Want to make more cash at work? Of course you do. For our sequence The Top Up, Canadians throughout totally different industries inform us precisely how a lot they earn—and the way they navigated each increase, promotion and job change to get it. Each month, a unique govt shares their journey and their greatest recommendation for how one can higher negotiate your wage, too. First up, a communications lead who works for a Toronto tech firm tells CB how he went from making lower than $30,000 to over six figures inside a decade of working full time.
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Current job title: Communications lead
Industry: Tech
Location: Toronto
First full-time job wage: $26,500 in 2015 as a radio news anchor and reporter
After I graduated from journalism faculty, I used to be working freelance gigs and short-term contracts as a author and editor at nationwide newspapers and news web sites. I did this for 2 years, averaging about $40,000 a 12 months. Then in 2015, I landed a job at an area radio station an hour outdoors of Toronto, within the city the place I grew up. I used to be provided $26,500. I requested if they might do any higher, and so they mentioned no, so I simply accepted it. It was an enormous hit to my earnings, and I didn’t even attempt to negotiate; I knew how tough it was to interrupt into radio. But as a result of the job was in my hometown, I may dwell with my mother and father and save on lease. I additionally knew this job wouldn’t be one thing I stayed in long-term. I needed to get on-air expertise for my portfolio. I labored Tuesdays to Saturdays, chasing tales, doing interviews and writing scripts. From noon to early night, I anchored the news and recorded segments for six different stations within the community.
Second job wage: $50,000 in 2016 as a newspaper editor and tech reporter
The radio station was a brilliant high-pressure setting. A newspaper editor that I had labored for on a earlier contract had converted to a different paper and was build up their expertise part. He knew I all the time had an curiosity in tech and he provided me a job as a digital editor. I’d additionally get to write down tech articles and produce video and different multimedia, which I appreciated. They provided $50,000, and I didn’t negotiate as a result of this job ticked all my containers and it doubled my wage. Plus, I knew the editor and loved working with him.
About a year-and-a-half into beginning this job, the paper had a push to unionize. Around the identical time, administration pulled me into an workplace and gave me a increase of $1,000. They didn’t say this outright, as a result of that may be unlawful, however my guess was that the increase was to persuade me to vote towards unionization. I accepted the increase—I didn’t negotiate—bringing my wage to $51,000. The paper by no means ended up unionizing.
Third job wage: $83,000 in 2018 as a senior communications affiliate at a tech firm
I all the time needed to get into the tech business. I had constructed up a reputation and status for myself as a reporter, reviewing devices, going to product launches and getting unique interviews with founders. It was a very good time to attempt one thing totally different and transfer right into a communications position at a tech firm. I figured I may all the time return to journalism if it didn’t work out. Plus, the pay in journalism wasn’t nice and the job safety was questionable.
I noticed a posting for a communications affiliate position at a serious U.S. tech firm’s Canadian workplace. I already knew their head of communications and reached out to him in regards to the place. I utilized formally, however I feel my connection helped me get the job. They provided me $79,000. There was no wage vary listed and I didn’t poke round or ask others for an business common. I type of simply examined the water since by that stage in my profession I had discovered that it’s best to all the time attempt to negotiate your wage. So I took a stab at it: I requested for $85,000. I felt extra assured negotiating at this level since I had work expertise behind me. I figured they weren’t going to say “No, we don’t want you anymore.” We settled at $83,000. I used to be in command of communications for the patron portfolio, which means I’d write bulletins about new app options, for instance. I had a fantastic boss, and I acquired a crash course in communications.
After I used to be there for about 4 months, some folks left the corporate and others acquired promotions, so I used to be promoted to communications lead for Canada. That position concerned figuring out alternatives within the business that I believed tech journalists would care about, then working with a PR company to get the phrase out and land protection. The promotion got here with a increase of $3,000. I simply took it and didn’t negotiate. I took on much more work for not a ton more cash, however I had a supportive supervisor who trusted me. Plus, it could’ve taken me a long time to earn a wage like that in journalism.
