The Most Important Thing I've Learned in My Career

By Megan Brown, CPA, PI

My name is Megan Brown and I am a Forensic Accounting Manager here at Workman Forensics. I am a certified public accountant as well as a licensed private investigator. I’ve spent my entire career in some type of accounting role—public accounting, real estate accounting, oil & gas accounting, and now forensic accounting! I’ve worked at a variety of companies—large, small, private and publicly traded—and have learned quite a bit along the way. I’ll be sharing some of these things I’ve learned, both related to accounting and careers in general, in a series of blog posts.

Value yourself!

Today I’ll share the most important thing I’ve learned as a female professional, which is not to undervalue myself. I know I’m not alone in having to learn this! As women, being polite and “ladylike” is ingrained in us from a young age, so when it comes to asking for more money it can be intimidating because it seems so brash. I’ve read countless articles and books that all say the same thing: men are much more likely than women to ask for a raise. I’ve been very fortunate to have only experienced a wage gap because of my gender in one of the jobs I’ve held, and let me tell you, it was extremely eye-opening and very frustrating! Sadly, a lot of women experience a gender wage gap consistently throughout their careers. I could go on and on about this, but I am going to stick to the topic of valuing yourself and some practical suggestions for doing so.

The initial job offer.

Let’s start with your initial job offer. Most employers tend to have a pay range when filling a position and almost always the initial offer is going to be at the low end of that range. It’s important to recognize that the offer you receive is negotiable! Don’t hesitate to ask for more, whether it’s more salary, more vacation days, or the reimbursement of moving expenses. Another thing to think about is a signing bonus, and I don’t mean asking for one, but rather forgoing one that is offered to you and asking that it be rolled into your base pay. This is tough, because who doesn’t want cash up front?! But if you are able to wait to receive it over time instead of all at once, it’s better for you in the long run. Every raise and bonus you receive in the future will be calculated on the higher base amount.

Ask for a raise.

Now, let’s talk about asking for that raise. First, read the room. We are currently in an economic downturn and many companies are struggling. If your employer is among them, it may not be the best time to ask for a raise. It might be a time to be thankful you have a job and to keep putting your best foot forward. But if your company is doing well and you feel it’s a reasonable time to ask for a raise, start by doing some research. See if you can find out what other people in your position are making in the region and compare that to your current salary. Reflect on your year (or the period since your last raise) and think of any efficiencies you’ve added to your position or any responsibilities you’ve taken on, and write it all down. Set up a meeting with your boss and talk to them about the value you have added to the company. The keys to this meeting are being prepared and being respectful. Even if you don’t get everything you want, you will likely gain respect and they will remember this when making future raise and bonus decisions for you.

Well, that’s it for now. I look forward to sharing more about my accounting adventures in future blog posts!