During your job search, if you do well and get close to a job offer, you will probably get asked what your salary expectations are; and sometimes that question is posted with the job description. So what do you do? How do you value yourself? It is definitely a delicate question that needs a thoughtful answer.
While you want to get what you are worth you also want to be reasonable in what you ask for so that you don’t knock yourself out of the running for the role.
Alison Green from Ask a Manager shares some great advice in her post for US News Money. She acknowledges how stressful it can be answering a question about your future salary and makes a smart recommendation to start with research. Here are some places you can start:
- Ask people in your field (try to not raise suspicions with colleagues in the process),
- Search job boards for roles like yours that may show the salary range
- Check with a couple recruiters (this might also open some new doors for you during your search)
- Google it. You can find reports and even infographics sharing statistics on salary – by role and location. Check out ours for Graphic Designers and Marketing Manager across Canada from 2013. Some industries also release their own reports or report on salaries annually.
- Research specific companies you are engaging with to see how they rate for compensation against their peers.
After the research you should (if you haven’t already as part of your job search) create a list of all of your qualifications that you have that might make more valuable to a prospective employer. Do you have certificates or training, beyond the job requirements, that could help you in the role or even just be beneficial to the organization? And how many years have you been doing this role, at this level?
Remember that you might be embarking on a new relationship with this organization and while you want to get what you are worth you also want to be reasonable in what you ask for so that you don’t knock yourself out of the running for the role.