Age: 26

Industry: PR

Your role then and now (before and after negotiating): Senior account executive

Length of time in industry: 3 years

Location: London

Salary jump: £7,500 per annum

Any additional benefits: No

How did you decide it was time to make a change? 

While there’s a company policy against discussing salaries, a colleague who had a similar amount of experience to me happened to mention her annual salary. This led to the realisation that I was being significantly underpaid for doing the exact same role.

Have you ever negotiated a promotion, title change or pay rise before? 

No, it was my first time.

What preparation did you do beforehand? 

I researched average salary bands in the industry and created a portfolio of highlights that included coverage, ROI proof points, award wins and positive feedback from colleagues, clients and journalists.

What reasons did you give for a pay rise? 

I referenced my experience and time in the industry, portfolio of work and all of the industry research I’d conducted ahead of the interview, as well as the fact that I knew I was being paid less than a colleague doing the same job and with a very similar background to mine.

Did you have a contingency plan if your request wasn’t met? 

No, but I knew that if they weren’t prepared to negotiate, they didn’t value me, and my only option would be to start looking for another job.

What was the scariest part of the process? 

Starting the conversation. Having to put a figure on your worth is terrifying.

How long did the process take? 

Surprisingly quick – it was a half-hour conversation with the MD of my company, after which he said he’d see what he could do. A week later I got an email confirming the salary increase in writing.

Would you do anything differently this time? 

I wouldn’t mention that I had discussed salaries with a colleague beforehand. I got into a huge amount of trouble for admitting this as it’s against company policy. While it was true and definitely not fair, I should have just focused on my skillset and the benefits I was bringing to the company as opposed to why my salary wasn’t in the same league as a colleague. But that said, if I hadn’t mentioned it, maybe the outcome would have been different.

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