ROSE Blog: Rikki's Open Source Exchange

Marilyn Davidson, a professor of work psychology at Manchester Business School, wrote an excellent article about salary differences between men and women: Why XX must think like XY to earn more K

Before reading the article, you can take a little quiz to see whether your answers show more of a male or female tendency. Marilyn's article reinforces salary negotiation and assertiveness suggestions from my recent Her PR Problem article.

Based on students responses to her questions about what they expect to earn vs. what they deserve to earn, Marilyn writes, "On average the men think they deserve £10,000 more a year than the women – that's 25% more than the women think they're worth – a staggering figure."

Again we see the issue of assertiveness vs. aggressiveness. "Partly women fear being too aggressive and feisty – which can be viewed as negative in the workplace – but I think it's more complex," Marilyn writes. "It is part of our conditioning that men equate money with status and power but women see job satisfaction as more of an issue."

Okay, considering our current economy, maybe right now isn't the best time to go negotiate for a pay raise. It is the perfect time to start positioning yourself to make more money, however. Ask yourself: What skills are you bringing to your current position? How can you make yourself even more of an asset and indispensable? What do online salary surveys say about your current position, in your region of the country, with your level of experience? What additional skills and experience could you start adding to your resume?

After you've done a little more salary-negotiation homework and preparation, answer the question, "Now what do you think you deserve to earn?"

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