Negotiating Your Salary As A Woman

Negotiation is often one of the most intimidating parts of the job search. Wellesley Career Education is here to demystify some of the myths surrounding negotiating your salary or asking for a pay increase. Read on to learn tips to help you be compensated for your work with a salary you deserve!

1. Real Talk on the Gender Pay Gap

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The gender pay gap is all too real — and it’s costing women an average of $1.4 million over the course of a lifetime. What’s more, this gap in wages disproportionately affects women of color. Negotiating for your salary is important on an individual level, but it’s also a social justice issue. So, how can you begin advocating for yourself?

2. Reflect on your strengths & qualifications as you prepare.

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What makes you an incredible candidate? Reflect on your experiences and identify your strengths, accomplishments, and qualifications. Know how they align with your job opportunity and practice articulating that aloud. You’ll use this information to advocate for yourself during the conversation.

3. Research salary ranges

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Decide your target salary, benefits, and lowest acceptable salary by using online research to identify the market value of your job in your location. Talk to professionals in the field to get a sense of salary levels in your field or industry, understand trends and norms, and learn from their negotiation experiences. Review the resources provided by professional associations in your field to learn about job opportunities, industry trends, and salary ranges. You can also attend an event and ask someone who works for an organization or in a role you are interested in about salary expectations.

4. Remember that more than just salary can be negotiated

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Almost everything is negotiable. Common negotiable aspects of an offer include: salary,vacation time, start date, moving expenses, early reviews, professional development money, performance bonuses, geographic location, parking, child care, commuting travel discounts or reimbursements, stock options, retention bonuses, and more.

5. Determine your dealbreakers.

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A negotiation is two-sided, and you need to identify where and when you are prepared to compromise. Do some self-reflection to assess how this opportunity fits into your own wants and needs. Determine for yourself what is essential and what is flexible, and establish your priorities for any offers and opportunities that may come your way.

6. Know your strategy.

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Don’t share your desired salary until you have an offer. Learn to deflect questions about your salary during the interview process, keeping the focus on learning about the role and what you have to offer. This will give you more flexibility to negotiate your salary after mutually determining if the role is a good fit. Remember that you may learn more about the position during the interview process that might impact your required salary. When you are ready to negotiate, anticipate how your employer might respond to your request and prepare your persuasive response beforehand.

Asking for a raise or a promotion? Prepare your pitch ahead of time that highlights your strengths, skills, and specific contributions.

7. Practice, practice, practice.

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The more you practice, the more prepared and confident you’ll feel having this conversation. Practice your pitch aloud with someone, and practice answering and navigating anticipated and/or difficult questions. Attend AAUW workshops in your community or at your school.

8. You can do this!

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Have confidence in yourself — you can do this!