“Ask Brianna” is a Q&A column from NerdWallet for 20-somethings or anyone else starting out. I’m here to help you manage your money, find a job and pay off student loans – all the real-world stuff no one taught us how to do in college. Send your questions about postgrad life to askbrianna@nerdwallet.com.
Q: I got an offer for my first full-time job, and the salary is lower than I expected. Should I ask for more money?
A: I didn’t negotiate salary at my first two jobs after college. The first was a government position with a set salary limit. When I got the offer for my second job, at a nonprofit, I’d been out of work for months and was desperate to move out of my parents’ house. I took the first offer the organization gave me, which came out to about $25,000 a year after taxes – not much to live on in New York City.
My hasty acceptance became more of a problem the longer I worked there. My raises were based on the original salary I hadn’t negotiated. Eventually I was earning less than my peers at the nonprofit, many of whom had negotiated for higher starting salaries and gotten raises on top of those. I got a conciliatory “salary bump,” but I didn’t feel much better. I was embarrassed that I hadn’t spoken up for myself, and I could barely save a dollar after paying for rent, food and student loan bills.
Let my experience be a lesson to you: Whether you’re a man or a woman, a new grad or a career changer, you should negotiate when your employer offers you less money than you know you should be paid.