So, you’ve found the perfect summer job, internship or on-campus position. The location is amazing, the people are incredible, and the perks, there are so many perks. It sounds absolutely picture-perfect except for one important detail.
You’re a little skeptical of the salary.
You have every right to be. Maybe it’s a little bit below the market price or you will be taking on more duties than expected and would like to be properly compensated. Whatever the reason, you are more than welcome to negotiate your salary.
Now, before you close this tab and think to yourself, “Hanh, you’re a lifeguard, you don’t need to negotiate your salary!” hear me out. I taught swim lessons for a country club and was able to raise my salary a month into my new job.
Granted, I submitted my two-week notice and they desperately needed a swim instructor for the summer. However, I was able to get a 25% increase. ot bad for a college student with absolutely no clue of what I was doing!
To help you achieve similar results, I have compiled everything I learned during that nerve-wracking week. I hope this helps you as much as it helped me.
- Part One: Preparing for Negotiations
-
One thing to always keep in mind during this process is that your time is valuable. You are putting in the time, gas money, and kissing your perfect tan lines goodbye. You deserve to be fairly compensated for your time.
Now, with that out of the way, a huge tip to successfully appealing your case is building a rapport with your interviewer. You don’t have to walk out of the interview as besties, but it is always good to have someone in your corner. This was ESSENTIAL to negotiating my salary. The woman who interviewed me for the position ended up becoming my manager. Not all situations will be the same, but the more people you know in (upper) management, the better.
Finally, don’t be shy about asking for money. I hate confrontation and rocking the boat. I hate talking to my employer about money. In fact, this is what your employer wants. By discouraging employees from discussing their pay with one another, they are less likely to ask for raises.
We’re going to change that. Use salary indexes such as Glassdoor and salary.com to gauge the average pay for your position and make sure that you aren’t being paid below market value. The salary for a swim instructor varies depending on location and whether the pool is public or private. To put it into perspective, I made more working as a lifeguard for my university’s pool than as a swim instructor at a country club or four-star resort.
If you’re feeling nervous about selling yourself, make a list of your skills, previous experience, and any relevant certifications. By taking the time to catalog your experience and all of your skills and accomplishments, you will have a better understanding of and appreciation for yourself. More understanding equals more talking points, which equals a higher chance that you successfully convince your employer that you deserve a raise.
Gather your evidence, build your case, and go talk to your manager. I would recommend doing all of this before your interview to prevent excessive paperwork. If you’re nervous about talking to your employer, I recommend a practice interview with a friend.
- Part Two: Negotiating
-
Something that really helped streamline my whole negotiating process was asking my employer for an exact amount. You know that tip where your employer asks how much you want and you ask them how much they’re willing to pay and give an amount and it has now become really awkward?
Yeah, I did that too.
Don’t do that.
If you did your research prior to the interview and you know how much your time is worth (which you should because you read the first part of this article) ask for the exact amount you want. Be polite yet firm. Do not apologize for asking for a raise and do not be intimidated if they say no.
Finally, and this was the most difficult for me: be willing to walk away. The person who is willing to walk away in a negotiation has all the power. You are bringing a specific set of skills and experience to the table. If this job truly valued your time and experience they would pay you a salary that reflects this. And if they don’t, time is money, lovely. Why are you working for someone who doesn’t value yours?
And finally, you should still be interviewing for other positions. Be sure to keep your options open. Do not feel guilty about shopping around because, chances are, if you are, so are the people interviewing you.
TLDR; know your worth, know what your job is worth, and use your experience to sell yourself to the people hiring you.