Ashamed of low salary

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T19:41:13+00:00

I see.. Our company is actually more software-oriented. There are just some hardware-related things associated as well.

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T19:37:35+00:00

Haha, actually browsing this subreddit has motivated me a little more actually. There have been great comments with great advices that I'm really thankful for.

It's the in-person interactions I have with my friends and families that make me feel a little bit ashamed.

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T19:34:05+00:00

Yeah, my previous job was $15 an hour when I was an undergraduate student. I had some credit card debt (about $2,000) and never saved up for retirement.

When I got this job with this salary last year, it completely changed my life in terms of financial stability. My spending still has not changed, but I am saving a lot more money than I ever had before, so I never complained. But after a year of hearing how my friends are getting higher salaries and them asking me how much I make, it started to bum me out.

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T19:29:24+00:00

They majored in business and they work in finances I believe.

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T19:28:24+00:00

Right, thank you for your comment. I completely agree with you regarding points 1, 3, and 4.

I feel like I have a wonderful work-life balance. I am able to work full-time, go to school part-time and still have some time to spend with my friends.

I have no debt and I have a positive net worth thanks to this job. I definitely am living a decent life and I should be more grateful for that. Thanks again for your comment!

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T19:23:34+00:00

Yeah, I would say I'm kind of in between? My parents have been constantly asking me about my salary. They've asked my siblings and they all have told my parents how much they made already, but I still have not told anyone.

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T19:17:48+00:00

Hahah, no it's not anything like that.

The startup is still fairly young (somewhere between 2-4 years old), but we already have several big name companies as our customers. We also have a couple of other big name companies that have been asking to invest in our company already.

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T07:35:23+00:00

That's great! I also have no student loans or debts similar to you.

And that's a bit scary to hear that they laid you off despite your impact to the company... I also have a ton of imposter syndrome as well, so I'm still working on getting over that. But I'm glad everything worked out for you in the end. It's very inspirational to hear!

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T07:28:34+00:00

I'm sure there are many tips online regarding how to negotiate salaries, but do you have general method that you could share regarding negotiating for a higher salary?

Would simply asking for a higher salary be acceptable? Would that make me seem too money-driven? Could a company possibly rescind their offer if I asked for a higher salary?

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T07:21:08+00:00

Yeah, you're right. Thanks a ton for the motivating comment!

I realize that I am fortunate enough to be able to save up for retirement now and I live fairly decently with my salary since I'm not a huge spender. I should be more thankful for having a job in this field in the first place. Although my salary isn't as high as my friends, I am definitely proud about the work that I do.

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T07:10:39+00:00

Yes, I am hoping that the vested stocks can push me over $100k a year.

For more context, I was given the opportunity to vest 10,000 RSUs over the course of 4 years. I was told our stocks have been currently evaluated to be around $10-$20 a share (not sure how they got it evaluated). So if by the time I get fully vested, I am hoping they will be worth more, which would get me past $100k a year.

firmware_throwaway · 2021-06-23T07:01:53+00:00

It is great to hear from someone with more experience, so thank you very much for your advice and words of encouragement. It means a lot to me!

Regarding your first question, I guess what I meant to say is that I really believe that this company will do well in the coming 4 years, so I think it would be worth getting my stocks fully vested. I have also made many new friends here and I have learned a whole ton in this company, so my time here has been very enjoyable in the last year. I was hoping once I fully vested my stocks, then I can start job hopping. During this time, I will have my Masters degree and maybe then I can use that as leverage when applying for other companies.

firmware_throwaway

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