The Secret To My 60k Salary? A Lot Of Interviews

Illustrated by Vero Romero.

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: 31
Location: London
Current industry and job title: Digital consultant in digital marketing
Current salary: £60,000
Number of years employed since school or university: Eight

Starting salary: £17,000 in 2013
Biggest salary jump: £39,000 to £50,000 in 2018
Biggest salary drop: N/A

Biggest negotiation regret: When negotiating the salary for my most recent role, I wanted to move into a consultancy but I was also conscious it was a small business. I often price myself out of the market so only asked for £4,000 more than my previous salary. I wish I'd asked for £10,000. Then they could have negotiated me down to somewhere between the two.

Best salary advice: 1) Always interview, even when in a role. I interview regularly (but only for roles that interest me, to keep my skills on form and to keep an eye on what's going on in the industry) so that if THE role comes along it isn't completely overwhelming. My friends all think I'm crazy but I promise it works.

2) Don't be scared to move around as long as it makes sense. I've never spent more than three years in one business and moved round after a year in my first two roles, either for promotions or to move into bigger businesses. Moving on to a new business is a challenge but it's also exciting and it means you're going to grow. And it often comes with a pay rise, which is a bonus!

3) Stick to your guns. When I moved up to £50,000 they asked if I would take less. I said no as my commute costs were more than doubling but at £50,000 my take-home would still be more, and got what I wanted.