How many times has someone told you to take whatever job at whatever rate, just to get in the door? I’ve heard this a lot. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, or because I’m relatively young. For a while I took this advice to heart. Right out of college I accepted a paid internship but earned so little that I actually spent more on my commute than I earned at the internship. I decided that the experience was worth the sacrifice and so I picked up several part time jobs to make ends meet, working 6-7 days per week. That internship eventually turned into a full time job and I was able to cut back on those part time jobs. 

A few years later I shifted the focus of my career and accepted a job that paid 14% less than the job I had. I was so interested in the work, and so grateful for the offer, and I had been of the mind that getting in the door, even at a low rate, was better than nothing. Fast forward several years and 3 promotions later. I was consistently the lowest paid employees of my peers. This is due to 2 facts: the company knew what my current role paid and how I valued my skills, and the company had limits regarding how much an employee’s salary could increase at a time. Therefore, I may have had an advantage by being an internal candidate for getting the job, but I was at a significant disadvantage when it came to salary negotiations.  

Now, when you’re fresh out of college, or in a very desperate job seeking situation, it may feel difficult to say no to any offer. And maybe, for your situation, the best decision is to take whatever is there. However, if you’re in a place to have a little patience, finding a company that values your worth fairly, and doesn’t limit your ability to grow your income overtime, could make a significant difference in your long term earning. 

In her book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg makes a point about how mothers calculate loss of pay when taking maternal leave. The superficial equation has you spending the bulk of your annual salary towards your child’s daycare costs. So why work? While this is true, it is not the full equation to consider, Sandberg says. This equation is not considering the long term effects of pausing one’s career and income. My thought is similar here: the superficial equation shows that accepting a low offer is still better than having no income. However, the full equation to consider here takes into account how accepting this low salary could inform your next salary, and the one after that. With this broader perspective, the decision to accept a low offer just to get in the door is not always the best choice.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.