How This Mid-30s Journalist Increased His Salary Sixfold
Want to make more cash at work? Of course you do. For our collection The Top Up, Canadians throughout completely different industries inform us precisely how a lot they earn—and the way they navigated each increase, promotion and job change to get it. Each month, a unique govt shares their journey and their greatest recommendation for how one can higher negotiate your wage, too. First up, a communications lead who works for a Toronto tech firm tells CB how he went from making lower than $30,000 to over six figures inside a decade of working full time.
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Current job title: Communications lead
Industry: Tech
Location: Toronto
First full-time job wage: $26,500 in 2015 as a radio news anchor and reporter
After I graduated from journalism college, I used to be working freelance gigs and short-term contracts as a author and editor at nationwide newspapers and news web sites. I did this for 2 years, averaging about $40,000 a yr. Then in 2015, I landed a job at an area radio station an hour exterior of Toronto, within the city the place I grew up. I used to be supplied $26,500. I requested if they may do any higher, and so they stated no, so I simply accepted it. It was a giant hit to my earnings, and I didn’t even attempt to negotiate; I knew how troublesome it was to interrupt into radio. But as a result of the job was in my hometown, I might reside with my dad and mom and save on hire. I additionally knew this job wouldn’t be one thing I stayed in long-term. I needed to get on-air expertise for my portfolio. I labored Tuesdays to Saturdays, chasing tales, doing interviews and writing scripts. From noon to early night, I anchored the news and recorded segments for six different stations within the community.
Second job wage: $50,000 in 2016 as a newspaper editor and tech reporter
The radio station was an excellent high-pressure surroundings. A newspaper editor that I had labored for on a earlier contract had converted to a different paper and was increase their expertise part. He knew I all the time had an curiosity in tech and he supplied me a job as a digital editor. I’d additionally get to write down tech articles and produce video and different multimedia, which I appreciated. They supplied $50,000, and I didn’t negotiate as a result of this job ticked all my packing containers and it doubled my wage. Plus, I knew the editor and loved working with him.
About a year-and-a-half into beginning this job, the paper had a push to unionize. Around the identical time, administration pulled me into an workplace and gave me a increase of $1,000. They didn’t say this outright, as a result of that might be unlawful, however my guess was that the increase was to persuade me to vote towards unionization. I accepted the increase—I didn’t negotiate—bringing my wage to $51,000. The paper by no means ended up unionizing.
Third job wage: $83,000 in 2018 as a senior communications affiliate at a tech firm
I all the time needed to get into the tech trade. I had constructed up a reputation and popularity for myself as a reporter, reviewing devices, going to product launches and getting unique interviews with founders. It was a very good time to attempt one thing completely different and transfer right into a communications function at a tech firm. I figured I might all the time return to journalism if it didn’t work out. Plus, the pay in journalism wasn’t nice and the job safety was questionable.
I noticed a posting for a communications affiliate function at a significant U.S. tech firm’s Canadian workplace. I already knew their head of communications and reached out to him concerning the place. I utilized formally, however I feel my connection helped me get the job. They supplied me $79,000. There was no wage vary listed and I didn’t poke round or ask others for an trade common. I form of simply examined the water since by that stage in my profession I had discovered that it is best to all the time attempt to negotiate your wage. So I took a stab at it: I requested for $85,000. I felt extra assured negotiating at this level since I had work expertise behind me. I figured they weren’t going to say “No, we don’t want you anymore.” We settled at $83,000. I used to be in command of communications for the patron portfolio, which means I’d write bulletins about new app options, for instance. I had an incredible boss, and I acquired a crash course in communications.
After I used to be there for about 4 months, some individuals left the corporate and others acquired promotions, so I used to be promoted to communications lead for Canada. That function concerned figuring out alternatives within the business that I believed tech journalists would care about, then working with a PR company to get the phrase out and land protection. The promotion got here with a increase of $3,000. I simply took it and didn’t negotiate. I took on much more work for not a ton extra money, however I had a supportive supervisor who trusted me. Plus, it will’ve taken me a long time to earn a wage like that in journalism.
