在美國的學校就業輔導組就已經教過這件事了，不過今天正好看到 careerbuilder 的這篇文章，簡單的翻譯一下:

起薪低的第一份工作是否會影響一生賺的錢？

如果你最近剛畢業，一面擔心你就學貸款，一面聽到就業市場的壞消息，那麼你可能會想要接受一份擺在面前的低薪工作。但是許多財務規劃專家並不建議你這麼做，因為一開始工作就領低薪可能會造成漣漪效應。照理說，有錢賺總比沒錢賺好，不是嗎？所以到底職場新鮮人到底該怎麼辦呢？

低薪工作的長期風險

選擇一份低薪的工作帶來許多潛在的財務風險，未來的加薪和紅利往往是依照本薪的比例來計算，所以一開始只差一點點，長期下來的複利效應卻不小。最近一份由 George Mason 大學和 Temple 大學的研究估計，職涯初期薪水差 $5,000，最終在四十年的職涯中總共可能所賺的錢可能少了 $600,000。

The long-term risk of a low-paying first job
Taking a lower-paying job poses some potential financial risks. Raises and bonuses typically are given as a percentage of salary, so what starts out as a small difference can be compounded over a long professional career. A recent study conducted by George Mason University and Temple University estimates that a difference of $5,000 early in your career can end up costing you as much as $600,000 over 40 years of employment.

然而，這假設你在同一間公司工作一輩子，在現在可能不太會發生。有些人會先接受低薪，知道他們不會在這家公司待太久，並希望下一份工作可以補回差額。不幸的是，這個策略是有問題的。許多雇主會問你原本的薪水多少，並依此調整。所以如果你原本的薪水就不高，在往後的職涯可能也仍會影響到換工作時的薪水。

However, this assumes that you stay at the same company, something that has become less common. Some workers may take a smaller paycheck, knowing that they won’t be sticking around too long and hoping their next job will make up the difference. Unfortunately, this strategy is flawed. Many employers will take a prospective employee’s previous salary into consideration when making a job offer. This is why taking a slightly lower salary from the get-go could result in earning lower salaries throughout your career.

如何拿到自己應得的薪資

當然，有賺錢，即使不如期望高，仍然比失業要好。關鍵是知道自己的身價多少並且知道如何談判。許多線上的資源可以幫助你評估這個職位應得的薪水，例如 CBSalary.com 或是美國勞工局的薪資統計。同時也要考量同業其他人的薪水、以及公司的大小。

How you can get the salary you’re worth
Of course, making some money, even if it’s less than desired, is better than remaining unemployed. The trick is to know what you’re worth and how to negotiate. Many online resources can help you evaluate how much to expect for certain positions, such as CBSalary.com or the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. Consider factors such as how much others in your field are making and the size of the company at which you’re applying.

另外，別把談判當作是一次性的。記下自己替為公司帶來的價值，因為在談加薪或是找新工作時這些是很重要的資訊。低起薪的工作可能會在一開始影響到你的收入，但如果使用了正確的資源你仍可能扭轉這個小小的挫敗。

And don’t think of negotiation as a one-time deal. Keep track of the ways in which you add value to your company, as this will be powerful information when negotiating raises with your current company or salary with prospective employers. A lower-paying job can hurt your earnings initially, but it is a setback that you can overcome with the right resources.

原文連結: Can taking a low-paying first job affect your lifetime earnings?

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