The Answer Is Already No If You Never Ask
What I shared with Grady College students about salary, benefits and entering the workforce—and what they taught me in return.
I left Athens thinking: We need to give this generation a little more credit.
This fall, I returned to the University of Georgia for a Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Alumni Board meeting. Campus was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the visit included an outdoor networking event with current Grady students.
For an hour and a half, the students rotated among tables to talk with alumni about different aspects of preparing for life after graduation. I was assigned to the table focused on salary negotiation and benefits—which made me laugh a little because I definitely did not negotiate the salary for my first job.
In 2006, I was a journalism graduate who wanted to work in television and be on camera. We had already been told not to expect to make much money in the beginning, so when I received an offer to earn $26,000 a year as a one-woman band at a small television station, I was simply grateful to have a job.
I didn’t know to ask for more.
The job required early mornings helping prepare for the 6 a.m. newscast, followed by reporting, shooting and producing stories for the evening news. The official workday may have ended at a certain time, but as a new reporter, I often worked well beyond it.
That experience gave me an important message to share with the students:
The answer is already no if you never ask.
If a position includes a salary range and your experience supports asking for the higher end, do not disqualify yourself before the conversation even begins. Make the case for what you bring to the position, and give the employer an opportunity to respond.
We also talked about the importance of looking beyond the salary. When you are young and eager to begin your career, benefits may not feel as exciting—or as urgent—as the number on your paycheck. But healthcare, dental coverage, retirement contributions, paid leave and other benefits are meaningful parts of your total compensation. Their value often becomes even clearer as you move through different seasons of life.
After the table rotations ended, the students had time to connect with alumni individually. That may have been my favorite part of the afternoon. The format allowed me to learn more about their interests, their plans and what they hope to do after graduation.
I was impressed by how eager they were to connect face-to-face. Many of these students experienced the COVID-19 pandemic during some of their most formative years, while they were still in middle or high school. Yet they showed up ready to have real conversations, ask thoughtful questions and imagine their place in the workforce.
They were curious. They were engaged. And they were excited about what comes next.
Crossing Paths
While I was in Athens for the Grady College Alumni Board meeting, he was there carrying out his duties as president of the UGA Alumni Association.
I hope they walked away with something useful from our conversations because I certainly left encouraged by them. Mentorship is rarely a one-way exchange. Sometimes, while offering what we have learned, we are reminded to look at the next generation with more optimism and fewer assumptions.
The visit also included a brief but special moment with my husband and Hines Dortch Consulting co-owner, Corey. While I was in Athens for the Grady College Alumni Board meeting, he was there carrying out his duties as president of the UGA Alumni Association.
We were moving through two very different schedules, but we managed to cross paths long enough for a quick photo—a fitting reminder of how much the University of Georgia continues to shape our lives, our service and the work we do together.
It was a beautiful day on campus, a meaningful opportunity to connect with students and fellow alumni, and another reminder that it is always a good day to be a Georgia Bulldog—and especially a Grady Dawg.