There's social norms that make many people feel uncomfortable talking about money. One of the big ones being jealously. Either you being jealous of other people's success, or vice-versa.
Be sheer luck, when I entered the tech workforce some 30 years ago, I developed a close group of friends, also in tech, and we would be open about our compensation and help each other with negotiation. I cannot overstate how valuable each of us have found that.
There's two big reasons: First, starting a new job (or sometimes asking for a raise) is a big life change. There's a big emotional element & it's hard to be rational. Having people you trust who have your best interest at heart but do not have their thoughts clouded by emotion is huge.
Second, negotiating is hard for most people, especially if you don't have much experience in it. Talking strategy & approach as a group gives everyone more experience, and there's the added benefit you guy in knowing you're not crazy. You're less likely to have doubt & more likely to stick to your guns.
Throughout the years, each of has leapfrogged each other multiple times. The guy making the least suddenly becomes the guy making the most. When that happens pretty much everyone is happy/excited. The general view is "hey, now we now there's more out there!" The realization is that it's not us against each other, but us against everyone else. The more the group collectively makes, the better.
There's social norms that make many people feel uncomfortable talking about money. One of the big ones being jealously. Either you being jealous of other people's success, or vice-versa.
Be sheer luck, when I entered the tech workforce some 30 years ago, I developed a close group of friends, also in tech, and we would be open about our compensation and help each other with negotiation. I cannot overstate how valuable each of us have found that.
There's two big reasons: First, starting a new job (or sometimes asking for a raise) is a big life change. There's a big emotional element & it's hard to be rational. Having people you trust who have your best interest at heart but do not have their thoughts clouded by emotion is huge.
Second, negotiating is hard for most people, especially if you don't have much experience in it. Talking strategy & approach as a group gives everyone more experience, and there's the added benefit you guy in knowing you're not crazy. You're less likely to have doubt & more likely to stick to your guns.
Throughout the years, each of has leapfrogged each other multiple times. The guy making the least suddenly becomes the guy making the most. When that happens pretty much everyone is happy/excited. The general view is "hey, now we now there's more out there!" The realization is that it's not us against each other, but us against everyone else. The more the group collectively makes, the better.