What steps can I take to finally get a decent job?
HI everyone,
A few days I posted about how to approach negociations at work, as I was about to get a really big promotion (Key Account Manager for some of their most crucial accounts, when I was just a Sales Assistant). Since I arrived at the company, I have done lots of unpaid overtime, saved many critical projects and basically managed two jobs at the same time. I also recommended 3 people I know for my current position (saved managment lots of time and ressources, they are interviewing them next week but told me they are solid candidates). We don't get bonus for referals. Feel like I definetely proved my worth and my motivation. I was expecting at least 3,450€ bruto (this is what my colleagues were making when they started, adjusted for inflation), so I asked for 3,600€.
Well the offer finally came and it was complete shit. They offered 3k with 0 advange (only a phone, but that's only because they expect me to be reachable even after work hours, as most of our clients are abroad, and honnestly idgaf about this phone). In netto that was like 45€ extra compared to what I'm making as an assitant, with lots of extra stress and responsabilities. I have to wait 3 years before I can renegociate (otherwise it's "unfair to the other employees"). I talked with my colleagues and I can expect maybe a 150€ increase in three years (again, in bruto, so that would be like 30€ extra in netto). Mobility budgets are only for seniors (the initial rule was "you can get a car or a mobility budget after 5 years", but as soon as some employees got close to 5 years, they switched the rules to "only for seniors") so I have no hope to get one before at least 10 years. They said they cannot raise their offer because "this always has been what we offer to junior and we don't adjust salaries for inflation when hiring". There are no other advantage I can negociate (no meal vouchers, and I already have the maximum remote allowance). This honeslty felt insulting and I no longer see myself staying for long at a company that won't reward hard work, despite the great colleagues and my love for the field.
We get a yearly bonus (10% if we reach the total budget), but the objectives are really high and my colleagues told me we don't get the full bonus most of the time.
When negotiating I managed to get 3,200€ (88€ increase in netto) which imo is still shit. They tried to lure me with the possibility to renegociate later, but when I asked for this to be in my contract (the actual raise I can expect next year, with clear objectives I need to reach) they immediately backtracked and said they couldn't do that because "raises are only after 3 years, it's unfair to the other employees blablabla". So trust is completely gone and I know I will never get a decent paycheck at this place. I still took the offer because I know I will at least learn new skills and develop my network, plus it will be easier to switch jobs with this extra line on my CV, but I'm not even sure it was worth it.
So now, I want to know what steps I can take for my career ( and to actually get decent working conditions). I don't want to be a billonaire, but I'd like to have a decent life (be able to own a nice appartment in Brussel one day and travel a little bit), especially because I don't think I can find a job in the fields I'm actually passionated about. Right now I'm gonna make 2450€ netto which isn't even enough anymore to live without roomates (studios are like 1000€/month in Brussels).
Here is what I have so far:
- Speaks fluently English, Spanish and French (native or near native), C1 level in Dutch, B1 level in Japanese (I'm taking evening classes and hope to reach a B2 level in like 1-2 years)
- Three master's degrees (master in translation from a top Spanish university, then double degree in project management and translation in Belgium), with honors. I already know that this isn't a great major and that I will be underpaid because my degree says "translation", although I think I still have a lot of very valuable and transferable skills. I graduated last year.
- Erasmus, year abroad and internship in 3 different European countries
- I always made sure to gain professionnal experience as a student (student jobs that were related to languages, internships -but nothing prestigious unfortunately, as I was dumb and followed my passion back then-, and I have been working as a freelance translator even before I graduated
I know that on paper this doesn't look that great, but I'm convinced I deliver great work everywhere I go. Which is why my initial goal was to start small and then climb the ladder. I started with a shitty underqualified and underpaid job at a prestigious company, then used the skills/network I gained there to switch as a Sales Assistant at my current company (which pays slightly more and treated me better... until now), proved my worth and got promoted after 6 months. But I realise companies don't value good employees, only money, and they use the fact that I started at a lower position to underpay me compared to my colleagues with the same skills and experience who were hired externally.
So any advice is welcome. Any skill I should learn, any evening class/new degree I should take, any field I should focus on... So I can build a better career.
Right know I'm focusing on improving my Japanese to B2 and my Dutch to C2 and saying yes to all trainings offered at my current company. I'm not longer going the extra mile like I did (no more unpaid overtime just so I can maybe get 30€ extra in 2029) and will instead use that extra energy to first gain new skills, and then job hunt so I can either get a better job, or leverage that new offer at my current company. Does that sounds like a good plan or should I pick a different strategy?