The tech industry is among the most progressive ones, with minimum gender bias and inequality. It has a fair share of female coders, developers, testers, and support professionals. As a woman in tech, you can rest assured about securing the best opportunities and equitable salaries. Big firms like Apple, Amazon, and Google go the extra mile to create a positive work environment for women professionals. But you must still understand the basics of salary negotiations to seal the best deals. Here is some valuable advice that women in tech can rely on.
Fine-tune your thinking
Your mindset is the only thing that can stand in the way of a dream salary as a tech professional. Steer clear of thinking about gender bias because the industry has none. A positive mindset sets you up for success with salary negotiations, so embrace it from the outset. The best to cultivate it is by focusing on your skills, strengths, and unique contributions to your previous jobs and academic projects.
Invest time and effort in research
Good research is the mainstay of successful salary negotiations because it empowers you with information about your worth as a professional. Understand the prevailing pay rates for your role, skillset, and location, as these factors determine your actual value. You can get volumes of information online from sites like Glassdoor and Payscale. Go specific with organization-wise searches, with research keywords like How to negotiate job offer from amazon if you have one from the company. You can connect with employees working for the same company to get facts from ground zero.
Showcase skills beyond tech
As a woman in tech, you may have to break the glass ceiling with some employers because anomalies are there. You can do it successfully by showcasing skills beyond programming languages, software testing, and hardware support. Women are inherently good with interpersonal skills like communication, networking, organizational abilities, and empathy. You can even do a course in communication skills to highlight it on your resume. Leverage them during your salary negotiations for the best outcomes.
Prioritize a growth mindset
Another valuable piece of advice women tech professionals must follow while negotiating job offers is to prioritize a growth mindset. Never settle for less only because you are a mom and have a family to look after. Men bear parental responsibilities, yet they give their best as professionals. Keep your expected growth trajectory in mind, and do not let your gender affect it while closing salary offers.
Master the negotiation game
Salary negotiation is an art you master over time, provided you are committed to learning and improving. Learn the lessons at the beginning of your career and remember them for a lifetime as you switch jobs down the line. You will probably encounter challenges being a woman, but confidence and conviction can help you ace the salary talk like your male counterparts.
Countless women tech professionals have inspiring success stories, so you need not worry about settling for less. Follow these simple tips to win the negotiation game.