Negotiation is hard. Not getting paid what you're worth is harder. Here's what to do about it.
PTs leave a lot of money on the table. It is a mix between not being taught what to do and not knowing exactly how to go about the negotiation process. We weigh in on how to go about a negotiation so that you can get what you're worth and still build the relationship.
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Is there a financial silver lining right now?
I need to start by saying that there are an unprecedented amount of financial hardships brought on by COVID. I do not want to downplay that or draw attention away from it. Everyone is struggling and some a lot more than others. This post will not be for everyone, I recognize that. But even in the toughest of times, my mom instilled in me the value of always trying to find a silver lining from a very young age.
That is not to say that I didn’t spend much of March and a good portion of April being stressed and angry. I did. Grieving and coping is part of the process, but eventually I have a learned reflex to find the good in the situation. Full disclosure, I’m on 20 hours of pay currently (I know a lot better than many), but nonetheless half of what I normally make. I’m not looking for sympathy, in fact I don’t want it. Because I did find the silver lining that is going to benefit me financially in the...
Are student loans holding you back?
Summer came and you didn’t go on that vacation with your friends. You were invited to an expensive restaurant and left hungry after ordering a small salad. An awesome continuing education course was within driving distance, but you didn’t go.
PT school loans (and often undergrad loans) suck. We go to school for seven years and can’t afford to do the things our peers do (and oftentimes, they can’t actually afford to do them either). When we finally do get an income, too much of it goes to paying off our student loans.
Since I graduated PT school, one of my main goals was to have paid speaking opportunities. It had been recommended by multiple people to take a professional speaking course as a step to achieving that goal.
Everyone raved about how much it would help me, but this wasn’t a cheap course. It cost $2,000 dollars, was only offered once a year across the country, and required four full...
