Skill Is Not Up for Bargain: Respect the Expertise

There’s something I’ve held in my heart for years, and today, I feel it’s time to speak up — not just for me, but for every skilled professional out there who’s been underestimated.

I’ve spent over 16 years in the industry.

I’ve worked in IT, digital marketing, project and team management, quality control, and even as a trainer. I’ve designed, built, managed, tested, and delivered end-to-end CRM systems. Not from a template, not with shortcuts — but with strategy, creativity, logic, and care.

A Moment That Stung…

Once, a client told me:

“Why should I pay you this much? My sales rep handles calls all day and gets paid less.”

I froze.

Not because I looked down on sales reps — I don’t. I have deep respect for every profession, including sales.

But because that moment reduced the depth of my work to a price tag, and compared apples to oranges without understanding the roots, the growth, the time it took to become who I am.

Skill Isn’t Just Time — It’s Depth

My work isn’t just about time spent in front of a screen.

It’s about:

Years of learning and unlearning.

Staying awake at night testing broken code.

Managing people, risks, and expectations — all at once.

Designing not just interfaces, but experiences.

Finding creative solutions under pressure.

Training others while constantly upgrading myself.

You don’t learn this in a week. You grow into it over a lifetime.

Don’t Compare — Appreciate

Every job has value. But not every job is the same.

When you start comparing salaries or “hours worked,” you dismiss the invisible layers that make up skilled professions.

You can’t weigh creativity, strategy, leadership, or innovation the same way you’d weigh tasks.

One isn’t more important than the other — they’re just different.

To My Fellow Professionals

If you’ve ever had your skills questioned, your rate bargained, or your worth underestimated — I see you. Keep building. Keep showing up. Your work matters, even when it’s misunderstood.

“Skill is not a commodity. It’s a journey of discipline, time, failure, and resilience. Respect it.”