How to ask for the salary amount you deserve

Every dollar that we can earn counts, according to Harvard Business Review, an employee who starts their career at the age of 25 making $55,000 a year will receive about $634,000 more over the 40 years of working, assuming an annual 5% raise, compared to an employee that starts at making $50,000.00 a year.

Most of us do not know how much we should be making for the position we have applied. So a little research is necessary.

Step 1: Start here and find out how much the position you are applying for should be paying based on your zip code, company size, and years of experience.

Step 2: Write down the dollar amount that you came up with and multiply it by 5%, 10%, and 15%. Write the dollar figures down in your notebook and go to step 3.

Step 3: How did I come up with the percentages? Respond to the below questions by thinking about your future job responsibilities.  

• Will you have more responsibilities?
• Will you be managing a team?
• Have you received new professional certifications that the employer desires?
• Have you added additional years of experience?
• Have you gained managerial or leadership skills?  

If you answered “yes” to two of the questions, that is a 5% to  10% raise. If you answered “yes” to three or more questions, you should ask for 15 – 25% more than your salary research on glassdoor.com

When negotiating your salary, share information about yourself and the value you will bring to the organization (Sell yourself), ask questions about the organization, the project, the team, cross-departmental work, and managerial duties.

The information exchange will give each party the insight of who they will be working with and will put you in a position to negotiate the amount of money you deserve.

Money is not the end-all

When negotiating your salary, think about the entire package and consider other positive aspects of the company. These could be Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual, holiday time off, health insurance, 401 K contribution, discounts on car insurance, educational cost reimbursement, company culture, treatment of minorities, and women.

How to Slash the Salary Fear?

Why is it so scary to ask potential employers for the amount of money you deserve?

Get the fear out of the way, make a list of ALL the reasons you are worried about asking for the amount you have in mind. Next, for each worry, write a sentence that proves the concern wrong. Here is an example:

Fear: I don’t know how to manage a project

Fear Slasher: I know how to work with a group of people and get them motivated towards a common project objective. I can maintain excellent relationships with key stakeholders and keep their interest in the project. My ability to plan tasks and great communication skills have allowed me to meet customer deliverables.

Can you write a “Fear Slasher” for one of your fears? If not, write a worry on Instagram tag me on it mahjooba_ezpm and I will slash it for you.

You are amazing, you are capable, you CAN and you WILL! Now go out there and show them how awesome you are and ask for the amount of money you DESERVE!