Know Your Own Worth Part II

Stupid

It is the middle of the week and some of the boys and I have taken advantage of unwanted freedom to grab lunch and share war stories. While we wait for our table we head over to the toy store that is located in the same strip mall. My kids love the place and will be jealous that I got to hang out there while they were in school but that is ok because it is really a place for adults. It is filled with all sorts of toys from our youth that are now considered to be collectibles. Who knew that one day Stretch Armstrong would be worth more than a couple of bucks.

We wander the aisles and make cracks at each other to “keep your hands in your pocket” or “you’ll shoot your eye out.”   The few moments that we get to spend inside the store are good because we are not thinking about the nonsense that is making our hair fall out and keeping us awake at night. The experience reminds me a bit of  and episode of The Twilight Zone called “Kick The Can” in which residents of an old age home find their own fountain of youth in a kid’s game.

Moments later we wander out of the store into the California sunshine and stand in the parking lot lost in our thoughts and then head back into the restaurant for lunch. The place is packed and I wonder if in some ways this isn’t particularly emblematic of a city like Los Angeles. It is the middle of the day and the majority of the people in there are dressed in jeans, t-shirts and other casual attire. One of my companions is a television writer and I make a crack about this being the hot spot for creating a new reality television show.

He smiles and says that it is entirely possible and I respond by suggesting that we better listen carefully so no one steals our ideas. He gives me a quizzical look and I tell him that I am pissed off with Thomas Edison because I could have invented the light bulb. He says that I am being ridiculous and I agree, but still it is not my fault that Old Man Edison was born 100 years before me. Really, if I had been given a chance I could have invented the light bulb and a bunch of other things. I am tempted to sue his heirs and he asks me if I really want to engage in a nuisance lawsuit. I tell him that I don”t but I like to think that they would give me a million dollars to just go away.

The waiter takes our order and while I wait for my turkey sandwich I down two cups of coffee and talk about getting stiffed by a client. I was hired to do two jobs but only got paid on the first one. They ask me for some more details and we talk about how irritating it is to chase clients for money. One of the guys asks me if I am going to try to take the deadbeat to court and I shake my head no. It is not enough money to warrant that sort of recourse but too much not to be cognizant of not having it. But more than anything else I am irritated by the principle of the manner. You hired me to do a job and I did it.

We share more stories and I mention that it seems to me like many companies are trying to get away with free consulting. I explain that in the course of a job search I have noticed that prospective employers are asking for candidates to do more than submit references. They want us provide marketing plans/pieces, ideas for sales collateral and more.

Our attorney friend says that he doesn’t see anything wrong with it because he always offers an initial consultation for his clients. I tell him that it is different because we don’t get to retain the rights to what we submit. If I go that route company XYZ can take my idea and run with it without offering any sort of compensation. In theory I could try to construct things so that they can’t take my ball and run with it but it is not easily done. They aren’t doing this during interviews, instead they are asking for it as part of the screening process for candidates.

I know what I am worth and what sort of benefits a company will gain from hiring me. It is a two way street and I am unwilling to work for free. I don’t apply for positions at companies that ask this of me.  The attorney nods his head in agreement and we dig into our food. During the course of the meal other stories are shared and it is clear to all of us that we are still fighting an uphill battle. There are lots of people fighting for jobs and many companies are still using younger and less experienced personnel.

The meal ends and someone says “that this too shall pass” and heads nod in agreement. But hidden in the silence are the questions of “when will it pass” and “how much damage will be sustained while we wait it out.”

(Visited 184 times, 1 visits today)

8 Comments

  1. TheJackB June 29, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    @Leon Sometimes the undercutter receives their just reward.

  2. Leon June 28, 2011 at 11:41 pm

    G’Day Jack,

    Had to tell you this. Some years ago one of my clients almost went of business. A new competitor entered his market, cut his prices by half and did his best to put my client out of business. I said, “It’s bloody hard sometimes isn’t it?”

    He replied, “Yes Leon it is. But if it wasn’t, everybody would be doing it.”

    I’m delighted to be able to report that his business survived-just- but the undercutter went bust.

    For what it’s worth……

    Regards

    Leon

  3. TheJackB June 28, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    @cathy.reaves i hate being told to hurry up and wait but sometimes we have no choice. Irks me a little bit, it does.

  4. cathy.reaves June 28, 2011 at 2:38 pm

    In life we are always fighting one battle or another, sometimes professional, sometimes personal. I know that it’s good to take time to reflect and understand your worth. And the waiting is the hard part.

  5. TheJackB June 28, 2011 at 1:28 pm

    @bdorman264 It is hard to find the right balance between the two positions. I believe in giving back and trying to help others but it shouldn’t be at our own expense.

    I learned some of this the hard way as by being helpful I talked myself out of business that should have closed.

  6. TheJackB June 28, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    @mothereseblog I am not opposed to using an exchange of services as compensation provided that it is fair. The definition of fair is subjective so we all have to determine what that works out to be.

    Free is problematic for a host of reasons beyond the one you just listed. When people are used to getting something for nothing it becomes much harder to begin charging for it. Free devalues the work and people take it less seriously.

    I never want to work as the low price leader as I think it is damaging to be viewed as the “cheap” option.

  7. bdorman264 June 28, 2011 at 12:56 pm

    Yes, when will it pass………

    Being in a service industry (insurance) and being a giving person by nature, I have to be real careful on the initial meetings when I see problems and wanting to jump in and say “I can fix that” and start telling them what to do. Not a good move; hire me, and then I will tell you what to do to correct your problem(s).

    Everybody wants advice or services for free if they know you have that ‘knowledge’. But at the end of the day, somebody has to pay me for my time and who is that going to be?

    Sometimes you have to decide what is worth giving away and what someone is willing to pay you for your expertise.

    Enjoyed your post, hope you are having a good day.

  8. mothereseblog June 28, 2011 at 11:52 am

    You make an interesting point, Jack, and I suspect it is only getting harder for writers to get fair value for their work. I am in the middle of an online class in freelance writing with a very reputable teacher. She just advised us to be willing to write for free as we start out so that we can get the clips necessary to get better assignments. That made me wonder, of course: in a saturated market, if there’s always a new person willing to do it for free, why would a publication ever pay me to write?

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You may also like
9 Shares
Tweet5
Share
Pin
Share4