As a graphic designer, it may sometimes feel intimidating to ask for more money; most art schools don’t provide the salary negotiation tips and workshops that are standard in many other fields. Whether you are freelance designing or working full time at an agency or corporation, you do have the right to ask for more money. However, it’s important that you be fully prepared before starting negotiations.
RESEARCH
As with any major endeavor, it’s important to know exactly what you are getting into. When coming to the conclusion that you are going to make a salary negotiation, you must do a full “background check” before going in for that meeting. Determine the average salary for a graphic designer in your area by consulting salary guides and recruiting services. Then, determine the financial health of the company you are trying to get more money from. If there have been recent layoffs, budget cuts, or hiring freezes, you may not have a very good chance of getting the increase that you are looking for.
Know Your Worth
This may seem obvious, but it is worth mentioning. Have a full breakdown of all of the work that you have done. Make sure that you have a full understanding of what your past work experience is worth. Also, have a running tally of all work that you’ve done for your current employer. Figure out what that work has been worth to the company.
Questions to ask yourself include:
- Have I helped to generate new business?
- Have I helped to increase visibility for the company?
- Have I created any new processes or procedures?
Practice, Practice, & Practice Once More
Running through what you are going to say is an integral part of the preparation period. Be sure to rehearse what you are going to say as your opening statements to the argument for more money. But also, be sure to rehearse responses to potential rebuttals as well. Negotiations are high stress situations, and you want to make sure you aren’t blindsided during the actual discussion.
To see the article that inspired this post, click here.