Money sucks but it is central to our lives in many ways. The best way to get money is by working, but how much we will make and how much we should make are not that easy to figure out and is even harder to get the amount you want. There is a negotiation, because your employer would love it if they could pay you less for the same work and you would love it if you could get more. Reasons money sucks number fourteen: negotiations. Personally I plan on biting this bullet as soon as possible. Negotiations are uncomfortable but like Patrick McKenzie says “Dude, it’s five minutes.” Five minutes of discomfort would definitely be worth it if it could result in an extra five thousand dollars per year. Negotiations, specifically salary negotiations, are the necessary evil of our world today, no one likes them but we have to do them. Engineers, or all employees, really should participate in these discussions and not just immediately take the minimum amount the company offers you as good enough. Why should someone with just as much experience doing the same job as you make more money than you, they will if you don’t negotiate salary.
Personally, I have yet to negotiate my salary for a position relating to my major. My internship came at the last second and I was just happy to have the opportunity. I have however, negotiated pay for another job I had. I was a lifeguard for a number of years, so long that I became one of the senior lifeguards on staff. There was a lot of turn over at the pool and beach I worked at and so a lot of different people came through. The pay system of the company I worked for valued education over experience. What that means is that as a lifeguard, the company held that someone who had a bachelor’s degree was worth more than someone who did not, even if the person without the bachelor’s degree was a better lifeguard. This did not sit well with me, so I had a discussion with my boss about pay. To substantiate my claim for more money I outlined my experience, my ability as a lifeguard, and my willingness to pick up shifts for others who called out regularly. I made my point that for these reasons I deserved at least as much as people with less experience but a bachelor’s degree. My boss agreed, partly because he already knew I was a good lifeguard, and was willing to give me a raise. In the end when I went into salary negotiations, I focused on my abilities and my history with the company to show that my time was worth the extra money.
Negotiations are not fun but they are a natural and necessary evil in the world today, everyone thinks their time is worth more and every company disagrees, if we simply let the company dictate what we make we will be much less satisfied with ourselves and our work.
Link to article referenced: https://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/