Confused feelings about whether to apply for better paying internal position

Hi, Since I have been in my current position a year I can officially apply for other internal postings. For some reason I am feeling like if I do apply I maybe hurting feelings or I just don’t want that stigma of “I took a chance on her, & she only stayed a year”. Now, I have the best supervisor and manager in the world & actually like what I do. The only thing is that since I started, I have had to move, my rent which is already subsidized is going up, I’m paycheck to paycheck. Forget the things I want, every month I am having to choose which bill to pay & which one to call about extentions of cut off notices. To put things in perspective-one paycheck -biweekly takes my rent. I need a better paying position so I can buy a house, have enough “extra” to contribute to a 401k at least, even an IRA, start a wedding day fund. I don’t want to jump ship, but I how else am I going to survive? Also, would it be advantageous to perhaps ask my supervisor/manager if there was a way that I could be “groomed” into another position within my current dept. They would have to invent an position in a way. As of right now the only posted position within my dept requires a Masters, which I’d like to start in the next year as long as I have a position that allows me to take on extra expenses of grad school. Sorry so wordy, but please help

Terry Says: OK, you need some career counseling, which is a bit out of my territory.   But I’m happy to give you my impression.  Here’s  a basic principle:   You don’t get, if you don’t ask!  Of course, you should be ambitious.  That’s an asset to a company — an employee who wants to do better, get a broader range of experience –AND get paid appropriately.  Yes, that takes some guts — call it “risk tolerance.”  But if you don’t take a risk, you won’t get the reward.

A lot of the “asking” is in your attitude.  You seem to think there’s something negative about moving up, and wanting more.  What you need is a positive approach.  When you apply for that other position, be sure to say that you have a great manager and a great job — but that you think you can handle more responsibility, and contribute more to the company’s growth.  That’s the positive approach.

Don’t think I’m hokey, but you could benefit from reading W. Clement Stone’s book — Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude.  I’ve read it half a dozen times, usually years apart, to encourage my own risk-taking.  Stone is famous for saying:  “Whatever the mind can conceive a man (ok, it was an old book, a bit sexist!) can achieve, with a positive mental attitude.  Get the book or the audio book.  It works for women, too. I know that first hand!