There aren’t many of us out there who would refuse a pay rise at work if we were offered one, right? That day where your boss just tells you they like the work you do or they want to promote you and you will be paid more money as a result. In an ideal world, that would happen on a regular basis and you would never feel like you had to ask for a higher salary.

In the real world, however, negotiating your salary is a part of your work life. A pay rise, or the salary you hope to be offered when being awarded the job at interview is not necessarily just going to fall into your lap.

Lots of us want to negotiate our salaries or negotiate a pay rise but we either don’t know where to start or we are just afraid of asking. This can be especially true when you are in a part time job. Some of you might feel that you are not in a position to negotiate your wages because you are not a full time member of staff.

All staff, whether part time or full time, should be paid a wage that matches their worth and when it comes to asking for salary increases there are lots of tips you can follow so that you can make sure you are getting it right.

So, let’s take a look at some tips for negotiating an increase in your salary for your part time job. Because there are right and wrong ways to go about this and the approach you take can be the difference between a pay rise or not.

Know You Have A Value In Your Workplace

Negotiating your salary is about being paid what you think you are worth – because you are worth something. Your wage is not a gift given to you by your company with nothing expected in return. It is payment for work you have done and that payment needs to be fair. It ought to reflect your skills and commitment to your role and the benefits you bring to the company.

If you are at the job interview stage and you are offered the part time job, that means the interviewer thinks you are the right person for the role and they want you as part of their team. This puts you in a position to be able to ask about salary.

If you are applying for a part time role that has a set hourly wage that increases as you get more experience and training, don’t be afraid to tell the interviewer about any experience you have that could take you up to the next wage level.

If your new employer is someone who values staff development and who is looking to identify future leaders, they will respect the fact that you respect your skill set and what you have to offer. You might find that they are very open to negotiation.

Don’t Stay Silent

Whether at interview or once you have been in your part time job for a while, employers often expect you to negotiate with them or at least approach them about pay increases and promotions.

Don’t stay silent, expecting your employer to just hand you a pay rise one day. There are lots of people in part time work out there who decide to move on to other roles with different companies because they want better pay or more prospects for promotion. In fact, if they had discussed the matter with their previous employer, they could have perhaps avoided having to uproot because that employer might have been more than willing to consider a pay rise or promotion.

Of course, your employers might simply not have the funds or the room for promotion and in these cases, if you ask about pay increases and this is explained to you, then you can choose whether or not to remain in your current role.

Know The Company And Sell Yourself

So, you have decided to be assertive by trying to negotiate a pay rise. Now you have jumped that hurdle, you need to know how to go about negotiating that salary increase. Simply asking for one is, very often, not going to be enough. Your request needs to be structured and you need to give your boss a good reason to want to increase your salary.

This is where you need to do your homework.What are other people in similar roles being paid at other companies? Research the company you are working for and know their future plans. How can you contribute to those future plans and help to drive the success of the company?

Your employer will most likely not appreciate you asking for figures plucked out of thin air so you must be able to give valid reasons. If you sell yourself well enough, your employer will not want to lose you to other companies and you could find yourself with the wage you were looking for.

Your Previous Roles Are Irrelevant

It might be tempting, when negotiating your wage in your part time job, to start explaining to your employers how you earned x amount of pounds with a previous company where you did a similar role.

Try to avoid this as a negotiation tool. Other companies are irrelevant. The company you are working for now might have a completely different culture and different aims. If you are working for an SME or a start up, also be aware that this firm might not be in a position to match that previous salary.

Don’t forget, when negotiating your salary, it doesn’t necessarily need to be purely financial benefits you are aiming for. You are working part time for a reason and you could bring some of these factors into the negotiation.

Try Asking For A Larger Salary Than You Want

Always remember, you are not just asking for a larger salary. Your are trying to negotiate a larger salary.

If you have ever been in a shopping situation – in some of the bazaars abroad, for example – you might have tried haggling; negotiating the price down for an item you really like. The trick there is to start at a price where you know you haven’t got much chance of succeeding. Eventually, you meet in the middle and come to an agreed price with the trader.

Negotiating your wage in your part time job can be a similar process, except, this time, you are starting at the high end. Your employer will often be expecting a negotiation and they will come back with a counter offer. You can decide whether that offer is suitable for you and either accept it or try for a bit more.

And you never know, your employer could be so impressed with your negotiation skills that they offer you your requested pay rise. You could even be approached to do other roles within the company that make use of your negotiation skills and the fact that you have been proactive in trying to grow within the company.

Is It Just An Increase In Salary That You Are Looking For?

As mentioned above, when you are trying to negotiate your salary, there could be a genuine reason why your employer can’t offer you an increase – the most obvious reason being that they simply haven’t got the budget.

However, there could be other options that you might want to suggest – or your employer might suggest some alternatives, too. These alternatives you might want to consider could be more flexible working hours, the ability to work from home on occasion, working during school term time, study leave or getting funding for exams that will help you further your career with the company.

People work part time hours for a whole host of reasons and you might be able to leverage your situation in your negotiations.

Take Your Employer’s Suggestions On Board

When you try to negotiate your salary in your part time job, your employer might tell you that a pay rise could be possible a bit further down the line. If this is the reply you are given, take this on board and ask about what you could do in the meantime to earn the pay rise.

If you are new to the company, your employer might want you to have a settling in period. They want to make sure both you and they are happy with the arrangement.

Some employers might want you to build up a bit of experience first; getting to know the different departments of the company and how they work. Or it might be suggested that you take on some formal training offered by the workplace.

Whatever the case, take these tips on board and you can try again in the future for your increase in pay.

Have You Ever Tried To Negotiate Your Salary?

Have you ever tried to negotiate your salary in your part time job? Was it successful? These are just a few tips you can take on board when you next try to negotiate your salary.

If you have been successful in interview, there is no need to be afraid to ask about salary increases or other benefits as long as you do your homework and your request is reasonable. A reputable employer will appreciate that your request is valid.

If you are in a part time job where you feel there is no room for further professional growth or for salary increases, then you can either remain in your current role and accept this is the case (after all, there could be other benefits to your job) or you can decide that now is the time to move on.

If you decide to move on, take a look at our advice for handing in your notice and begin your search for a new part time job.

In the meantime, good luck with the salary negotiations!