Wages
When entering a job as a graphic designer it is very important to learn how to negotiate a salary (of course if you are going into a salary-based job. The revenue for the graphic design industry is now £4.1 billion, and there are many design jobs circulating in different sectors of the industry.
Of course, you have to keep receipts on what you're capable of, and how that would benefit the company/project and then try stating your values based on that. Obviously, the achievements of the designer rely heavily on what they should be paid.
When job searching, you should also look at salary databases to set a bar on what to expect to be paid. Looking at websites such as Indeed, PayScale, Glassdoor and other varies job sites would aid in a better estimation. And then from there try to find an average for your intended area of work and see what is best to aim for, keep in mind to try looking for entry-level to mid-levels of pay in the process to get a better idea. When going through to the last stage of the interview process it’s important to state what you are looking for without appearing unreasonable. To maintain a respectful discussion is important, as well as to set boundaries on what you expect in work life, likeability is important in any interview.
Justifying your demands is important during the beginning of the interviewing process, such as pay and work flexibility, and why it is best for you to have those conditions. Always appear enthusiastic about the company, research about themselves before the interview as well. Normally, after you have your first interview when speaking about your demands, they might ask to review it with their team and then come back to you to make you an offer.
When negotiating a salary, if they are not willing to increase it any further, it’s better to then ask for outcomes such as equity and shares, as that is generally what helps build personal wealth with people in the design industry (this is more known when you are working with tech companies).
Sometimes, talking through a third party (such as a recruiter) could aid you in getting a better deal. Since recruiters will get a bigger commission if you come out with a greater salary, so they would have more experience in negotiating on your behalf. The con to this is that many companies/ studios are not fond of using recruitment agencies as they do cost more, so that in mind good to keep this mind.
Reference list
Cohen, S. (2023). How to Negotiate the Best Graphic Designer Salary – i creatives. [online] Icreatives.com. Available at: https://www.icreatives.com/iblog/decoding-design-dollars-how-to-negotiate-the-best-graphic-designer-salary/.
Malhotra, D. (2017). 15 Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2014/04/15-rules-for-negotiating-a-job-offer.
