{"id":8337,"date":"2022-06-16T19:41:48","date_gmt":"2022-06-17T00:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/?p=8337"},"modified":"2022-06-19T14:41:47","modified_gmt":"2022-06-19T19:41:47","slug":"this-34-year-old-increased-her-salary-by-194000-after-quitting-jobs-6-times-here-are-the-exact-scripts-i-used","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/?p=8337","title":{"rendered":"This 34-year-old increased her salary by $194,000\u2014after quitting jobs 6 times. \u2018Here are the exact scripts I used\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Long before the Great Resignation drove record numbers<\/a> of American workers to quit their jobs<\/a> in the wake of the pandemic, quitting had been a key part of my career growth and wealth-building strategy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started my first full-time job in 2010, at age 22. Since then, I\u2019ve quit jobs six times \u2014 increasing my salary by nearly $194,000, and by an average of 39% each time I left for a new opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went from making $31,200 per year in 2010 to $225,000 per year in 2020. And that\u2019s just the base salary; when you factor in the signing bonuses I negotiated, I added an additional $160,000 to my income during that 10-year period. Now, at 34, I\u2019m on track to achieve net worth of $1 million<\/a> by my 40th birthday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I run my own business<\/a> as a money and career coach. Here\u2019s what I tell my clients when they ask about negotiation tips<\/a> and the exact scripts I used:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>1. Don\u2019t quit your job just for a bigger paycheck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While job-hopping at a faster-than-usual pace helped increase my income, you should never leave a current job unless it makes sense for your professional growth. A bigger paycheck and title promotion is great, but you should also consider your personal situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was always very diligent about finding the right opportunities \u2014 the ones that I knew would help expand my skill set and broaden my experience. In fact, one of my job switches was a lateral move that gave me access to more mentorship and learning opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>2. Never be the first to give a number<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Early on in the negotiation process, a recruiter might ask what salary range you\u2019re looking for, partly to see whether it\u2019s within their budget. But if you name a number before fully understanding the scope of the role, you could be selling yourself short.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what I said when a recruiter once asked for my salary range:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to hear more about the role and expectations before discussing compensation. Can we revisit this conversation after I\u2019ve had a chance to speak with the team and determine whether I\u2019m a good fit?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recruiter might also ask for your current salary, or what the range of it is. If you\u2019re interviewing for a role with significantly more responsibilities, I don\u2019t recommend answering. (In some states, it\u2019s even illegal<\/a> for them to ask.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when they did, here\u2019s what I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather not disclose that at this point in the process, as I\u2019d like to have a more comprehensive salary conversation based on my skills, what I can offer to the team, and company benefits. Can you tell me if you have a certain budget in mind?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>3. Practice negotiation skills when the stakes are low<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Asking for a higher salary can be a nerve-racking experience, which is why you should practice early and often, especially when the stakes are low. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, ask your landlord to shave $100 off the rent price before renewing your lease. If a restaurant gets your order wrong at dinner, ask the server to send it back or take the item off the bill. Making these tiny requests helped me build confidence and break away from my people-pleasing tendencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can practice at work, too. A few months into my first unpaid internship, I was asked to take on more responsibilities than I had expected. I decided that I should be paid for the extra work. After talking to my boss, he <\/strong>agreed to pay $100 a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t much, but I knew it wouldn\u2019t hurt to ask. Plus, successfully winning my first negotiation felt really good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>4. The first offer isn\u2019t always the final offer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve made it far enough in the hiring process to receive an offer, you\u2019re clearly high on their list and therefore have some leverage. After all, no hiring manager wants to invest more hours into reviewing resumes, conducting multiple interviews and checking references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you receive the first offer, respond with a thank you note and tell them you\u2019ll get back to them within 24 hours, after you\u2019ve had time to review the offer. Then schedule a call to negotiate something higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finish it off by politely letting them know you\u2019re more than happy to give them time to consider your request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>5. Negotiate by phone instead of email<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As awkward as it can be, I prefer to talk about compensation over the phone. If you\u2019re straightforward, professional and polite, it shows that you can handle difficult conversations and aren\u2019t afraid to fight for what you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a single phone call, I was able to more than double my signing bonus with a previous employer.  Here\u2019s how I started the conversation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you for your offer! I am so excited about this opportunity. Unfortunately, I don\u2019t believe this compensation reflects the value of what I can bring to the table. Based on my skills and this role\u2019s responsibility, I feel [$X salary] makes more sense.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>6. It\u2019s not all about the base salary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Early in my career, a recruiter balked when I asked for a higher salary. I was extremely nervous on the other end of the phone, but they grudgingly said they would run my request up the chain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within a week, I had an answer: They weren\u2019t going to move my base salary, but they would increase my signing bonus to meet the base salary I wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your total compensation package consists of so much more than the base salary. You can negotiate other factors, such as a signing bonus, annual bonus, benefits (e.g., health insurance, retirement plans, vacation days, flexible hours), and equity compensation (e.g., stock options and restricted stock units).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>7. Gut check your offer with trusted mentors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Never discount the enormous value of having seasoned professionals in your field who will pump up your confidence before you walk into a negotiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I turned to at least two mentors for advice each time I had a new job offer. I asked them questions like what range they felt I should shoot for, what perks and benefits I should request, and whether they thought a final offer was reasonable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Networking is extremely important. Find trustworthy people in your industry who have more experience than you, and keep them on speed dial throughout the interviewing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Long before the Great Resignation drove record numbers of American workers to quit their jobs in the wake of the pandemic, quitting had been<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[254,3421],"tags":[888],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8337"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8337"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8338,"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8337\/revisions\/8338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.jlbn.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}