Job and Pay Conditions for Sociology Graduates

Posted bySociology at WorkPosted inBlog, Career AdviceTags:, , ,
A diverse group of students sit and stand in the front row of a lecture theatre. They are dressed in graduate gowns and caps, holding up certificates in the air, smiling

Let’s discuss how sociology graduates can negotiate their pay and contract. We begin with some reflections on negotiating in the current labour market. We then explore some tips on how to negotiate applied sociology job offers.

Negotiating through disadvantage

The job market is tough globally. Artificial intelligence (AI) is clogging recruitment systems and amplifying discrimination against white women, minorities, and older people.

In this context, you might feel you are not in a strong position to negotiate, but if you can make a reasonable case, good employers will consider your merits, and generally not penalise you for trying.

I have successfully negotiated a higher starting salary at multiple stages of my career, including my first applied sociology job a year after completing my PhD.

So, what can you expect in relation to early-career roles, pay, and working conditions? And how do you negotiate realistic job opportunities? Let’s start by looking at when you might consider negotiating.

Five, young, diverse people in neat casual clothes stand against a grey brick wall. They smile and each hold a laptop, phone, or tablet.

Grounds for negotiation

Whether or not you negotiate is up to you. Your ability to successfully negotiate will depend on:

  • Sector trends: Different sectors are governed by different industry regulations, funding, and enterprise agreements. These factors determine how and when negotiations are allowed. Many small businesses and not-for-profits are constrained on the pay and conditions they offer due to lack of funding, revenue, or service clientele. This is class inequality baked into capitalism. Pay and job constraints often go all the way to the top. CEOs in not-for-profits are paid significantly less than other sectors, and may be on shorter contracts, with fewer (or nil) bonuses. Larger businesses, private industry, and government roles have larger salary bands, and greater wiggle room on flexible work arrangements, paid leave, and other workplace conditions.
  • Funding and requirements of the organisation: Some jobs may have limited funding for advertised roles. If there is a stated salary band, award, or list of entitlements on the job ad, there may be grounds for negotiation. If this information is not listed, consider contacting the organisation or you may be wasting your time by applying to a job that may not meet your expectations.
  • Your professional history and interview performance: The basis for your negotiation will hinge upon your experience (e.g. duties, performance, and number of years in relevant roles), expertise (e.g. skills, training, and achievements), and interview performance. Remember the adage: the application gets you the interview; the interview gets you the job. It’s not enough to rely on your CV and written application, nor to simply describe your potential. If you are short-listed for an interview, you will need to demonstrate your experience, translate your expertise to the advertised job in the examples you give, and evidence your impact.

Negotiation tips

Let’s now review some negotiation tips, followed by a checklist that has worked for me.

Match the sector and organisation

Make reasonable pay comparisons. Review sector, organisation, and role differences.

Right now, an entry-level position for a recent graduate in an assistant policy officer or similar role may start at $60,000 in the not-for-profit sector, versus $80,000 in local councils, and $100,000 in federal government, and potentially higher in the private sector.

You’re unlikely to be successful if you ask a small, community organisation to match the pay of a federal agency. They simply don’t have the funds. Asking organisations to match their peers in the sector is more reasonable.

Whether or not your pay negotiations will be seen as reasonable depends on how you demonstrate your experience (more below).

Research existing entitlements

Avoid haggling over established conditions. Asking for commonplace or unreasonable conditions tells the hiring committee you lack industry experience.

In Australia, flexible work and other reasonable workplace adjustments are protected by law, and stipulated in enterprise agreements for medium to large organisations.

When applying for a job, go to the organisation’s career website to find the relevant policies, to see what’s included, such as holiday leave, contract hours, and so on. Question whatever is unclear.

If you are attempting to negotiate, you should also look at the relevant award conditions. I’ve dealt with inexperienced applicants who expect a high wage when they have no industry experience, unaware that the pay they have in mind is higher than senior managers with ten years’ experience.

Give weight to organisational culture

Consider the hidden costs of the job. Research the work expectations of the sector, and the realities of the organisation.

Large institutions may offer higher pay and greater perks, but may have a poor workplace culture, such as unofficially expecting longer working hours.

You might take a look at the organisation’s social media and website to get a feel for how they treat staff and whether or not they are truly inclusive to white women and minorities. Otherwise ask the hiring panel if you can talk to another employee before you join.

