Are you a junior developer just starting on the rocky road of your career? Perhaps you’ve got a few years experience, but you’re not sure how much you’re worth and what should be your next move. Salary and contract types are evergreen topics especially if you’ve just started your job search and we feel there’s still a lot to add to both so you’ll be ready to tackle a couple of critical issues which don’t get mentioned so often.
When you’re changing job, it’s crucial to be informed about these two things to make sure that you’re adequately prepared for interviews and the subsequent negotiations. By not knowing your stuff could mean that you sell yourself short.
So let’s start with that old chestnut, the source of severe awkwardness and uncomfortable questions: salary.
Salary
Most of us don’t like to talk about money meaning it can be a tricky thing to negotiate in a job interview. You don’t want to go too high and risk coming across as arrogant or demanding, but at the same time, you don’t want to do yourself a disservice and go in too low.
It’s a real minefield.
To give you an idea of where you stand, let’s look at some average salaries so you can get an idea of what you’re worth. Bear in mind that it depends on the company, of course, big corporations can afford to pay more than little startups and also on location. In bigger cities such as Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, etc. salaries tend to be higher than other places.
Czech monthly salary ranges for developers:
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- Graduate / junior: 30,000 – 45,000 CZK
- 2+ years experience: 45,000 – 60,000 CZK
- 5+ years experience: 65,000 – 95,000 CZK+
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Slovak monthly salary ranges for developers:
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- Graduate / junior: 1,000 – 1,800 EUR
- 2+ years experience: 1,900 – 2,800 EUR
- 5+ years experience: 2,900 – 4,000 EUR+
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If you’re feeling a bit queasy about the whole negotiation process, it’s best to get prepared beforehand. Research the company, maybe look at similar positions they’re advertising for and get a feeling for the kind of salaries they’re looking to give.
If it’s more of a startup type company, you might be better off asking for non-financial benefits such as home office, etc. If the position is somewhat more specialized in a larger company, you might be ok asking for a bit more money. The main thing is to be clear and honest about your expectations – employers appreciate you being up front.
To avoid salary uncertainty, onTechloop employers have to provide salary information up front.
Contract
And what about the offer? Should I go full time or freelance/contracting?
If you’re starting, it might be best to get a full-time contract and then move onto contracting later. A full-time contract offers you stability, certain benefits and less paperwork to deal with which might be attractive at the start of your career.
Of course contracting has a lot of advantages too, which is why a lot of developers prefer it. It gives you the flexibility to work on other projects, you can earn more, and it’s cheaper for your employer. The trade-off is the security and protections a full-time contract gives you.
And the end of the day it comes down to what suits your situation best, so think about what’s important to you, and you can decide accordingly.
On Techloop, talents are allowed you to mark themselves as full time, part time and freelance.
So there we have it, your mini guide to negotiating your salary and contract. If you need any help with this kind of stuff, feel free to get in touch. For an easy way to get your first job in IT, along with a 500 EUR bonus once you get hired, give Techloop a try.
