Career Chat: Salary Information
by the Career Services Department at Laurus College
“Career Chat” brings you the latest topics from the Career Chat forum in Purple Briefcase, the exciting new Job Search Portal provided to all Laurus College students and alumni.
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Q: How do I know what salary to ask for?
This is a very common question that both recent graduates and experienced professionals struggle with. While the amount of related work experience will impact the salary at which an individual can reasonably expect to start, that still leaves the matter of determining what the actual salary range is for your career field (and what that range is in the geographic area you live in). Here are three tips that can help you determine the salary range for your career field:
1. Start with Purple Briefcase. Under the ‘My Links’ tab in Purple Briefcase, you’ll find a ‘Salary Information’ icon. This is a great resource that features links to several online tools. If you were to research Web Design salaries you could quickly discover that the National Annual Salary range is $38k to $81k, while in San Francisco it is $45k to $90k (according to glassdoor.com). That’s a very wide range, but it does help with establishing a starting point for your research. In order to use these tools with a degree like Business, it’s recommended that you choose more specialized disciplines within that scope (i.e. Marketing, Human Resources, etc.) and then conduct your research accordingly.
2. Review Job Descriptions. Using the ‘Job Board’ icon in Purple Briefcase, pull up job descriptions for similar positions that you’re qualified for (education and experience). Many of these job postings will include a salary or salary range. For instance, if you were to look up Medical Billing and Coding jobs in San Luis Obispo, there is currently a posting for a ‘Medical Billing Account Manager’ with an hourly range of $16-20 (posted on indeed.com). Craigslist.org is also a great job board to use, and often times features job openings with small and medium-sized businesses that you can’t find on other job boards.
3. Begin Networking. Get on LinkedIn and meet other professionals in your career field by joining discussion groups. For example, 3D Animation is still a fairly new field and there is limited salary information available on the full range of professions that exist within the industry. Connecting through discussion groups is a great way to ask other 3D Animation professionals about how they approached salary negotiation. LinkedIn groups can also be extremely helpful if you’re entering into a career field that’s experiencing rapid growth and change, such as Information Technology (IT), in order to learn more about the latest positions emerging within the field and what skills employers are looking for.
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For information please contact the Laurus College Career Services Department.