You may have taken the survey, but if you haven’t would you please do so? And help spread the word? I’m hoping for a big turn out this year. Here’s the link: http://sgiz.mobi/s3/The-Planner-Survey-2011
According to a post by Farrah Bostic this week, here’s why you should participate:
Greater transparency into salaries by position, experience, region, size of agency, etc. help us better negotiate for our salaries. It helps us figure out what the high and low ends are and therefore gives us leverage: we know what the agencies are willing to pay, and we can start the salary discussion from a better educated, and therefore more advantageous position. TRUE TESTIMONIAL: I used the survey to negotiate my last salary – it worked, and it worked to my advantage. I wouldn’t have had the guts to ask for that salary otherwise.
It also helps us see where the discrepancies are – do men and women make the same amount? Are more senior planners at smaller agencies under-valued compared to their colleagues at big agencies, or vice versa? What do we gain or give up in making the choice to take certain roles, in certain cities, at certain agencies?
Sunshine, as they say, is the best disinfectant. The more we know about how much and how hard we work, how we’re paid, what our benefits are like, where the opportunities for career growth are, and so on, the brighter the light shines on agency practices, and hopefully encourages them to behave better.
I appreciate you taking the time to fill in the survey. And if you ever need anything from me, twitter is the best way to reach me.
Heather LeFevre 