Reasons why a beginner UI/UX designer works on less salary, and How to charge more?
Will you apply for the job in the same company you left 5 months earlier?
When I finished my two design internships, I got a job offer from an agency. Since I was a beginner.
The salary was 5x more than the internship, so, as usual, I accepted the job offer and started to work.
But, after working for 5–6 months, I doubted that I am not getting paid fairly, and it was low compared to the market.
Anyway, I ignored my doubt and continued to work.
After one year, I got my salary raise, but the raise was not according to my expectation.
So, I left the job
After 5 months, I applied for the same job in the same company, and luckily HR called on my phone (HR was an intern, so, She didn’t know me).
I received a call from HR, and we talked casually. When she asked my expected salary, I said 8Lakh per annum.
She said we have only 6LPA of budget for this position and cut the phone.
I was feeling Dump
Because I previously worked for 1 year in that company in the same position and my salary was around 3 LPA.
Even after the salary raise, It was 4 LPA.
If you remember my chat with HR, she said their budget was 6LPA, and I worked on 3 LPA for a year in that company.
The only thing worse than making a mistake is not learning from it.
I learned from the mistake, and this article is about why beginner designers charge less and how to overcome charging less.
Before we move, always remember.
“You get paid what you negotiate, not what you deserve.” — Ran Segall
Every designer wants more salary, then why do they work less?
Reason 1: Because they don’t know how much salary they should ask for.
If you also don’t know how much you should ask for, here is a small trick I learned from an article.
When you get the call from an HR, and if he/she asks for your salary expectation instead of giving the salary range, say:
I have been talking with a few other companies. Can you tell me your budget so I can tell if it’s the right fit for me or not?
That’s it!
Bonus:
It’s essential to have a range of salaries so you can judge by yourself.
This is based on my personal experience in India. It could vary depending on your education, location, knowledge and company.
If you’re a designer with a minimum of 1 year of experience, your salary should be between 4 to 5.5LPA in hand.
If you have 2–4 years of experience, then it should be between 8–12LPA.
If you have more than 4+ years of experience, you’re a senior designer, and your salary should be more than 15+LPA.
If you are getting more than the above-mentioned salary, then it’s great. If not, then listen to one thing.
Even though I am giving you these stats, my current salary is also 5.5LPA, and my experience is 3+.
I can get a good salary but, for that, I have to leave my family & friends and move to a new place which I don’t like.
So, don’t judge yourself if you’re getting paid lower just work hard & smart.
Reason 2: Fear of losing the opportunity
It’s one of the biggest reasons for charging a low salary.
When we are new and don’t have enough opportunities, we accept the offer thinking that we will not get this opportunity again.
Don’t do it!
Just because you’re not getting a good opportunity doesn’t mean you should grab it on the lower salary.
Keep applying to as many opportunities as possible and find the right company that could pay you the right amount for your work.
Because If someone is paying you low for your work, it means they don’t value a great design and what’s the matter of working for a company that doesn’t value the design?
A small secret will help you overcome the fear of losing the opportunity.
Whenever a hiring person reaches out for a job, you instantly think that this company has many designers in the queue to work in their company.
Why would they hire me?
That’s not true. I have seen hundreds of resumes, and it is always hard to find a good designer.
If you’re a good designer, the hiring person is also pressured to hire you.
So, ask for what you deserve instead of thinking they have many designers in the queue.
Take low-paying opportunities only.
If there is any emergency situation or you don’t have any opportunity right now, move ahead with the opportunity.
Remember that something is always better than nothing.
With that, let’s see the third most prominent reason for working on less salary.
Reason 3: Lack of the confidence
I recently talked with my younger about why you are working on less salary.
Do you know what he said, “I feel like I don’t know much about UI/UX design, so it’s good to work on less salary and learn more”?
No matter how much you learn, something will always be left to learn.
The lack of confidence and self-judgement stops us from charging more.
How to know if you lack confidence and do self-judgement?
When you:
- Compare your work with others, works
- Get lost thinking about your skill and judge your skill
- When you feel confused and follow others’ advice without question.
- Don’t have enough work to show in your design portfolio
- When you don’t know any design process (design process)
If anything mentioned resonates with you, it’s time to improve your confidence. Maybe we will talk about it someday, or you ask me personally about it!
I just want to say that.
If you know to design products by understanding the requirement of the stakeholder, that’s enough.
You don’t need to know about a fancy process. You don’t need to review Airbnb.com or showcase every process in your portfolio. Just be yourself.
The summary
Being a beginner designer doesn’t mean you should ask for less salary. Learn to negotiate for your salary.
Overcome your fear of losing opportunity and build your self-confidence.
It will help you ask for more salary.
Remember, everything is just fluff. Knowing how to design a beautiful product by understanding the requirement means you are good enough.
Don’t judge yourself!
What’s next?
Connect with me on Linkedin where I talk about design hiring and UX.
Shoot your question to Rohit@khadush.com
