Hello, I’m a Junior TM in a talent agency and I’ve got my bi-annual review in a few weeks and I believe I am worth a pay increase. I work incredibly hard and am usually the one the team calls upon to help with last minute projects. I’ve spoken to my friends in other marketing agencies and many of them are on higher wage brackets than me (similar levels, mostly the same size companies).
I am finding it harder to live month-by-month and believe that I should be on a salary more aligned with my peers and which allows me to live, not just get by. Please help!
Firstly, don’t make the mistake of turning your salary review into a conversation about what your friends earn. Your agency isn’t responsible for matching someone else’s pay packet – they’re responsible for paying you fairly for the value you bring.
Instead, go into the meeting armed with evidence. Be ready to demonstrate how you’ve gone above and beyond your job description, the responsibility you’ve taken on, the relationships you’ve built, the revenue you’ve influenced and why you’re becoming increasingly valuable to the business. If you’re regularly the person colleagues turn to when deadlines are tight or projects are at risk, that’s worth highlighting because reliability has commercial value.
That said, it’s also important to recognise the reality many agencies are facing. Margins remain tight across much of the creator economy, and even if your manager agrees you’re worth more, the budget may not immediately allow for it. If that’s the case, ask what specific milestones or objectives you would need to achieve for a salary increase to happen, and agree a timeframe to revisit the conversation rather than leaving with vague promises. Consequentially, this is why most agencies only really explore – and action – remuneration packages around annual reviews (not the six month one you have said you’ve got approaching).
Finally, remember that loyalty works both ways. If you’re consistently delivering above your level and your agency values what you do, they should want to invest in keeping you. If they don’t, then at least you’ll have clarity – and that’s often just as valuable as the pay rise itself.
Got a career dilemma of your own? Send it to the Talent Times Agony Aunt – all questions are completely anonymous.
