Salary Story: Getting Fired Brought Me Closer To My Dream Job
In our series Salary Stories, women with long-term career experience open up about the most intimate details of their jobs: compensation. It’s an honest look at how real people navigate the complicated world of negotiating, raises, promotions and job loss, with the hope it will give young women more insight into how to advocate for themselves — and maybe take a few risks along the way.
Been in the workforce for at least five years and interested in contributing your salary story? Submit your information here.Published stories receive £100.
Age: 25 Location: Norwich Current industry and job title: Oil and gas company, contracts specialist Current salary: £32,000 Number of years employed since school or university: Two
Starting salary: £21,000 in 2021 Biggest salary jump: From £21,500 to £32,000 in 2022 Biggest salary drop: From £24,000 to £21,000 in 2022
Biggest negotiation regret: When I interviewed for my current job, I stated that I would not take less than £30k. When I was offered the job at £32k I was so shocked and happy, I did not negotiate further. I am now more aware of the industry standard for the job, I believe I could have started at a higher wage.
Best salary advice: Know your worth. I stayed at jobs where I was treated horrendously, was pushed to work crazy hours, all while being practically on minimum wage. I was burnt out, frustrated and put off an entire industry due to one negative job. Now I know that I was worth more than that role, and that somewhere else will value my ethic and worth, and I wish I hadn’t stayed put, thinking this was normal. There is nothing normal about crying at work.
I started off working as a student ambassador for the student accommodation I was staying in. The building manager quit and I quickly began working practically full time Monday to Friday while they interviewed replacements. This was a big step and at the time, a lot of responsibility. I worked full time for about four months, then dropped to an evening receptionist on 50p more than minimum wage. I left the role when I moved home in April due to COVID-19.Once I had completed my degree and post-grad, I got a temporary job as an admin assistant at a social housing company while someone was on maternity leave. This job was mostly remote and was very isolating. But at the time, it was above minimum wage and I relished being paid weekly. I took this time to interview elsewhere while enjoying having spending money. I got this paralegal role as a result of failing to obtain a legal training contract at a law firm. It was a massive jump in responsibility, and despite not having overtime, I clocked around 50–60 hours a week on £22,000 a year. It was a very toxic environment, but at the time I didn’t know this was not normal. After six months of late nights, burnout and tears, I was told I had not passed my probation in a horrid Teams call with the partner. When asked why, he stated I should stop asking and just accept my fate. This was a very dark moment for myself, and I felt I had failed in my career before it had really started. I contacted the agency I had used previously and was asked to fill in as an admin assistant for a local university on £24,000 a year pro rata. This job was very easy, and the staff were lovely, which was much needed. I obtained a new job a week into this role, but ended up working at this current role for around six weeks before starting my new role.I started a new role in a different industry (an insurance company), taking a slight pay cut to £21,000. This job was amazing. I had great colleagues, supportive managers, and lots of responsibility. However, I knew this was not for me. The career trajectory was practically non-existent, turnover was high, and the work, after six months or so, became really mundane. I was given a £500 raise due to the cost-of-living crisis. At the time I was given this raise, I was outperforming all within my team, and when I discovered others were given greater raises, I knew it was time to move on. I was having to go into my savings every month to get by, and the work was not rewarding enough to make up for it.I was approached by a recruiter on LinkedIn for a role as a contracts specialist, and decided I had nothing to lose by interviewing. I boldly stated I would not take anything less than £30,000, with the thought we would meet in the middle at around £25,000. When I got offered the job at £32,000 I was over the moon. The job, although in an entirely new industry, was very similar to my paralegal role — although less toxic. I interact with lawyers on an everyday basis, draft contracts and negotiate rates. It’s a great job, I leave at 5 p.m. sharp, and I am so happy that I was fired from my previous role, as otherwise I would have never stumbled into this role. I am now staying put, building my experience, self-worth and knowledge, with the hope of one day qualifying in-house as a solicitor.
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