Looking back, I never realized how good I had it, until now.

After 15 years with the company, it was sold and my position was eliminated. I was in sales and crushed my numbers year after year, so I had no doubt I'd find a new job quickly. I was wrong.

Turns out, I was making a lot more money than most other salespeople in my position. I've yet to find one that can pay me even half of what I was making. I realize it was short-sighted of me, but I have built a lifestyle around the income I was making. What can I do to sell myself to these employers so they will pay me more? I think I can use my sales success to bring them great value, but I can't get past the phone screen when they hear what I was making.

Yes, Career Success Can Work Against You

It's always tough to read something like this. It's easy to play armchair quarterback and point out how he should have prepared for the day when he wasn't making that kind of money. But honestly, that's not something we are taught in school. In fact, we are often misguided into believing that as long as we grow professionally, our income will continue to rise. Here's an article that shows how a 20 year sales professional and former business owner can't get hired because employers think his success will make him a difficult employee.

We can't go back and change this reader's professional past, but he can do something to help minimize the negative effects his career success is having on his current situation.

Step 1: Justify Your Value

Employment is a simple game of supply and demand. When talent is in short supply, the value to acquire that talent goes up. Any time we want to make more money, or in this case, make the same kind of money we were making previously, we must validate our worth.

Start by assessing your assets. What do you have to offer to employers that can save or make them enough money to justify the income you desire. In this case, his former sales success should result in some valuable account relationships he could bring to the right employer.

Step 2: Create A Bucket List

When we want to sell our services at a premium, we need to identify who we think would be willing to pay our desired rates. This is called a bucket list. Do your homework and think about who could most benefit from the value you can offer. Competitors, start-ups, and even companies in similar industries looking to expand or grow into new areas are possible companies to target. Do your homework and validate why each company is on your list so you can focus your search more effectively.

Step 3: Skip Job Boards & Hit Networking Hardcore

Companies that post jobs usually have made a decision as to how much they want to pay for the position. It's often right in the job posting, or discussed in the first phone screen. Applying and then telling them you want more feels like a bait-and-switch. They will be upset if you try to up-sell them when they have a set price in their minds. If you want more money, you'll need to start the conversation with the employer from a different entry point. The best way to do that is by networking with people who already work there. Initiating a dialog with employees around their company's goals and challenges in achieving them will not only give you more information on the best way to sell yourself, it will also help you establish credibility with people who can help you get hired. It's said 80% of all jobs today are gotten via referral. If you want to have more control of the hiring process and increase your chances of getting paid what you want, you'll need at least one or more people from the company saying you'd be a great addition to the team. For more examples of how to use networking to go around the online process, check out this article on ways to get a job when you don't meet the hiring requirements.

You Did It Once, You Can Do It Again

If the above seems like a lot of work, it is. However, making more money and keeping your career moving forward isn't easy. You get out of the process what you put into it. If you want to continue on an upward track for professional success, you must increase the effort you put into selling yourself. The bigger the stakes, the bigger the investment. Don't assume that past success is going to pave the way to Easy Street. And remember, you were successful once, you can be successful again. Draw upon your early days when you put the time and energy into the process to get ahead. Once you get started, you'll see it's like riding a bicycle - you'll be cruising along and feeling momentum in no time.

If you want to read more of what I've written, check out my articles on Inc.com.

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P.S. - First time reading my posts? Thanks for taking the time to stop by! Not only do I write for Linkedin, but I'm also founder of the career advice site, CAREEREALISM, and currently run the career coaching program, CareerHMO. I hope you'll check them both out!

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CAREEREALISM’s Founder, J.T. O’Donnell is a nationally syndicated career expert and workplace consultant who helps American workers of all ages find greater professional satisfaction. Her book, CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career, outlines her highly successful career-coaching methodology. Purchase her e-book of CAREEREALISM for only $9.95 by clicking here!

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