In our series Salary Stories, women with long-term career experience open up about the most intimate details of their jobs: compensation. It’s an honest look at how real people navigate the complicated world of negotiating, raises, promotions and job loss, with the hope it will give young women more insight into how to advocate for themselves — and maybe take a few risks along the way.
Been in the workforce for at least five years and interested in contributing your salary story? Submit your information here.Published stories receive £100.
Age: 35 Location: London Current industry and job title: Higher education, associate director Current salary: £65,578 Number of years employed since school or university: 13
Starting salary: £17,500 in 2011 Biggest salary jump: From £55,000 to £65,000 in 2021 Biggest salary drop: N/A
Biggest negotiation regret: Never having negotiated. I pretty much always worked in higher education where the pay and grading is decided at a national level. So when I went into a law firm I was just happy that it was paying more than my current role. Then, when I took on new responsibilities, they offered me a bit more money and I was just happy as I was expecting to take that on for nothing.
Best salary advice: Just apply for the job even if you do not meet all the criteria. So few people apply for jobs in the library sector (once you get above library assistant) that there is a good chance you will at least get an interview.
I graduated from my master’s in library science and started my first-ever full-time job in September 2011. Though I was technically a qualified librarian and should have been looking at a graduate level position, I did not have the experience I needed to do that. I was really pleased by the salary, but it wasn’t really enough for me to live on in London. I became a lodger with a young family, to save money. Plus I was also working at the British Library on Saturdays to help me pay back my overdraft and actually be in the black.I went to work for an American law firm in London. They made me an offer at this amount, which in hindsight was below market value but it was more than I was earning. I felt so fancy working in the City, that I bought the then-trendy Michael Kors bag before realising it was too small for my laptop. I stopped working on a Saturday, and moved into a shared house with other young people. Plus the firm had a vending machine where I could get cans of Coke for free! Working in a law firm library was very different, we were a very small team and very few solicitors ever actually came into the library.I had previously just supported solicitors in Europe, but I was then asked to help set up and support our offices in the Middle East, too. I thought this was just going to be added on to my role but they did give me a pay raise, which actually bought my pay more in line with what it should be for the sector. I wish I had negotiated a better job title, as on an application or CV still being called a library assistant did not reflect what I was doing and at what level.Due to my boss going on maternity leave, all staff in my team were invited to apply for the maternity cover. I got the post, so I got a pay increase on a temporary basis. I was managing the team I used to be part of and realised that I love leading teams. As it got towards the end of the maternity leave I knew I didn’t want to go back down to my old role so I started to look for other jobs at that level across the sector. This was one of those instances where I applied and thought there was no way I would get the post, I only had that interim experience. I got the job, and it was a steep learning curve, especially when managing through COVID-19. If there had been opportunities for promotion I would have stayed, but I knew none of the staff above me were looking to change jobs or retire anytime soon. I started looking around again. This is my current role and I am now managing and leading over 100 people. Once again I didn’t negotiate the salary, it was just the bottom of the pay grade, but still more than I was previously on so I was happy with it. Financially now I am very secure so I wouldn’t be moving for money but for experience and development.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
