| Construction Careers: Unless you have an | | | | as providing a raise or training. A couple of points to |
| employment letter signed by your employer, you | | | | consider: |
| probably can't do much on this job other than asking | | | | Ask that the employer provide in the offer letter a |
| your boss for a meeting to discuss your | | | | written commitment that you will receive a specific |
| contributions. | | | | pay increase by a given date if you meet specific |
| You should know that even with signed offer letters, | | | | criteria that you and the employer work out. |
| a few readers have written to say the employer | | | | This kind of advance "guarantee" is rare and tough to |
| selectively honored promises of raises and training, | | | | get, especially in this market. A few scoundrel |
| and that other than quitting, the disappointed | | | | construction employers have later admitted to |
| employees felt stymied. One reader said that even | | | | agency recruiters that they never had any intention |
| quitting wasn't an option before two years passed | | | | of giving the promised raise and just said what they |
| without being forced to pay back thousands of | | | | needed to in order to get a body in house right |
| dollars in relocation costs. This kind of conflict is | | | | away. Their out is to tell the employee that the raise |
| above my job description and falls into "lawyer land." | | | | criteria weren't met. |
| Nevertheless, it's better to be cautious the next time | | | | It's much easier to get a signed offer letter saying |
| you look for a job and receive verbal assurances | | | | that you will receive a performance review and |
| from a corporate recruiter (inside) or agency recruiter | | | | potential salary increase after 60, 90 or 180 days, |
| (outside, third-party, independent) that the | | | | but, again, it's easy for the employer to say you |
| construction employer will take a specific action, such | | | | didn't measure up. And that may even be true. |