Reader question: Waiting for a bonus?

    A reader posed the question to me: "Should I sign up for shops as soon as they are posted online or hold out and wait to see if there is a bonus?"
    There is not a "simple" answer to this question as it varies with the company and your personal preference of how badly you want that shop. If it is a shop that is posted every month and especially if there is a rotation requirement that prevents you from doing it every month anyway then, sure, I'd wait it out and see what happens. Corporate Research International is one company that is notorious for posting a shop for very low pay at the beginning of the month but increasing it to moderate to even high pay by the end of the month.
    I had been taking a particular restaurant shop for Marketforce once a month but didn't pick it up this month simply because I was a little tired of the food at that restaurant :)  But when they called me and said they would double the pay- I didn't think twice! So I've now learned I probably won't jump on this shop at the beginning of the month but will wait it out for better pay.
    With that said, if it is a shop you do not see posted often or is especially high paying, you might want to go ahead and jump on it before someone else does. There is nothing like the sinking feeling of knowing you could have had a great shop with good pay but you waited too long and it was taken.
I hope this helps. If anyone else has any suggestions, feel free to chime in the discussion!