So you\u2019ve landed on what seems to be the perfect role, like a shard of gold shining through what feels like a sea of job ads. And then, you notice the salary\u2026 How do you know if it\u2019s fair, and how do you go about asking for more? Negotiating your pay is never easy, especially when you\u2019re just starting out, yet this is when money conversations are at their most important. Here, we\u2019ve put together some essential guiding points to help you nail those negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is this important to talk about this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Your initial salaries will impact your future, which is why knowing your worth, understanding what makes a salary fair, and how to negotiate are vital skills that are best built early on. This is particularly relevant when it comes to addressing the gender pay gap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What do we mean by salary?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Salaries are mostly applicable to anyone in full-time, part-time or fixed-term roles. Your salary is the money you get from your employer \u2013 either as a monthly or annual payment (or hourly if you work part-time) \u2013 and is usually agreed in your contract before you start a new job. However, the final salary is not always as advertised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the salary on your contract is \u00a322,000 this doesn\u2019t mean you will earn exactly \u00a322,000 at the end of the year<\/strong>. This figure doesn\u2019t take into account deductions for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use many\u00a0salary calculators online<\/a>\u00a0(including this one from\u00a0Randstad<\/a>\u00a0or this one from\u00a0Totaljobs<\/a>) which can help work out your exact net salary and take home pay after these deductions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udea8 A few salary-related warning signs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A reminder about taxes Watch out for illegal salaries How to work out if a salary is fair<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udfe6 Work out your cost of living<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You need to know exactly how much money you need to live. So first, break down all your outgoings. This should take into account things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2696\ufe0f Compare and contrast other salaries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask around!<\/strong> There are also countless salary comparison resources out there to help you understand what other companies or roles are paid across disciplines, including tools on sites like LinkedIn<\/a> and Glassdoor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udcd1 Analyse the job description and responsibilities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Analysing the responsibilities and skill level presented in the job description will help determine if your experience is applicable or advantageous \u2013 and can ultimately guide your salary negotiations. Consider some of the following factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udd0d Look up company benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Some companies will offer benefits including extra holiday, healthcare or stock options alongside the salary. This might sway your judgement on the salary, as it could mean taking home a little less money each month for a benefits package that you\u2019re interested in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making sense of salary ranges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While some employers will state a specific figure on a job listing, you might see others who share a salary range<\/em>. This might look something like this: \u201c\u00a323,000\u2013\u00a326,000, depending on experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why? An employer might use a salary range during the interview or offer phase of a job search, and negotiate depending on the level of experience an applicant has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Common factors that will affect the salary range here are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, it\u2019s not a requirement for employers to list salaries, and by doing this, employers stand to gain more negotiating power. It can also be pretty frustrating for an applicant to not have this information before deciding to spend time on putting together an application. But try not to let this stop you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you don\u2019t see a salary listed on the job post, we\u2019d still advise thinking about how much you think you should <\/em>be earning.<\/strong> It\u2019s always good to be prepared, especially if you get called in for an interview and get asked about your salary expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to negotiate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\ude0c Be calm and assertive in your arguments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Be ready to back up your salary expectations with examples and research. If you don\u2019t have a rational argument for a higher salary, you run the risk of looking unprofessional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc6f Consider mentioning that you have another job offer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re between two job offers, it\u2019s up to you whether you tell an interviewer or employer. It could work in your favour, as they might be quicker in their decision \u2013 and better yet, they could match or increase the salary. If you do have another offer, though, be candid about what you\u2019re being offered (without giving away the organisation\u2019s name). And… no bluffing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd2b Don\u2019t reveal your current salary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd38 Be flexible<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Determine what you see as beneficial in terms of a pay rise, and be prepared to compromise if they come back with another figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc4b Don\u2019t be afraid to walk away<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ways to negotiate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n However you\u2019re negotiating, try to write down a clear argument so that if you go blank during a conversation you\u2019ll have something to fall back on. Always be sure to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A final note<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hopefully by now you\u2019ll be feeling a lot less worried about any money chat. If you\u2019re ever in doubt, then always do your research \u2013 the power of knowing the company and industry you\u2019re working for is your strength here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be sure to look around and gain some knowledge of what\u2019s out there, and the rates that other people are working for in your sector. And finally, know the amount that you need to live. All of these ingredients will make for the perfect recipe to interrogate, argue for and negotiate your salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to read some more advice on how to successfully negotiate a salary? Read the full article<\/em> on the Creative Lives in Progress website.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n ______________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n Big thanks to the Creative Lives in Progress team for writing this blog! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Please be reminded that if you need careers support, your Careers Team is only an email \/ a message away!<\/p>\n\n\n\n E:<\/strong> careers@westminster.ac.uk<\/a>| Website<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Twitter<\/a> | Instagram<\/a> |Careers Blog<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" So you\u2019ve landed on what seems to be the perfect role, like a shard of gold shining through what feels like a sea of job ads. And then, you notice the salary\u2026 How do you know if it\u2019s fair, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":287,"featured_media":12650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7,9,10,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career","category-education","category-employability","category-employer-guest-blogs","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12639"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13700,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12639\/revisions\/13700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
<\/strong>If you work full-time, your employer sends your salary information directly to HMRC, and they work out and deduct your income tax (PAYE) for you. But if you also take on freelance work in addition to your full-time work, you\u2019ll still need to register as self-employed, submit a tax return and pay any additional taxes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>While salaries for internships do exist, there are a few things to look out for before accepting one. If you\u2019re a worker, you\u2019re entitled to National Minimum Wage<\/a> . Head here<\/a> to read more about unpaid internships, and what to do if you\u2019re in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
To start with, you could ask friends, colleagues or other contacts in similar fields what they earn (e.g. \u201cWhat do you think would be a reasonable rate for a job involving X?\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out salary comparison sites<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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