Dear Underpaid, Underutilized, and Unhappy:

It’s always best to have a plan before you resign—unless you can afford to be out of work for a while. Anything can happen--especially given our current economic climate.  Should it be hard to land another position after you’ve quit, you may find yourself backed into a corner and forced to take another job that may be a worse fit, just to pay the bills.

Here’s a multi-part plan.

First, you need to gear up to have a frank, positive conversation with your boss(es) right away about his or her expectations regarding the role you are being groomed to play and how that does or doesn’t fit with how you’d envisioned your talents would be used when you were hired. You’ve only been there a month; it’s too soon to tell what’s really going on.

It’s possible that you’re being underutilized because people haven’t seen what you can do.  Or, because they are a small company, people in leadership roles may not know how to lead, team build, delegate, or share power—oftentimes, in fast-growing smaller companies, you see people with technical expertise who suddenly find themselves in senior roles without the requisite experience or training to manage others well. **They may be underutilizing you precisely because they don’t know how to utilize you.**

Your job is to identify what you bring to the table.

Look around, do your due diligence to map out specific projects, teams, and client matters where your expertise could be deployed to boost profitability, streamline processes, and the bottom line. Get your hands on the company’s annual report, identify nonperforming assets, and figure out ideas to turn that around.

Go over you resume to refresh your top-of-mind awareness of the body of work you’ve accomplished. Women who do this often don't recognize themselves on paper ("Wow--I'd forgotten just what a great track record I have!").

Next, create a one-page summary with bullet point reminders of the unique value proposition you bring to the table at this new company.

Now write down your ideal responsibilities. Identify a specific project or leadership initiative you’d like to tackle right now.

For example, want to spearhead a marketing research project you’ve heard people talking about—especially one no one else seems motivated to head up?

Write down three ideas about how you would you go about doing competitive due diligence and fact gathering. Get creative.

Next, write down why you’d be a natural for stepping up to the plate on this assignment. Now also write a sentence about how you would collaborate—and consult for advice—with others on your team, including those that are senior to you.

Go to the Boss--Don't Wait for Him or Her to Come to You

Take these ideas to your boss and say, “I’m ready for this challenge; I’ll do a great job if you give me this chance to shine. I’m a self-starter and you’re not taking full advantage of my talents. Take a chance on me. You won’t be disappointed. And you’ll maximize your R.O.I. on the salary you’re paying me.”

Worst Case? He or she says “no”, or “not yet”.

Best case? You hear, “Sure. Go for it.” Or, “Not this project, but I see that you’re ready and I’ll keep you in mind for the next one.”

If you get a "no": Repeat the process—keep your eyes open for another assignment. Write up your proposed special project, submit it, and gun for boosted responsibilities.

If your efforts are continually thwarted? Polish up your resume and go for the new job, less stable or not, or look around at other opportunities where you won’t be under-utilized. And no, being ambitious and wanting great opportunities isn’t being entitled, as long as you’re willing to pay your dues and ask for what you want—including asking for raises, bonuses, and promotions once you’ve shown what you can do.

Bottom line:  Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that new opportunities will fall into your lap without being aggressive and proactive. Most importantly:  don’t fear self-promotion. Your right bosses will respect your ambition and confidence.

Be Open, Positive, Solution-Oriented:  Tell your supervisor you are open to all feedback, including what you need to do to best meet your individual, team and company goals and to be a top-performer. This sets a positive tone.

Me, Myself, and I--Don't Be Shy

Speak in the first person when discussing your proposals: “Here’s my idea:….” “It occurred to me that we should try this…” “I think it makes sense to….” “My research revealed that this is the best course of action…” “I just identified from our annual report $2 million in non-performing assets and here are some notes on my plan to turn that around, which I’ll also e-mail a copy of after this meeting.”

If you’ve taken the steps I outline above, you’ll be thoroughly prepared to discuss your competencies and your achievements—and how you can best contribute at your new company.

-Confidently give examples and brief stories that illustrate your performance, leadership style and decision-making.

-Include hard numbers and facts—how much money you saved a division; how much you boosted profits and how you did it.

-How you managed to meet a next-to-impossible deadline on a product-roll out.

-Now, show you have a plan for helping your new, current department, team or company reach their objectives. Outline two or three specific areas in which you want to jump on board and why you're "their man".

Should your new superior(s) decide to revise your role now and to enthusiastically get on board to develop and retain your talent, and/or if you decide to stay with this company—at least for a while—remember to continually and aggressively build your credit platform.

If ultimately you determine that you want to flee this company, time for plan B: contact people that are in your inner circle—your advisory board—and start strategizing to make a move. (See also my Damsels post: “Getting More Power from Powerful Advice: How to Form and Maximize Your Own Advisory Board”.)

Whatever you do, remember:  Your ambition is a virtue. The world deserves to hear from you!