Third job wage: $90,000 in 2020 as a senior media advisor for a transportation authority
My spouse is from New Zealand. By early 2020, we had lived collectively in Canada for about 4 years and thought we’d attempt dwelling in New Zealand to see the place we needed to settle ultimately. We moved there in January 2020, then acquired married a month later. I used to be lucky to line up work earlier than we left Canada.
After working in tech, I needed to attempt the general public sector. I labored for the transportation authority of a significant metropolis in New Zealand. They lined transit, sidewalks, parking, roadways, bike trails—something associated to motion. I utilized for a task as a communications affiliate.
I highballed my wage expectations to NZ$110,000, the equal of about CAD$90,000, which was greater than they anticipated for a public-sector gig. But they had been tremendous eager to rent me based mostly on my expertise. So they bumped up my title to a senior communications function in order that I’d qualify for a better pay band.
In this job, I wrote press releases and managed questions from the media, chasing solutions for them throughout the group. Anything with the general public sector strikes at a little bit of a slower tempo, particularly in comparison with a tech start-up. I really discovered it a bit boring at instances, particularly since I used to be used to the fast-paced nature of newsrooms. But I did take pleasure in shifting into “crisis comms” mode, like when Covid lockdowns hit. I supplied strategic counsel to the top of communications and the CEO utilizing my prior newsroom expertise to allow them to know the way a journalist may suppose.
After a yr in New Zealand, my spouse and I made a decision that we needed to reside there completely. But we felt like we weren’t finished with Canada but. So we figured, earlier than we settled down and had youngsters, we’d do another stint in Toronto.
Fourth job wage: $147,000 in 2021 as a nationwide communications lead at a tech firm—with 10 per cent in fairness
In early 2021, I got here throughout a job opening for a tech firm based mostly in New Zealand. They had circled Canada as a precedence market and had been hiring somebody to guide communications right here. It felt just like the Venn diagram of my previous experiences lined up for this job. I used to be employed within the spring of 2021.
I gave them a variety of $140,000 to $160,000 and so they supplied $147,000. I took their provide since they stated that was as a lot wiggle room as that they had. I actually needed to work on the firm.
Because of Covid journey restrictions, I labored out of their New Zealand workplace for eight months, main communications in Canada remotely, earlier than we moved again to Toronto in early 2022. So at first, I used to be paid within the equal in New Zealand {dollars}, however after we moved again I used to be paid in Canadian {dollars}.
I additionally acquired the equal of 10 per cent annual in inventory choices—which was a fairly thrilling bonus. This firm is listed on the Australian inventory trade and I noticed loads of development alternatives, particularly since I’d have direct involvement in how nicely the corporate does in Canada. I’d establish attention-grabbing tales and narratives throughout the firm and discover methods to construct consciousness for the model. I knew that the corporate was eager on a very good work-life stability and that was a part of the attract for me.
In the summer season of 2022, I acquired a increase as a part of the corporate’s annual overview course of. They had been based mostly on efficiency—I do know of some individuals who acquired a two per cent increase, some who acquired 4 per cent and a few who didn’t get a increase in any respect. I acquired 4 per cent as a result of I used to be exceeding my outlined efficiency objectives, which landed me at my present wage of $150,800.
Best negotiation tip: Bet on your self
When I graduated from journalism college, I knew I needed to be a tech reporter. But when my portfolio solely had written work and no broadcast. I needed to indicate that I might do each and diversify my abilities. By taking the radio job and accepting a decrease wage, I used to be betting on myself. It was much less concerning the cash and extra concerning the path to get to an finish outcome. In a approach, I used to be reverse engineering my dream job. It’s not all the time a foul thought to just accept a job with decrease pay, in the event you can afford to, if you recognize you’re gaining abilities and you’ve got a plan to your subsequent steps.
