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Is Your Salary Fair? Three Tactics to Find Out

Crucial LinkedIn optimizations, best lifetime memberships to buy, and selling reservations

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Forthspark Staff
July 16, 2024

Hello! Enjoy our latest info and insights to help you know your worth and unlock your potential.

You Should Know

  • Last month, inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, fell for the first time since the pandemic (May 2020)! Inflation isn’t dead, however. U.S. wholesale prices increased more than expected in June.

  • Car dealership inventory is the highest it has been in four years, according to Automotive News. Jeep, Dodge and Ram have the most supply on dealer lots, so push for bigger discounts if you are buying those brands.

  • Wind power surpassed coal for the first-time ever in March/April, as confirmed by Energy Information Administration (EIA). Although renewable energy output is increasing, the EIA expects summer electricity bills in the U.S. to increase 3% year-over-year, due to higher energy consumption.

Is Your Salary Fair? Three Tactics to Improve Salary Transparency

It is perhaps the most common question we ask in the workplace – is my paycheck fair for my level or work and experience? Worker salaries are shrouded in secrecy, which is just what your employer wants.

You don’t have to act like a private investigator if you’re curious about what your colleagues are earning. Here are three ways to crack the salary code:

1) Use free salary estimator websites

These sites compile user-submitted salary data to provide estimated salary ranges for specific positions, locations, and even companies. In order to get a personalized salary estimate / pay report, you’ll need to take an anonymous survey about your own compensation (that data will be added to a shared salary database that the site sells to businesses).

The data’s accuracy can be shaky, especially for smaller companies and niche roles, and the salary ranges can be broad, making it hard to pinpoint exact figures. Moreover, the information might not reflect your specific company's pay practices. Still, it’s better than nothing and doesn’t require an awkward salary conversation with your colleagues.

These are some of the most popular salary estimator sites:

2) Take advantage of pay transparency laws that apply to job postings

Pay transparency laws require employers to offer salary range info in their job postings. Not all states or municipalities have such laws, and disclosure levels vary by state/city. For example, New York City employers with four or more employees must disclose the minimum and maximum salary for a position in job advertisements.

Salary range disclosures help job candidates get a leg up in negotiations. When you know how much an employer is willing to pay at the high end, you’ll know when you are being low balled.

If you live in a state without pay transparency laws, you can compare job postings in your state to similar openings in states with such laws, letting you learn the rough salary range of the job you're targeting.

These are the states and cities mandate salary disclosure in job postings:

  • California

  • Colorado

  • Connecticut

  • Hawaii

  • Illinois

  • Maryland

  • Nevada

  • New York City

  • Rhode Island

  • Toledo, Ohio (city ordinance)

  • Cincinnati, Ohio (city ordinance)

  • Columbus, Ohio (city ordinance)

3) Simply ask your colleagues (but carefully and tactfully)

First of all, in the U.S. you have a protected right to discuss wages with your coworkers thanks to the National Labor Relations Act. However, asking your colleagues about their salaries can be tricky. If you swap salary info with a colleague and he goes to the boss and says “hey, [your name] told me I’m making less, and I need a raise,” this will likely impact your eligibility for a pay boost in the future.

If you want to avoid professional drama, it’s important to approach a salary conversation carefully. Start by establishing trust and ensuring the conversation is private and respectful. Don’t’ simply ask “how much do you make?” It’s better to say something like: "I'm trying to get a sense of what people in our roles are making for future career planning. Would you be OK sharing your salary range?"

Income Boosting Opportunities

The Best Lifetime Memberships You Can Buy

Even though we're bombarded with all kinds of subscription offers, most plans charge monthly or annual fees. It’s rare to find a lifetime membership offer. These plans do exist, and we’ve found the best ones for sale:

  • Lifetime America the Beautiful Pass for U.S. National Parks – For a one-time fee of $80, this pass grants free entrance to over 2,000 national parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges. The catch: you must be 62 years or older.

