"Too Much, Too Little"

I am 21 and am working in my first 'real' job at an insurance/law office. I was first hired on for a 3 month contract which has turned out to be a 1 year contract in 1 week. Within the first 3 months I learned every position in our office and am able to fill in for anyone in the office.

In being able to do anyone's job I am often loaded with doing 3-4 people's jobs all at once. I am making less than everyone in the office yet I am doing more work than anyone. Lately my boss has been putting so much work on me that it feels like they are just using me. I am so stressed out that I can't even sleep at nights.

And I am in part to blame because I can't say no to a person in a position of authority. I guess what I am wondering is, is there any way that I can discuss how I should be hired on full time and get a better pay seeing that I am doing more work than anyone in the office? (Without losing my job?)

Overworked and Underappreciated

Dear Overworked and Underappreciated,

You have asked the right question, how to get a full-time job and better pay. But you have qualified it by asking how you can be sure you won't lose your job. When you are negotiating with an employer you need to be confident enough of your abilities that you are prepared to move to another firm if your needs are not met. If the employer knows you are not prepared to leave then there is a good possibility that he or she will never give you as much as you think you are worth.

If you are correct in saying that you can do every job in the office after only three months then it sounds like you have skills and abilities that any number of employers would want. Don't be afraid to consider changing jobs if you feel you are over burdened.

If you are losing sleep because of your job you need to do something to change the situation. I would suggest that you gather some data by documenting all the work that you are doing. If you have a job description make sure you describe the work you are doing in terms of that. If you don't have a job description the first thing to do is to ask your boss to provide one. Without it you are a sitting duck for continuing exploitation.

You mention having difficulty saying no to a person in authority. You may want to develop a strategy to address this issue as well. Assertiveness training is one possibility. Finding an ally within the firm who can act as a mentor to you, and help you develop the skills needed to deal with bosses, is another.

It sounds like you have gotten off to a brilliant but exploited beginning to your business career. Good luck in learning how to protect yourself and get what you need from your employment.

Dr. John

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