Salary Story: Contracting Helped My Career & Salary

Illustrated by Michelle Mildenberg.

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: 30
Location: Surrey
Current industry and job title: Digital marketing manager, automotive
Current salary: £59,000
Number of years employed since school or university: Eight (I took a year out to travel and live in Australia 2015-16).

Starting salary: £19,000 in 2012
Biggest salary jump: £35,000 to £51,000
Biggest salary drop: N/A

Biggest negotiation regret: I didn't question my current salary too much. The role was advertised as £50,000 and I wanted £65,000. It's a contract role and they had to get sign-off from European head office for the salary but they offered £59,000. I was disappointed but the job and company is an incredible opportunity so I weighed up the options and decided to play the long game.

Best salary advice: Know your worth and stick to your guns. Don't let people tell you you're not worth a certain amount. If you're getting calls or speaking to recruiters about jobs in a certain pay bracket, then you're worth it. Always strive for more.

Don't be afraid to contract! Contracting helps build a range of skills quickly in different industries and areas, and the money is generally better. I thoroughly believe I am where I am because of the skills I learned while contracting.