  • REI Co-op membership – Buy a lifetime membership for $30 and get an 10% annual rebate on all eligible purchases. Plus you get free shipping, 20% off bike and snow shop services, up to 33% off rentals, and more special discounts and offers.

  • Lifetime Plex Pass – This $120 pass grants lifetime premium access to Plax services, such as streaming your media library to your phone or tablet, recording live TV, downloading content for offline viewing, and skipping commercials.

  • Olive Garden Never-Ending Pasta Pass – Yes, this is real. You can gorge on unlimited pasta, soup, salad and breadsticks your entire life. The pass is rarely sold (even harder to find than the McRib). When it is available, it sells out ridiculously fast.

  • AARP membership – Technically, they offer a 5-year membership for about $60. There is probably no other program that offers more discounts on things like travel, insurance, entertainment, restaurants, etc. You also get access to a ton of extra resources and benefits. Anyone 18 years or older can buy membership. No kidding.

Three Crucial LinkedIn Optimization Tips to Get You Hired

Here are three of the most important LinkedIn profile optimizations that will help you get more job interviews and networking opportunities: 

1) Nail Your Headline

The most important real estate on your LinkedIn profile is your headline. Don’t waste that precious 220-character space with a generic job title. Cram your headline with relevant keywords that highlight your expertise and industry focus. Use the space to showcase your unique personal brand, reveal your passion, and attract the right attention.

Hare are some strong headline examples:

  • Global Sales Leader | Building High-Performing Teams | Driving Revenue Growth

  • Bachelor of Business Administration who recently graduated | Seeking an entry-level opportunity

  • Empowering Sales Leaders With Social Selling | VP of Sales at X

  • Creative Director | Brand Storyteller | Transforming Ideas into Visual Experiences

2) Write an Efficient and Compelling Summary

The summary is your opportunity to tell your story in 2,000 characters or less. The first ~265 characters are especially crucial as they show before someone clicks “See More,” so ensure these opening lines hook the reader by conveying who you are, what you care about, and your aspirations.

Sprinkle keywords from your industry and desired roles throughout your summary, particularly in the opening and throughout your experience section. Don't just list past jobs. Tell your professional and personal story! Highlight your career journey, motivations, goals. Showcase how you made a positive impact.

Finally, end your summary with a call to action. This could be an invitation to connect, visit your website, or reach out for opportunities.

3) Make Your Background Photo Excellent

The most visible real estate on your LinkedIn profile that everyone first sees is your background photo. You can do anything you want with the 1584×396 pixels given to you.

Instead of uploading a generic image, turn your LinkedIn banner into a text-based billboard showcasing your value. Headline your proudest achievement, add an inspiring quote that reflects your work ethic, or list the services you specialize in. You can even include your contact information. Think of it as a digital business card on steroids. If you need a generic image to write on, here are 1000+ free LinkedIn cover pictures.

It’s best to find an image that represents your work – you hustling at your desk, accepting an award, or giving a speech, your inspiring office space, or even a cityscape that speaks to your industry.

People Are Scalping Reservations at High-End Restaurants

Some people are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a reservation at a top restaurant (the reservation, mind you, not the meal itself). And of course, there are plenty of people trying to make money off that fact.

There are now websites that allow people with existing reservations sell them on a virtual marketplace, such as Appointment Trader, Dine, and Cita.

Appointment Trader, launched in 2021, has the most media coverage. The platform lets you list your unwanted reservation for free. After your provide details like the restaurant name, date, time, and number of people, Appointment Trader uses an algorithm to suggest a price, but you can decide how much extra you want to charge for the reservation. Once a buyer agrees on a price, Appointment Trader facilitates the transaction (minus a 20-30% commission). The buyer then gets reservation details and should be able to use it at the restaurant under their own name.

Be warned: users of this service have reported scams or cases of non-fulfillment. Some restaurants may have policies against reselling reservations, and the buyer could be denied entry (leading to angry demands for a refund from the seller).