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Great question, and you are not alone with this one (unfortunately). First, you need to get some more data on your situation to be better prepared to meet with your boss the next time. I do agree that you should meet with your boss again about this issue. You should first prepare some notes on what exactly you have done. You say you brought in a significant portion of the fundraising bonus pie - how much exactly? It would be good to write out the facts about this so you can present this information to your boss. Make up a list of clients and dollars to show her. Second, you should do some research to find out what others in similar nonprofits make for bonuses or salaries. There are numerous web sites you can check out to get some benchmark data. Third, think about what you really want for your bonus? Come up with a realistic range that you might be able to share with her. Do you have any way of finding out what she gets for her bonus? 

I agree that you should go to her about the raise before you approach the officers. When you meet with her, set up a time to talk about this, share the data you have found, and ask her for the bonus. If she says no, you will need to ask her to "help you understand why this would be difficult to do" in a nice tone. 

One other thing you need to think about is - what will you do if she says "no"? In other words, what is your alternative? Always good to be thinking about this.

Good luck!

Sorry to hear that you were let go. I am sure that must be very difficult. Normally you would first go talk with your own boss to politely (and calmly) ask if he/she can explain why you were let go. If you feel that this would not work because you feel uncomfortbale talking to your boss about this, then you could talk to someone in HR (if there is a Human Resources department). If there are no HR staff members, you could talk to another manager in the hopes of "understanding the decision". It is best to get their views and just listen first before you say or do anything else. Once you know their views, you can then formulate your next strategy. Good luck on this tough issue.

I can totally understand that, and yes, it is very common for the public sector jobs right now. It seems that little can be done about salaries and raises if they are "frozen" for everyone. Sometimes though, the firm has a way of finding "soft money" that can be used for retention purposes, but often this is only used if a person has another offer somewhere else and the firm is worried about losing them. This is unfortunate, but often the case. So, looking at alternative offers is often a good strategy. Also, she might see if there are other perks that involve "soft money" such as travel to conferences, money for materials, books, resources, professional certifications, training programs, etc, - sometimes these types of things can be supported even though there are not funds for salary increases. Good luck!

First, congratulations on getting your PhD, and having your twins! Quite an accomplishment on all accounts! I know there are plenty of others who work at home part-time to earn money and take care of their own children. It depends on what field you got your PhD in and whether you want to use that degree for this job. Would your previous faculty have ideas for you? Maybe teaching part-time or helping out at the school but still being able to stay at home (e.g., grading projects of a previous professor, teaching online courses, etc). If you can do a part-time job in your career field that will help you eventually make the transition to that type of work once you decide to go back to work full-time. 

Great question. I get this one a lot. We know that persistence definitely pays off in the job search process, but you are right - you don't want to appear too pushy. I would definitely follow up if you have not heard from them - at least send a thank you immediately (by a hand-written note), then an email or phone call within 2 weeks after you last talked to them. Just let them know you are still very interested in their firm and just wanted to check to see if they needed any other information about you and/or you wanted to check the process. A phone call is best since they can more easily ignore you if you send an email. Your tone and style are important - polite, appreciative, etc. Good luck!

You can definitely negotiate, even in today's tough economy. The higher the level of job, the more likely you can negotiate. Jobs after college paying between $20,000-60,000 have less opportunities to be negotiated than higher paying jobs, but there still are things to do. First, do your research on what the market is paying. You can look at numerous web sites such as salary.com, payscale.com, simplyhired.com,  among others. It is critical to arm yourself with information on what the job is paying. Then, you need to look at what skills, etc you bring to the table to see if you should be at  the higher end of these numbers. Once you get all this information, you still need to wait until you get a written (preferably) offer from them first. Once you get the offer, you can begin the negotiations. Having multiple job offers at once is your best tool to being able to negotiate with anyone. Good luck!

It really depends on the company. There are some firms that actually offer sabbaticals so in those cases it is perfectly fine. Have you checked to see what the policy in your firm is for taking any time off like this or even changing to part-time status? Are there any precedents for this (i.e., have any others at the firm done it before)? If so, this will help. If not, you can always talk to HR or your boss to ask about possibilities. It may depend on what  you are taking the time off for. You may not need to give them all the reasons, but they will probably still judge you based on what they think your reasons are for taking the time off. I would definitely look for any precedents and also make sure to have a conversation about what will happen when you want to come back - try to get whatever they agree to in writing if you can. Best of luck!

