by Nirvana

Created on: January 13, 2009   Last Updated: October 22, 2011

What are the factors that contribute to professional worth? A combination of individual, job or company oriented and macro-economic factors contribute to the same.

1. Attributes of the individual (i.e. knowing what to know):

I have listed the important attributes that you should know about yourself. As these directly relate to you, you can, depending on how hard you try, improve upon them. Analyse yourself where you stand on each of these attributes, and you will know your professional worth.

a. Basic skills and/or qualifications:

This is the most important factor as you should have solid basic skills or qualifications that are needed for the job. If you are applying for a new job, the job advertisement should mention exactly what skills they are looking for.

b. Previous work experience:

Again a key factor, and for new jobs, advertisements explain the requirement (so that you can know if you are eligible or not). As more experience makes a professional more skilful, and that means higher productivity, companies are willing to pay higher for experienced professionals.

If you are already working somewhere and do not wish to change, then remember to compare your compensation with the industry average. You can get this information from friends and colleagues working in the same profession. Alternatively, apply for the same job somewhere else. If you succeed is securing a higher compensation elsewhere, there is no reason why your current employer will not pay more to retain you. Trust me, if you ask (for no employer will pay more without asking), you are most likely to get a hike.

c. Flexibility:

Companies love flexible employees, and if you are self-employed your customers will definitely appreciate if you are more flexible than others in your profession. Higher flexibility means that you are offering higher value and competitiveness (for example, you can offer to work late, or cancel a planned leave if the situation demands), and this very quickly translates to higher worth.

d. Knowledge of relevant information:

Access to information channels required in your field of work, and the ability to use the same information while executing your work, will greatly increase your value. For example, if you work for an advertising agency, you should have a fare idea of patterns of television viewing. This will directly help in choosing slots for placing your clients' advertisements.

e. Communication skills:

This means good oral and written communication skills. You should

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