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Low Pay Trap: Founder Reveals Why Starting Salary Can Keep You Underpaid
M
Moneycontrol•04-10-2026, 09:26
Low Pay Trap: Founder Reveals Why Starting Salary Can Keep You Underpaid
- •Noida-based founder Vanya Goel explains how starting with a low salary can create a cycle of underpayment throughout a career, even with job switches.
- •Goel highlights that a low initial salary often becomes a benchmark for future job offers, leading to increments that don't match market rates.
- •She advises against blindly chasing percentage hikes and emphasizes the need for salary corrections to align with market value.
- •Goel stresses that career growth involves more than just good performance; professionals must understand their market worth and effectively communicate their contributions.
- •Key strategies include tracking achievements, quantifying impact, building visibility, learning to negotiate, and knowing one's market value to avoid being underpaid.
Key Questions Answered
A low initial salary serves as a benchmark for future employers, creating a trap where standard percentage hikes leave professionals far behind the actual market rate after several years.
Vanya Goel suggests that professionals sometimes need a salary correction rather than blindly chasing another standard percentage hike to bridge the gap with market rates.
Goel emphasizes tracking achievements, quantifying impact, building visibility, learning to negotiate, understanding market value, and effectively communicating contributions.