Generally, it is best to look for a new job while you have a job. Your new employer will not know how much you hate your old job or are just looking. So, unless you are miserable where you are, stay employed while looking. While this is difficult, it will enable you to look much more attactive to potential employers.

What you can do is still use some of your older references since they know you the best (I have done references for people I worked with 20 years ago and they still help!). The other thing I would do is give your resume to those newer people who may be less familiar with how to write a good reference and also give them a page with some points you would like them to highlight about your background or fit for the new job. Sometimes people can write good letters if they know what points you want them to highlight. Also, what about others in the community who are self-employed that you may have come into contact with? This might also be a good time to join more professional associations to build your networks and contacts. Good luck!

He can either try to do this on his own by reviewing job search books like What Color is your parachute? or other career books - just check out salary.com, careerjournal.com careerbuilder.com, etc - there are numerous cites he can use to learn more about his own skills, personality and values and what he wants to do. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which can also be used helps to link your personality up to careers which would be better suited to you. 

The other idea would be to meet with someone to talk further about his interests and fit. What about a nearby college to see if he can talk with one of their career counselors? He can go back to his old school since they are always willing to help or just see if some of your friends have contacts at local colleges. Most people in this field are very willing to help a person and this issue is very common.

I can totally understand this - when you are wrapped up in your own job, it is tough to find time to manage your career. But, it is critical. You need to look at the market now so that you have options once you get to the December time frame. Plus, maybe you will have multiple options and this will give you more bargaining power too. You might need to really be diligent about spending at least a few hours a week to look at what else is out there. What about your contacts - can they help? 

Great question and one I get a lot. I would NOT put down a salary number or range if you can avoid it. You are right - it can limit them from even asking you to interview. You can just put "negotiable" or leave it blank since they will know you aren't agreeing to work for nothing and will want to talk about it. Even if they say you must answer the question, you might still be able to very nicely tell them that you would be happy to discuss that issue once you learn more about the job and responsibilities. Only if you are forced to answer (or feel forced) should you give them a range (not a fixed number) and then you need to make sure it is based on research you have done in the market.

Great question and I have actually coached some people who have done this exact thing. I don't think it will terribly hurt you on the job market as long as you can explain what you were doing and why. Most people today understand the importance of people doing work that they are passionate about, plus volunteer work has become much more highly valued now than in the past. So, go for it!

Unfortunately, this is a common problem. I would see if you can get bumped up to the next higher level in the firm (assuming this can be done in your organization). If so, that enables you to get at a higher level position so you are not capped by the percent increase. If that doesn't work, I would do some outside research to see what others in your position are making and take that data along with the internal data to talk with your boss to see what can be done. It also helps if you have good alternatives (other possible offers). Don't threaten your boss about leaving since this generally is not received well. Sometimes just sharing the data and asking "what would you do if you were in my shoes" can help the boss to see it from your perspective. This is a tough one - good luck.

Always best to use your personal networks especially in today's tough times. You can also use online sources, but you have a much better chance of getting into a firm by knowing someone who can introduce you to the right people. You can also check out the Wasington Post's online source as well as numerous other sources such as careerbuilder.com, careermosaic.com, theladders.com, among others. There are also sites for specific occupations that are valuable as well.

Actually, it is NOT in your best interest to bring up the salary early in the process. But, I can understand your view that there may be some jobs you might not even apply for if the salary is way too low. You might ask what the range for the position is or what the range for current employees is. Sometimes, you can ask the employees themselves. Be prepared - once you ask this question, they may then ask you how you feel about the range, and this is generally NOT the best time for you to address this question since they have not invested anything in you at all.

Given what they told you I think you could have this discussion with them. I would first do some research to find out more external data about what someone in your position should be making. Check out some of the web sites I referred to earlier - theladders.com, careerbuilder.com, salary.com and the Post. You don't want to have this conversation with them until you have done some research and know what you want. Many people go to ask for a raise with no idea what to ask for and how. Then, they don't know what to do if they don't get anything more. So, you need a specific plan for what you want (be flexible here and base this on research) and what you will do if they can't do anything. If they say "not now", then ask when you can come back to this discussion. Persistence pays off here.

I don't think age is the issue if they are willing to talk with you. I would get someone to give you feedback about how you come across over the phone and how your resume looks. Also, you might want to see how you are coming across in interviews. Get feedback from a trusted and truthful friend about how you are coming across in your resume, phone and in an interview.