Worth vs. Value

They are not synonymous! But both are very important!

First, consider your own worth and value in the workplace.

Your worth is the amount of money you expect to receive for your level of training and experience, perhaps your business contacts or other attributes you bring with you. Basically,things you have accrued as you built your career.

Your value is a parallel concept. It is the combination of your unique strengths and the projection of contributions you will bring to the position and to the organization. This is really an important concept to know.

Many women still don’t get or demand the compensation they deserve. I believe that is due, in large part, because they don’t fully understand the concepts of worth and value, so they do not promote them.

The challenge of understanding and promoting worth and value begins after college when you start that first job. You are already making less than the guy who was hired with you — at the rate of 82% of what your male counterpart is being paid, according to a study by the American Association of University Women.

And, that’s just the beginning. It just gets worse over time.

What could be the reason for the pay discrepancy? The contributing factor, outside of the gender wage gap, is that women simply do not negotiate…