Summary: Should You Negotiate For Your Entry Level Sports Job?<br> Hi everybody, I’m Brian Clapp Director of Content for <a href="http://workinsports.com">WorkinSports.com</a> and this is the <a href="http://www.workinsports.com/blog/subscribe-to-the-work-in-sports-podcast/">WorkinSports podcast.</a><br> <br> As you get older you find yourself debating things in your head that you used to assume were a certainty. Your perspective changes, and you look back with more knowledge at where you once were.<br> <br> This is very true about your career and money.<a href="https://www.workinsports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/qa_cover.png"></a><br> <br> When I was in my early days I was so focused on money, thinking it was the total key to happiness. And for some it is. I’m not judging, I’m just saying I’ve come to realize being happy with what you do everyday is also extremely important.<br> <br> I’ve had jobs that paid me really well and I was miserable… and I’ve had jobs that paid me less and I loved them.<br> <br> It’s so often about the grey area in life. People on podcasts or giving personal development advice like to make everything so black and white and authoritative – but life kind of falls in the middle somewhere.<br> <br> Sure I’d like more money, but I don’t want to sacrifice my happiness to get it… and on the flip side, I’d like to be all about happiness, but I don’t want to be in the poor house either struggling to get by each day.<br> <br> Life is more nuanced than that. Anyone who thinks they have definitive answers for you… I’d question them. I feel like my job here is to share choices I’ve made as an employee and as a boss that have gone right or wrong, so we can all learn from them. I have strong opinions on things and share them often – but you still need to play an active role in the decision based on your expectations and wants…<br> <br> Which brings us to todays fan question:<br> <br> Is it frowned upon to ask for a higher salary for an entry-level position in the sports industry for someone with an advanced degree/experience? I understand pay is lower than non-sports jobs, but also know it is important to negotiate what you believe you should be compensated. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts! I really just want to work in an industry I care about but also want to make sure I am asking for a salary that aligns with my experience and education. <br> <br> James P is a student at Northwestern getting his Master's degree in Sport Administration this March…so we will now refer to him as Big Brain James.<br> <br> Big Brain James is also the first person to email his question to our new dedicated inbox – <a href="mailto:podcast@workinsports.com">podcast@workinsports.com</a> and will get a free month on our site…so BOOM for Big Brain James.<br> <br> James, I’m going to spend some time on your question… but I want you to know up front, I hate it. Talking money makes me a bit uncomfortable because everyone takes it so personally, like I’m offending them if I have a different opinion. But I’m going to do it anyway, because it’s an important situation that everyone deals with.<br> <br> Let’s start with this, Carnegie Mellon shared some data on negotiation recently:<br> <br> 93% of the women graduating from their MBA program accepted their future employers initial salary offer, while 57% of the men negotiated for a higher salary.<br> <br> The result: the men on average walked away with a salary almost $4,000 higher<br> <br> Right there you think – ok, I have to negotiate. There is my answer. Well, it’s not that simple… but let’s go down that route first and then circle back.<br> <br> First things first, negotiation isn’t always about your yearly salary, it can be things like gym memberships, relocation, extra vacation so let’s set that round rule first. Negotiation is a broad term related to you getting more than what ...
