Salary Story: I Learned Not To Take The First Offer

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: 26
Location: London
Current industry and job title: Compliance analyst in entertainment
Current salary: £42,000
Number of years employed since school or university: Eight

Starting salary: £17,000 in 2014
Biggest salary jump: £30,000 to £42,000 in 2022
Biggest salary drop: £32,000 to £30,000 in 2021

Biggest negotiation regret: I didn't ask for more when taking a new job after being made redundant from my first role. I took the first job and salary I was offered, and it turned out to be the worst decision as the head of department was a difficult person to work for, to say the least. The money wouldn't have numbed the anxiety the boss gave me but maybe I would've felt less trapped in the job if I were earning more and could've saved more to leave the company.

Best salary advice: Take time to think about the offer. Work out how much it's going to cost you to travel, where you'll be working (you'll be paying a premium for things like lunches if you're in London) and how much difference the salary will make to your life.