Third job wage: $90,000 in 2020 as a senior media advisor for a transportation authority
My spouse is from New Zealand. By early 2020, we had lived collectively in Canada for about 4 years and thought we’d attempt residing in New Zealand to see the place we needed to settle finally. We moved there in January 2020, then acquired married a month later. I used to be lucky to line up work earlier than we left Canada.
After working in tech, I needed to attempt the general public sector. I labored for the transportation authority of a serious metropolis in New Zealand. They coated transit, sidewalks, parking, roadways, bike trails—something associated to motion. I utilized for a task as a communications affiliate.
I highballed my wage expectations to NZ$110,000, the equal of about CAD$90,000, which was larger than they anticipated for a public-sector gig. But they had been tremendous eager to rent me primarily based on my expertise. So they bumped up my title to a senior communications position in order that I’d qualify for a better pay band.
In this job, I wrote press releases and managed questions from the media, chasing solutions for them throughout the group. Anything with the general public sector strikes at a little bit of a slower tempo, particularly in comparison with a tech start-up. I really discovered it a bit boring at instances, particularly since I used to be used to the fast-paced nature of newsrooms. But I did take pleasure in transferring into “crisis comms” mode, like when Covid lockdowns hit. I supplied strategic counsel to the top of communications and the CEO utilizing my prior newsroom expertise to allow them to know the way a journalist would possibly suppose.
After a 12 months in New Zealand, my spouse and I made a decision that we needed to dwell there completely. But we felt like we weren’t carried out with Canada but. So we figured, earlier than we settled down and had youngsters, we’d do yet one more stint in Toronto.
Fourth job wage: $147,000 in 2021 as a nationwide communications lead at a tech firm—with 10 per cent in fairness
In early 2021, I got here throughout a job opening for a tech firm primarily based in New Zealand. They had circled Canada as a precedence market and had been hiring somebody to steer communications right here. It felt just like the Venn diagram of my previous experiences lined up for this job. I used to be employed within the spring of 2021.
I gave them a spread of $140,000 to $160,000 and so they provided $147,000. I took their provide since they mentioned that was as a lot wiggle room as that they had. I actually needed to work on the firm.
Because of Covid journey restrictions, I labored out of their New Zealand workplace for eight months, main communications in Canada remotely, earlier than we moved again to Toronto in early 2022. So at first, I used to be paid within the equal in New Zealand {dollars}, however after we moved again I used to be paid in Canadian {dollars}.
I additionally acquired the equal of 10 per cent annual in inventory choices—which was a fairly thrilling bonus. This firm is listed on the Australian inventory change and I noticed a whole lot of progress alternatives, particularly since I might have direct involvement in how effectively the corporate does in Canada. I’d establish attention-grabbing tales and narratives throughout the firm and discover methods to construct consciousness for the model. I knew that the corporate was eager on a very good work-life steadiness and that was a part of the attract for me.
In the summer time of 2022, I acquired a increase as a part of the corporate’s annual evaluation course of. They had been primarily based on efficiency—I do know of some individuals who acquired a two per cent increase, some who acquired 4 per cent and a few who didn’t get a increase in any respect. I acquired 4 per cent as a result of I used to be exceeding my outlined efficiency objectives, which landed me at my present wage of $150,800.
Best negotiation tip: Bet on your self
When I graduated from journalism faculty, I knew I needed to be a tech reporter. But when my portfolio solely had written work and no broadcast. I needed to point out that I may do each and diversify my abilities. By taking the radio job and accepting a decrease wage, I used to be betting on myself. It was much less in regards to the cash and extra in regards to the path to get to an finish consequence. In a means, I used to be reverse engineering my dream job. It’s not all the time a foul concept to simply accept a job with decrease pay, when you can afford to, if you understand you’re gaining abilities and you’ve got a plan to your subsequent steps.
Source: www.canadianbusiness.com