R&B sensation Summer Walker recently caused a stir on the internet when she posted a job announcement from her Instagram page for a personal assistant earlier this week. The problem? The full-time job is reportedly paying $2k/month.
Unsurprisingly, this drew quite the ire from social media onlookers that pointed out the disparate pay, particularly at a time when living costs are at an all-time high.
A few hours later, the “Over It” singer posted a vide response to address the backlash and subsequently defended the salary.
“If you don’t know what you’re talking about, then why are you talking about it?” she said in the video. “I really would like to know that. ‘Oh, $2K ain’t enough, $2K ain’t enough.’ How do you know if it’s not enough? I could have told somebody to come over here once a week and smell my a**hole and leave. How do you know it’s not enough? Do you know the job description? Do you know the hours?”
She continued, “I am on maternity leave, I’m not working. We have no shows, we have no club appearances, we have nowhere to go and nothing to do,” she continued. “I told somebody to come over here once a week to come take my f**king trash out, sh*t like that. Put some gas in my car, sh** I don’t feel like doing. But that is not y’all business, I don’t have to explain that to you.”
The post opened a larger conversation about salary expectations and what workers should feel entitled to ask for when wages fall well below industry standard.
For instance, according to Intuit, the average salary for a personal assistant in Atlanta Metro Area, GA is $34,500 per year. Personal assistant salaries in Atlanta Metro Area, GA can vary between $16,000 to $91,000 contingent on skill level, experience, employer, bonuses, perks and tips.
But how can you know the difference between being underpaid and ungratefulness?
“The truth is that negotiating your salary is a necessity, especially if you are underpaid,” Rachel Bitte, chief people officer at recruiting software company Jobvite said in an interview iwth Business News Daily. “Increasing your income now can change the trajectory of your future compensation, which is crucial to maximizing your earning potential throughout your career.”
But before asking for more, its important to know determine whether you have enough leverage ahead of making the request.
Along with researching online, you can consult with people in your industry, such as former coworkers and contacts on LinkedIn.
“Ask former bosses and colleagues who no longer work with you for a going rate,” said Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster shared in the same Business News Daily report. “Ask them to consider if they were to hire someone with your experience, skillset and credentials, what would the salary be?”
Then, once you have that information, it’s advised to strike when the moment calls for it.
“Don’t give up,” Bitte said to Business News Daily. “Most younger workers presume that a ‘no’ is the end of the conversation, but that’s simply not the case. It’s often unlikely your boss will give in on the first ask, so think of salary negotiations as an ongoing conversation.”