How to get the salary you deserve

The company seems to be exactly what you were looking for, and even your future boss seems like one of the good guys. Now, you’re slightly anxious by what may come next: the money talks.

Unlocking tech talent stories

August 27, 2015
Elephant in the room

So you survived the awkward and sweat-inducing questions during your interview and now you’re waiting for the phone to ring.

The company seems to be exactly what you were looking for, and even your future boss seems like one of the good guys. Now, you’re slightly anxious by what may come next: the money talks.

The Myth

You know that old rule of first interviews: Don’t. Talk. About. Money. It’s a huge elephant in the room demanding attention, but you want to squeeze through and ignore it unless it actually nudges you. However, this is a situation that you want to avoid.

For starters, you should already have a clear salary figure in your head from the get-go. Be it while searching for a new job or before walking into your first interview. Who knows, you may end up talking about money during your first contact, and not being well-prepared won’t make a great impression.

Decide your salary range based on how much you’re currently being paid, and try to search and figure out the average salary for someone in the position you’re getting interviewed for. If you have friends in the same business as you, that definitely helps when making comparisons and establishing a big, shiny, round number in your mind.

Your instinct will tell you to avoid seemingly unpleasant conversations about hot topics, such as money, but it would be much worse if you spend a lot of time in a recruitment process that ends up with a lousy proposal. It’s important to disclose that information so you don’t waste anyone’s time, including your own.

The Truth

Regarding those bad offers, there’s a catch you have to consider: if you don’t let your recruiter know the values early on, you will probably receive a low proposal.

Here’s why: when someone wants to buy a house or a car, and the seller doesn’t have a price range, the buyer usually makes a low offer and works from there. That technique is called “throwing mud against the wall”. If it sticks, awesome. If not, the negotiation phase ensues. That’s what most recruiters try to do… and it actually works, because most folks’ instinct tells them to avoid talking about money. The problem is that is not instinct, but actually fear that is taking control, telling you to avoid potential conflicts and unpleasantness. You have to bring your A game to all the recruitment process and that includes negotiation. You have to be brave! Job hunting is not for the faint-hearted.

Now, don’t worry. If you haven’t thought about this beforehand, there’s still a way to save the day.

The Call

Fast-forwarding to that big call:

Ring, ring.

Recruiter: Hey! Great news — we want you on board and I have the green light to make you an offer. Can you swing by the office tomorrow so we can close the deal? Can’t wait to kick off the project!

Having ended the day of the interview with an “I nailed it” grin and receiving this phone call still doesn’t make it official. This is the perfect occasion to intervene. Why would you go back to a company that isn’t willing or is incapable of meeting your salary target? Again, that would only be a waste of time.

You: Hi! That’s awesome. Before we do that, is this the best time to start talking about the salary? Just to know what to expect so I don’t end up having different expectations than you.

Bam. Just like that.

If your recruiter asks you how much you’re earning at your current job — and they probably will — you have no obligation, whatsoever, to answer this. Instead, go straight to the point, and tell them the salary range you deserve and are expecting to earn.

Don’t be reluctant in spitting it out. Don’t picture the amount of other candidates that may be waiting in line to take your place. The more self-assured and calm you present yourself during the money talks, the more you hold your ground, the more legit you become. If you deserve it, you ask for it.

If the company has decided it wants you on their team, you do, in a way, have the upper hand. If they end up offering you a lower compensation rate anyway, don’t be offended. Don’t grovel and don’t sell yourself short. Be flexible and open to negotiation.

There are a lot of ways to close the gap between your figure and their proposal. Try negotiating other perks and benefits to counterbalance the offer: sign-on bonuses, extra vacation time, car allowance, health insurance, meal allowances, cutting-edge IT equipment and, if you’re working in Portugal, those tempting half-days during summer.

Remind your employer of your worth, your experience and why you’re the right person for the job. Resell yourself all over again. If you want the job, if you have the talent your employer is looking for, and if your salary range is reasonable and within the market rate, you should earn it, period. If you end up not getting the job, they don’t deserve you to begin with.

Settle for an offer that completely satisfies you. Sign on the dotted line and don’t just aim for more. Aim for everything you’re worth.

Lorena Wildering

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