How to Negotiate a Salary Increase

It’s early in your career, you know you can’t offer a wealth of experience or a resume of specialised talents because you are new to your role, so how do you negotiate a salary increase in the early parts of your career?

Money is always an awkward conversation to have, especially if you are a newbie and in most cases just happy to have a job. A survey by Nerd Wallet revealed that only 38% of candidates negotiated with employers, this means the opportunity to increase your weekly wage has mostly been missed.  

Most employers do in fact expect to negotiate on salary and do often add in some wiggle room when it comes to initial offers. It isn’t just the point of having more money in your bank which makes salary negotiations most important.

It also shows your employer you are confident in your worth, which early on is an important strategy to ensure increases and financial reward over the course of your career.

Before meeting to discuss salary, ensure you have researched the salary you would expect to receive in your chosen field. You need to be as informed as possible about how much you should be making for your position, experience level, and area. That way, you can go into the meeting with a price range that is reasonable and backed up by research.

Before setting up the meeting, why not practice what you are going to say? 

It is very normal to feel nervous, so a good way to overcome that is to come in prepared with notes on what you're going to say (we'll go into this later). But have your friend, family member, or whoever practice the conversation with you so you can feel a little bit more prepared.

Once you set up the meeting with your employer, it is time to make your case as to why you deserve a pay rise.

Have a list of examples where you have excelled at your job and why this has brought benefit to the company. Talk about how you have grown throughout your time working and how you were able to bring something new to the job. Make a list of the benefits and skills you will continue to bring. 

Be confident and don't be afraid to tell them how they NEED you!

Whatever happens, try to look on the bright-side.

Great news if you get an offer you're happy with! Make sure once you have come to an agreement with your employer, you are given an updated contract which outlines your roles and responsibilities, as well as your salary package details.

However, if you've been negotiated down or even denied of a pay rise, think about your next steps in a positive way. A "no" doesn't mean you can't still eventually get what you want. Perhaps a pay rise can come in the next financial year, or it's time to consider other positions. 

Whatever your next move, don’t be afraid to ask for what you believe you deserve. I have left many jobs in my early 20’s because the work I was doing far outweighed the remuneration I was receiving, and the truth is, I had no one to blame but myself because I was so excited to land the job I didn’t even think to negotiate.
 
Ask, and in most cases you shall receive!