  • A young Aboriginal woman and a young white woman are dressed in graduation caps, smiling, as they hold up certificates rolled up. Title: What Should Sociology Graduates Consider When Negotiating a Job Offer?
  • A South Asian woman in hijab wears a lanyard and holds a microphone. She smiles, sitting on a couch on a stage, with a presentation with graphs projected behind her. Title: Make reasonable comparisons
  • Five, young, diverse people in neat casual clothes stand against a grey brick wall. They smile and each hold a laptop, phone, or tablet. Title: Research entitlements
  • A line of young diverse volunteers stand around tressle tables set up outside a building. They wear hi-vis vests and blue tshirts, while smiling, folding clothing and stacking parcels. Title says: Weight up the workplace

How to negotiate

  • Benchmark your pay: Before the interview, understand the pay and conditions of the industry you’re applying in. Have a look at similar jobs in similar sized organisations. Some job ads don’t list the salary or award, but they may include a question in the application about your expected salary. This may be because employers are testing the market, to see the calibre of talent they attract, or potentially, they may be looking to hire at the lowest wage possible. Try WhatsTheSalary or similar websites to gauge the salary band, or write the recruiter and ask them about the pay and conditions.
  • Have a realistic, and informed figure in mind before you walk into the interview: Most employers will make you the offer after they have met with all candidates. This might be days or weeks after your interview, so expect that the offer will happen over phone, and be prepared to negotiate the pay right then. However, I’ve been in situations when the panels made the offer on the spot, during the interview. You can always ask for more time to think over the offer. Be ready to state your price.
  • Practice your interview: Your negotiation power depends on your interview performance. Use the STAR method: briefly describe the Situation (the problem or policy context); explain your Task (your objectives or responsibilities); outline the Action you took (the specific approach, methods, or skills you used); and the Result of your individual contribution (your positive and quantifiable outcome). Prepare one example for each selection criteria, using a different job, project, or volunteering role; write one short sentence for each STAR component. The stronger the example to the advertised job, the better your negotiation position. Practice these before the interview.
  • Get expert advice: If you are a recent student, visit your graduate centre. Most universities will provide free career counselling, help with writing CV and job applications, and other services. Otherwise, visit your local library, as many will have regular, free, job hunting support. If you are already in a job, most medium to large organisations have a free Employee Assistance Program, or some variation. These services are often marketed as counselling, but they also offer career advice and job coaching. These three resources will not only help you write and proofread your application, but they can also help you practice and prepare your interview. I have used the first and third options at junior and senior levels, and found them invaluable.
  • Consider the broader context of the job: A higher wage is likely to come with bigger responsibilities, and, possibly, with hidden expectations. Outside of private industry, few sectors offer ‘promotions’ or income bonuses beyond their enterprise agreements. On the one hand, a government job may provide a higher starting salary, but you will stay in the same salary band you enter, with incremental annual pay increases, according to your employer’s enterprise agreement. To move up into a higher salary band, you will have to apply for a different role. If you take this track, keep your eye on acting opportunities, secondments, and training programs, as these can provide avenues to a higher paid role in the future. On the other hand, a smaller organisation may pay less, but give you better work/ life balance. You may also have greater diversity in your role, which will help build your CV. There may be more opportunities to move up within the organisation in a shorter period of time.
  • Weigh up what the job is worth to you: It makes sense that some people would ask for more money, but they rarely consider the stress that a higher-paid job might bring. If it suits your situation, negotiating part-time hours, or job share, might be a meaningful option. Temporary contracts can also be a quick but intense way to increase your professional value. If you can weather a short-term arrangement, this can be a good sideways leap to higher pay in your next role.

That’s it for now. A future post will give tips for senior roles. In the meantime, good luck with your negotiations!

  • A row of five diverse men and one white woman job candidates sit on chairs, looking nervous as they stare at papers and tablets. Title: Job and Pay Conditions for Sociology Graduates
  • Cartoon of Black and white people shaking hands while holding folders and laptops. Title: Grounds for negotiating
  • A cartoon of a white man with a beard and glasses in a wheelchair entering an office. Already seated in the corner of a large table are two diverse women working on laptops. Title says: benchmark your pay
  • Cartoon of a white man with a beard holding a clipboard with a resume, interviewing a white woman. Title: have a figure in mind
  • Cartoon of a panel of people watching a man of colour speak animatedly with his hands. Title: Sell your worth
  • A woman of colour in a pink hijab smiles and looks at a white man, while two colleagues look on. Title: Get advice (free!)
  • Cartoon of a white woman holding a laptop, smiling, beside a white man working at a machine. They wear hard hats in a large room, with wood and tools stacked in the background. Title: Consider the broader context
  • Cartoon of an Asian man with glasses talking while seated across from a young Black man who looks at documents. They are in a large, empty office. Title: What is it worth to *you*?

Learn more

A Black girl wearing a pendant with the continent of Africa looks to the side, agaisnt an artistic mural
How to Look for Work
Drawing of a smiling woman in hijab sitting in a cafe
Writing a CV and Resume
The back of a Black man's head and shoulders. He is on a wheelchair looking at the sky
Applying for a Job

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