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Salary Story: I Negotiated A 100k Salary But Felt Like I Didn’t Deserve It

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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: 37
Location: London
Current industry and job title: Senior producer in tech
Current salary: £425 a day, equivalent to ~£110,000 a year
Number of years employed since school or university: 15
Starting salary: £21,000 in 2008
Biggest salary jump: £65,000 to £100,000 in 2019
Biggest salary drop: I've never taken a drop but may have to if my current contract goes permanent. I'm waiting to find out.
Biggest negotiation regret: Even though it technically worked out, actually asking for such a high pay rise contributed to my severe imposter syndrome. I felt I didn’t deserve £100,000.
Best salary advice: This is advice I give myself and didn’t learn it from elsewhere: Just ask for a big number because then the company thinks you’re worth it. It helps in the long run.
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