Jezebel 
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New York, 4:38 AM
Wed Dec 16
67 posts in the last 24 hours
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10/01/09
I got my last job through a recruiter (another female lawery) who specifically told me NOT to negotiate for anything other than what the firm offered. She said it would make me "look bad." Horrible advice, but coming from a woman, not surprising.
10/01/09
10/01/09
I make 30,000 a year now (less than I did as a secretary) as an adjunct college instructor. I tell my students how much I make and they are blown away that you can go to school for 9 years and only make 30 grand.
10/01/09
10/01/09
it's depressing to say the least, and endemic of the general consensus that women who behave the exact way men do, are seen as aggressive, rude and out-of-line.
10/01/09
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10/01/09
Before anyone starts patting themselves on the back too quickly.
10/01/09
10/01/09
09/30/09
Although it may well be true that women often hurt themselves by not trying to negotiate, this study found that women's reluctance was based on an entirely reasonable and accurate view of how they were likely to be treated if they did. Both men and women were more likely to subtly penalize women who asked for more -- the perception was that women who asked for more were "less nice".
"What we found across all the studies is men were always less willing to work with a woman who had attempted to negotiate than with a woman who did not," Bowles said. "They always preferred to work with a woman who stayed mum. But it made no difference to the men whether a guy had chosen to negotiate or not."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/29/AR2007072900827.html
09/30/09
09/30/09
I recently graduated with a master's degree. I can't find a job because I am in a construction-related design field in California, aka the second epicenter of economic implosion. There are almost no openings - about one posting every two weeks for entry level, which may or may not be paid. Some of the postings ask that I include salary requirements.
So here's the problem: I am in the absolute worst position possible - I'm coming straight out of school and am competing against people who have several years experience who have been laid off from their old jobs. I don't have much leverage, other than some computer skills, and I'm not sure if I'm shooting myself in the foot when I state my requirements. When responding do I try an extreme low-ball to get in the door, potentially? I'm already asking for less than I think I'm worth because the economy has been so bad to my field, but do I just go nuts and say I'll work for like 10 bucks an hour? Bearing in mind that I can't even get responses for *unpaid* positions that have been advertised...
I guess I'm just curious how some of this salary negotiation stuff translates to trying to be hired in a recession in one of the most impacted industries.
09/30/09
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09/30/09
I also graduated with a degree in architecture, but I work in the socio-behavioral research at a medical school as a project manager. We love people who know GIS over here. Consider working in another field where your skills are actually valued.
While it wasn't so bad in Spring 2008 when I graduated, I had the Dean of my school give me a suggestion for my base pay per hour. He told me, $50 an hour. !! I passed on that glowing recommendation to my potential employers and got that job for $45 an hour (not the one I have now).
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
Our company recently merged and people have been fleeing (3 directors in the space of a month). My boss even left without another job lined up. Morale is not good, and business is tough (retail).
My boss's supervisor sat me down and told me straight up that he's worried I will leave. It caught me off-guard, but I tried to be as forthcoming as possible and told him that my biggest concern is growth and that I( hope my creative talent will be utilized more effectively. We basically left it at, "let's get through Q4."
Everyone in my life, though, is pushing the "you have to leverage this situation for a promotion/raise," it's time to do it. And, I feel totally frozen. I am incredibly passive about these things, it's my biggest professional stumbling block, and I know that if I continue I will never move forward, not without other people doing it for me.
At this point my wheels are turning at a million miles a second as I try and figure out how best to approach this executive who I have barely worked with. It feels odd to try and step into a role that my boss left, and I am unsure of how to pitch myself.
And, I fear that I will put it off and put it off until it's too late.
I am super eager to read through everyone's comments to see if I can pick up some good advice.
09/30/09
I feel for you, my first job was with a big corporation where the pay increase structure was very rigid. And then I started working at a mid-size ad agency where you will NEVER get a raise unless you bring it up. Totally unfair to put the onus on the employee, I hate it.
The way I see it, though, is that your goal is to get paid as much as is fair for the work you do. Your employer's job is to pay you as little as is fair for the work you do. Neither position is an unethical one, it's just how the world works.
Plan what you will say before you say it. Have examples of both why you deserve to get a pay increase and why you will continue to deserve it. Having your boss leave and you taking up some of the slack is an excellent reason. You will now have more responsibility.
I wish you luck, it's the hardest thing in the world, but you will feel better in the end if you address it.
09/30/09
Two or three years ago a study came out that measured coworker and supervisor perceptions of women who asked for raises -- it found that both male and female co-workers and supervisors judged female employees who asked for raises more harshly than male employees who asked for the same raise.
The researchers argued that many women don't ask for raises not because they're just too timid. No, working women are actually correctly assessing the situation -- that they will be seen as aggressive, pushy, selfish, and bitchy for doing so.
I'll try and find the info on that study.
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
I have asked for a bonus only once, when I was working 12-hour days to make up for someone who had just quit, and my boss was feeling extremely guilty about it (I'm salaried, so I don't get overtime pay). Otherwise, I have negotiated my salary only when I am dealing with a new employer, have a job offer and have not said yes to the job. This just seemed the easier way to do it, b/c if they say sorry, this is the salary, you either take it or not. I feel there's little harm done in that case, since you don't have a history with that company and it's not really awkward. That's probably not the best way to negotiate a pay raise, I realize.
09/30/09
09/30/09
09/30/09
cause once you actually have a job, at least the stink of desperation isn't following you around everywhere!
09/30/09
Admittedly, one of the things that kept me from asking for more money was this job pays me more than I've ever been paid. I was blown away by that fact alone.
Yesterday I confirmed (completely by accident) what I've suspected all along - I am grossly underpaid for what I do. I was send the budget for review (handling the budget isn't part of my job but it was given to me as an additional duty) and the women who sent it to me forgot to remove the salary part. I almost cried.
09/30/09
Also, don't compare your salary to the salaries of people who have been with the employer since before the recession. Starting salaries do drop in a recession.
09/30/09
@Lymed: Sadly, I was hired pre-recession. Thanks for the idea about the list, I'm going to start that now!
09/30/09
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09/30/09
I'm not being catty, just curious.
09/30/09