It is a strange concept to think that as a human being, we have a number over our heads. We think of ourselves as full beings with hopes and dreams, but no matter how big those dreams and ambitions our hopes are, we are only worth as much as we make. The idea of being worth something is one which many people don’t think about until it’s too late.

Think to yourself, how much do you earn right now? Do you think you could be worth more than this? If you are stuck in a job you hate, doing menial tasks day in and day out for pennies, then you are not reaching your full potential, you aren’t reaching your true worth.

To find out how much you are worth as a person and a profession you need to start asking yourself the following questions about your life.

What are your skills?

First of all, think about everything you are able to do. This can be difficult at first because the list can be pretty long, but try to write down everything you are good at and things that you have great knowledge of. It doesn’t have to be anything ‘academic’, and it does not have to have anything to do with your current job. Think of what you can do. You, as a person. For example, you might know every Latin name for flowers in your garden and you may be maxing at looking after what you have. You might not see this as a skill but it is something which not many people possess. It might be that you can use this skill to start up a blog, or begin a gardening business. Using what you know and what you are good at will make you happier and help you reach your true worth.

Do you have qualifications?

You might assume that this is the most important element in worth, but actually it comes second to your skills. Qualifications are a way of proving that you know something, however it doesn’t mean that if you don’t have a qualification, you don’t know anything. The issue employers have is that they want to have a guarantee that you know what you say you know, which is why qualifications are important. If you think you are worth more than your employer is paying you, it could be worth taking a course in your spare time to gain the qualification required for you to step up.

What is your passion?

The most important thing in your life is making sure you are doing something you are passionate about. It doesn’t matter how good you currently are at your office job, you will never earn as much and be worth as much as you would doing something you love. You can look at salary data and your career path as much as you like, but unless you’ll be investing your time in something you love, it will not be worth it.

Once you have asked yourself these questions, you might also want to start thinking about how you will go about finding out how much you are worth as a business person and professional

Negotiating a raise

If you are currently in a job which you believe you should be paid more for, it can be difficult to pluck up the courage to talk to your employer and so them for a raise. The idea of asking your boss for more money might seem downright cheeky and ridiculous, but actually it can be the kind of forward thinking which will get you what you want and allow your boss to see that you mean business. It is of course a scary thing to think about asking, but you have to remember that you are doing this for your own wellbeing and your own development.

Do Your Homework

If you are searching for a job, you will need to make sure that you really do all of the research you can possibly do. Think about every possible job you are qualified for or what you are passionate about in your life. Decide what means the most to you and be sure that you are totally and utterly committed to this before you begin. If you seem to be unenthusiastic during an interview or a phone call with the employer, you will not lend yourself to the role. Remember to be incredibly dedicated to your cause and happy to put everything you have into this part of your life. Take the time to research everything you can about the job, do extra reading and be prepared to talk about why you are passionate about this career. Bring in parts of your life if it is something you love to do and show how much you love what you do. This will allow you to get a job which will make you happy and also in the long run, pay you more due to your dedication.

Review Salary Surveys

If you need to take a look at your current job role to see how it stacks up against the average salary through the country, there are plenty of different salary surveys online which will allow you to see if your employer is being tight or whether they are being generous.

If you do find out that you are being underpaid for what you do, it can be difficult to know what action you should take. Before you start looking for new jobs with different employers, you should talk to your manager and see if they can come to any arrangement with you. When you enter a meeting with your boss you need to make sure to give them a pitch of everything that you do, what your skills are and why you think you should be paid more than you do. It can be hard but you need to remember that you are doing this because you have to pay your bills,support your family and live the best life you can.