Age: 34 now (31 at the time)

Industry: Creative production

Your role then and now (before and after negotiating): Executive assistant to head of culture and studio operations

Length of time in industry: 4 years

Location: London

Salary jump: £20,000

Any additional benefits: n/a

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

After four years it was clear that I had outgrown my role somewhat. I was responsible for delivering multiple projects and initiatives well beyond my original scope. I was ready for more responsibility and keen to have a broader impact across the business and on our working practices.

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

No. I’d been fortunate to have received pay rises in the past but had always just accepted and been very grateful for whatever I had been given.

What preparation did you do beforehand? 

I went through a process to help me feel prepared and confident in my negotiation. It included:

1. Research: I came prepared with specific examples of the value I brought to the organisation, the initiatives and projects I had led and the impact they had had on the business, with plenty of evidence and examples to back this up. I conducted market research into possible roles and appropriate salaries for my level of experience.

2. Interests: I considered the interests of my manager and thought about how my promotion would make both them and the business look good. I thought about what the benefits to me taking on more responsibility would be and the impact I could have in this new role, and I came prepared to discuss this.

3. Options: I had some other creative solutions up my sleeve in case they said no, which included a bonus scheme.

4. Rapport and empathy: I knew that, above all else, protecting the relationship between me and my manager was of utmost importance, so I sought to create a positive tone from the start. A question I asked myself when preparing was: “How can I be hard on the problem but soft on the person?” Thankfully the conversation went really well and I had an amazing manager who was hugely supportive and encouraging.

I also used visualisation meditations to help me mentally rehearse the conversation.

What reasons did you give for a promotion and pay rise?

In my role, I had a broad remit that was responsible for enhancing the efficiency of my executive and the business as a whole, ensuring we were continually pushing the boundaries of creative excellence and delivering our strategic growth targets. I’d designed and implemented several new ‘people policies’ and processes at both a local and global level and delivered multiple talent initiatives that led to the acquisition and retention of high-performing talent in the business.

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

I suggested that if my salary expectations couldn’t be met, could we discuss the possibility of a bonus scheme.

What was the scariest part of the process?

Waiting for it to be approved at a ‘corporate’ level. I knew my boss supported and championed me and was hugely appreciative of all the great work I was doing, but I was also very aware that he wasn’t the final decision-maker.

How long did the process take?

It took about three months in total for it to be approved and implemented officially.

Would you do anything differently this time?

I was really proud of myself for having the courage and the confidence to communicate my worth and what I knew I deserved and had worked extremely hard for. The only thing I would do differently next time is not wait so long to have this type of conversation and talk it through with my coach, which is an amazing way to prepare for any negotiation.

Lauren Parmar is now a a qualified coach, meditation teacher and founder of MOOD LDN.

Images: Getty