July Topic:
In Sheryl Sandberg's TedTalk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4) she states that "Fifty seven percent of men entering the workforce negotiate their salaries, but only seven percent of women do likewise". Did you negotiate your salary? Do you think you think you make equivalent to your male counterparts?
Discuss...
I am starting a new job in August and I actually did negotiate my salary. I did so only after seeking advice from everyone I could think of in my industry, and I hated every minute of it. I was extremely worried about the possibility of insulting my future employer--the man who hired me was one of the founding partners of the firm, so the firm's success is obviously very personal for him.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, there are no male associates at my new firm. There are three female associates, 2 female partners and 9 male partners. As a result I only have other female associates to compare myself to in terms of salary and none with my level of experience. In short, I'm pretty much in my own category pay-wise.
I am not sure I would choose to negotiate my salary in the future. Whether it was worth the stress and potential tension with my employer remains to be seen...
I think there is a societal stigma associated with women and it has been passed down through the generations. We aren't raised to expect certain things or taught how to fight for better pay/positions/responsibilities. And even worse, I don't see women as whole reaching out to help and mentor each other. I have been bad about posting on here, but I truly LOVE the idea of working together to learn things from each other and help each other better ourselves. We are worth it, we can do the job just as good if not better than a man, and we need to fight to get the positions and the pay that we deserve.
ReplyDeleteAll that being said, I have a lot to work on personally to learn how to fight for myself. I was recently offered a job, which I turned down, but the offer was laughable. I didn't negotiate because the position wasn't in a location where I want to be, but in thinking about it, when the next offer comes in it better be what I want it to be and should speak for my value and if not, I will definitely be submitting a counter offer.