<p>This is Part 1 of my post about <a href="../tags/salary">salary negotiation</a>. This post summarises the following:</p>n<ul>n<li>Why I got paid less at my previous job</li>n<li>How to close the gender pay gap in tech</li>n<li>Useful resources for tech salaries</li>n<li>Knowing what to negotiate</li>n</ul>n<p>In the <a href="../salary-negotiation-part-2/">next post</a> I will talk about 3 mistakes to avoid and tips to ace at your next salary negotiation.</p>n<h2 id="background"><a href="#background" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Background</h2>n<p>When I first relocated to Berlin from India in early 2016, I didn’t know how to negotiate or be comfortable with negotiation and ended up being paid less than I deserved. Although I had 5+ years of software development experience, I was placed in a junior category. When I learned this I was extremely frustrated and since then I was keen on fixing the salary gap to match my skills and experience.</p>n<p>Fast forward to 2021, I have been living and working in Germany for the last 5.5 years of which since 3 years I have been in a tech leadership role and an active hiring manager. In this post, I will summarise how I was able to negotiate to a higher pay scale and jot down my experience in salary negotiation both as an interviewee at a big tech and interviewer from a small tech.</p>n<h3 id="why-am-i-writing-this-article"><a href="#why-am-i-writing-this-article" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Why am I writing this article</h3>n<p>Most of the advice I have found so far is aimed at salary negotiations at big tech companies. What happens at small-scale tech companies? For example, in my current role, I am the Head of Engineering and also an active hiring manager. There is no full-time recruiter and most of my experience with salary negotiations as an interviewer has been mostly learning things on the fly and improving myself over the years.</p>n<p>I am also a woman of color from an underrepresented group in tech and the psychology with negotiations is different from the majority. Surprisingly, as I sat down to write this blog post I realized that I never considered adding salary negotiation as a topic into my interview preparation checklist.</p>n<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I am writing a blog post on salary negotiations and I am surprised that all these years, as an interviewee I never considered preparing myself to be a better negotiator.</p>&mdash; Princiya 👧‍ (@princi_ya) <a href="https://twitter.com/princi_ya/status/1392840615289704448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2021</a></blockquote>nn<h3 id="this-is-one-way-to-close-the-gender-pay-gap-in-tech"><a href="#this-is-one-way-to-close-the-gender-pay-gap-in-tech" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>This is one way to close the gender pay gap in tech</h3>n<p>We need to talk more openly about salary negotiation skills to close the gender pay gap in tech. Just making the salary numbers transparent will not solve the issue mainly because underrepresented folks will not be comfortable or are not good negotiators.</p>n<p>If you are good at this salary negotiation topic, you can mentor someone from an underrepresented group to be a better negotiator.</p>n<blockquote>n<p>Dear reader, if you identify as a person from an underrepresented group in tech and are preparing for an interview, then you can DM me on <a href="https://twitter.com/princi_ya&quot; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a> to book a free salary negotiation session with me.</p>n</blockquote>n<h2 id="useful-resources-for-tech-salaries-in-2021"><a href="#useful-resources-for-tech-salaries-in-2021" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Useful resources for tech salaries in 2021</h2>n<p>Salaries vary based on locations. Berlin, for example, has lower salaries compared to the rest of Germany. Salaries in the US are different compared to salaries in the EU. Software engineering is a diverse field; salaries vary based on your domain if you are a freelance vs full-time employee or the location you are based at. Before you are ready for negotiations, it is very important to learn and understand the job market and the possible salary range based on experience level.</p>n<h3 id="understand-the-job-market-and-salary-ranges"><a href="#understand-the-job-market-and-salary-ranges" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Understand the job market and salary ranges</h3>n<p>I use <a href="https://www.levels.fyi/&quot; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">levels.fyi</a> often. It shows a breakdown of total compensation in terms of net salary + stocks + bonus and covers good geographical locations.</p>n<p>This <a href="https://www.asdcode.de/2021/01/it-salary-survey-december-2020.html&quot; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">article</a> has a strong focus on IT salaries for Germany.</p>n<h3 id="community-for-salary-negotiations"><a href="#community-for-salary-negotiations" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Community for salary negotiations</h3>n<p>There is a slack community called <a href="https://www.ladiesgetpaid.com/&quot; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">ladies get paid</a> for talking to others on salary negotiations. I joined this community 2 years ago and was able to find a lot of useful information and general advice on salary negotiation strategies. I am no longer active there but follow their newsletter.</p>n<p><em>Dear reader, if you know of any communities or other initiatives that discuss salary negotiations I would love to know and I can add them to the list of useful resources for tech salaries.</em></p>n<h3 id="articles-on-the-internet"><a href="#articles-on-the-internet" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Articles on the internet</h3>n<p>When I started writing this post, I came across two interesting articles which have nice examples and scripts on how you can prepare yourself to be a better negotiator.</p>n<ul>n<li><a href="https://fearlesssalarynegotiation.com/salary-expectations-interview-question/&quot; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Article 1</a></li>n<li><a href="https://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/&quot; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Article 2</a></li>n</ul>n<h2 id="know-what-to-negotiate"><a href="#know-what-to-negotiate" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Know what to negotiate</h2>n<p>Staying up to date with the salary ranges is the first step that can help you in getting prepared for any upcoming salary negotiation. The next thing is knowing what to negotiate.</p>n<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I helped a few software engineers negotiate an extra €20-40K/$30-50K in annual comp at tech companies in the EU and the US.<br><br>Here's the advice I gave them (thread).<br><br>1. Know what is negotiable. At many companies, salary has little wiggle room. Equity &amp; signing bonus does.</p>&mdash; Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GergelyOrosz/status/1392090746988208128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2021</a></blockquote>nn<p><a href="https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/&quot; target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Gergely Orosz</a> has nicely summarised in this Twitter thread about what is negotiable. If you already have an idea about the salary range for the post you are applying for, then it means you will not be paid beyond that salary range. But what can be negotiated is the equity and the signing bonus. I don’t have experience yet in dealing with the former but I have negotiated for a signing bonus.</p>n<h3 id="focus-on-your-learning-curve"><a href="#focus-on-your-learning-curve" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Focus on your learning curve</h3>n<p>Apart from the compensation package (base salary, equity, and bonus), personally what I look for and ask is the learning culture and the company’s support in this.</p>n<ul>n<li>Ask if the company has a learning budget and how do you get to use it.</li>n<li>Does the company offer any paid coaching or workshops. Or if you are interested in any you could ask your employer to pay for them.</li>n</ul>n<p>When I negotiated better pay at my current company, I also asked them if I could work on my side projects or attend conferences as a speaker. I proposed to them that I could add value to the employer branding and this was a win-win for both of us.</p>n<h3 id="ask-for-mentorship-if-you-are-at-the-beginning-of-your-career"><a href="#ask-for-mentorship-if-you-are-at-the-beginning-of-your-career" aria-hidden class="anchor"><svg aria-hidden="true" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Ask for mentorship if you are at the beginning of your career</h3>n<p>If this is your first job or you are in the initial years of your career, then ask for mentorship and how does this look like in your organization. Get to know your mentors and see what you can learn from them. This is very important during the initial years of your career.</p>n<p>In the <a href="../salary-negotiation-part-2/">next post</a> I will talk about 3 mistakes to avoid and tips to ace at your next salary negotiation.</p>n <div style="margin-top=55px; font-style: italic;">(This is an article posted to my blog at princiya.com/blog. You can read it online by <a href="https://atomic-temporary-42700218.wpcomstaging.com/blog/salary-negotiation-part-1/">clicking here</a>.)</div>