Talking about money is still an uncomfortable or embarrassing topic for many. Despite this, these conversations must be had more than once in a lifetime. Salary expectations are asked when applying for a new job, requesting a raise, and sometimes they are required to be noted in your CV or cover letter.
Everyone wants to earn more than they currently do. Some want a little more, others half as much again. However, when determining salary expectations, it’s important to stay within realistic bounds and not to state a utopian figure. An overly high salary expectation might result in you being eliminated from the recruitment process in favor of candidates whose expectations the employer can meet.
To determine your salary expectation, you should consider work experience, average salary in your position, assess your competitiveness, and previous experience. Our CV.ee team has gathered the following tips to help you determine your salary expectations:
Tips to figure out your salary expectation
- Consider your years of experience. If you are an experienced worker, you can ask for more. If you are a beginner specialist, take this into account when setting your salary expectations.
- Review the salary information from Statistics Estonia: https://palgad.stat.ee. There you will find the average gross salary for your position and in your county. The average gross salary for your position provides a good indication of what a realistic salary for your role is.
- Critically assess your competitiveness: Do you have skills that are highly valued in the job market? For example, good language skills or knowledge of programs that are in short supply? If you have valuable skills, definitely take this into account when setting your salary expectations.
- Try to find out how competitive your desired position is. If there is a shortage of people in that position, you can ask for more. If there is a long queue and competition is fierce, then ask for less rather than more.
- Critically evaluate the field of the company you are applying to. If the company is well-known and successful, consider this when setting your salary expectations. If the company is a non-profit or has a social value, it’s not worth noting a very high salary expectation, as the employer operates in the market with a different goal than making a large profit.
The CV.ee website has a separate field for your salary expectation when creating your CV. Indicate your salary expectation in your CV to let employers know what salary you wish to receive.
