Professional Development

Start your career with the biggest salary possible

A recent college grad told me that in his desperation to find a job he would be willing to work for an extremely low salary, way lower than the industry average. His plan was to get his foot in the door with low pay and then ask for more during his annual review.

I couldn’t help but smile. This was the same thought I had when I was in his position. Unfortunately, it usually just doesn’t work that way.

At a lot of companies annual raises are given in percentages. This means the low salary that you start off will only go up by a few percentage points a year. Your salary will always remain lower than average. Not to mention, it could look bad to an employer to accept a low offer.

Finding that first job out of college is hard. Really hard. But, don’t sell yourself short. Go out and get the best job - and the best salary you can.

Want to learn more about negotiating? Check out Women Don’t Ask.