Could a salary reduction progress your career?
Before you rush to your pitchfork to hunt me down, I say this with the understanding, we all have things to pay for! I’m a proud father and husband with a mortgage, working for free is unfortunately a luxury I don’t have either. Also, there is the matter of self-worth “why should I be paid less?” and therein lies the question, “WHY should I be paid less?” a statement normally used a rhetorical question, best answered by a handful of prepared lines of support, but why aren’t you seriously considering it?
Why should I consider a salary reduction?
To help give this idea the stamp of authenticity, I am in the noble position of “practice what you preach” as earlier in my hunt for a career, I took this option. I will concede, that I personally did this in my early 20s, with no responsibilities and I wasn’t really walking away from much, but that bitter pill of “less money” still slid down like the sandpaper capsule we imagine it to. Thankfully, I can stand here today and say it was the greatest decision I ever made! Both professionally and personally, it changed my life! This is why throughout the years of doing this job, It’s shocked me how sensitive this subject can be.
Every day, people in tech will be presented with a wealth of opportunity, a change of industry, responsibility, impact, influence… the list goes on. Still, with all this potential growth, the main hurdle we normally find ourselves hitting is salary. Obviously, I’m not saying you should be taking 50% less, but in certain circumstances, 2 or 3 thousand dollars can be the difference maker between a new adventure, and the same old job you were desperate to leave 3 months ago.
The unfortunate reality is there is less money going into tech right now, big companies have seen a drop in stock price and start-ups are having to work even harder to get financial backing. It’s not unreasonable at a certain point, where a business just can’t go any further. Also, even if the business does have the available cash, all good businesses will want continuity across their team. Managers making promises to existing members of the team that they can’t get them a raise, only to see a new employee come in at the same level and make more money… Apart from the mutiny that is about to take place, do you want to work for a business that operates like that? Ask yourself honestly, in bad positions you had in the past, would have you sacrificed a few thousand of your salary to have a manager with integrity and honesty? I think most people from a long-term perspective, would see that as a good deal.
Lastly, job satisfaction!! Apart from just enjoying your work day to day, the fact of the matter is, we flourish in good environments. Being able to position yourself in a company you believe in, with a team you enjoy, whilst working towards a goal that matches your beliefs, is undeniably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Although that is still difficult to find, if you feel comfortable removing the salary aspect, you can make those points the key to your criteria and truly focus on the things that make you happy. Once you have that circumstance, the sky’s the limit!! How much easier do you think it would be to be focused and dedicated? Making yourself happier isn’t just making your life easier, it’s creating the foundations needed for success. What started out as a short-term reduction, eventually turns into your perfect circumstance for success.
It’s always difficult to get into the subject of salary, we all have our reasons we go to work and sometimes, it’s for more important things than our careers, but if you’re one of the lucky ones, someone with the freedom and flexibility to make that choice, why not take it?? I guarantee you won’t regret it.
At Adapt Talent we specialize in eCommerce Recruitment, Magento Recruitment and AI Recruitment. If you are interested in finding your perfect position, have a look at the Adapt Talent vacancies page, or contact us today.
