Salary Expectations vs. Experience

August 5, 2025
When aiming for an internal promotion, understanding how salary expectations align with your experience is critical - especially in competitive fields like legal finance. Misjudging this balance can unintentionally weaken your chances, particularly when external candidates are being considered alongside you.

I had a call with someone recently who was exploring an internal promotion. It was a step-up opportunity, and their employer was also considering external applications.


They wanted advice on what salary they should be aiming for. They didn’t want to sell themself short and be paid below market rate for the new role if successful and wanted to communicate their expectations clearly from the outset.


My advice in this situation is to be patient and realistic about what market rate equates to here = experience.


The average salary for someone doing that role in the market is based on the average experience level for someone holding that job title, which is usually several years of proven, practical experience.


Pitching for the same salary when you’re new to the role, with lower expectations upon you, is a risky move which could tip the balance in favour of an external applicant.


Across the legal finance niche there are plenty of career bottlenecks with experienced individuals having to patiently await the next step-up in their career. Don’t let the desire for short-term financial gain block your path. Experience will always pay off in the long run.

 


Explore more insights on salary trends and progression in legal finance in the 2025 Legal Accounts Salary Survey - now available on the Balance Recruitment website.

August 5, 2025
Attracting the right talent is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in specialist markets like legal finance. Many employers are finding that traditional approaches (e.g. job ads and salary-led incentives) aren’t delivering the quality or engagement they need.
A poster for the legal accounts salary survey in london
June 17, 2025
Salary survey results for the finance and finance systems teams of law firms in London.
A pie chart on a pink and blue background with the words `` balance market update nov 24 ''.
November 5, 2024
Our latest Legal Accounts Market Update (November 2024) covering hiring trends for law firm accountancy and finance systems roles. To download the full document in PDF please click here
A poster for the legal accounts salary survey in london.
May 15, 2024
We've crunched the numbers and the results of our 2024 Legal Accounts Salary Survey for London are now in. Thank you to all of our contacts and members of the ILFM who contributed to this years survey. The aim of our survey is to provide the most comprehensive salary benchmarking guide covering all disciplines that make up the modern day legal finance function, with additional commentary on the hiring trends we've observed over the prior 12 months. Of course, there may be some outliers or bespoke roles that a universal salary survey won't be able to accommodate. If you'd like to discuss salary benchmarking for specific roles, please reach out to Richard Hooper on 02039411067. Download your pdf copy here: https://irp.cdn-website.com/08975377/files/uploaded/Market+Update+-+November+2024.pdf
Your first conversation with a recruiter . what do you need to consider ? balance.
March 13, 2023
Your first conversation with a recruiter. What do I need to consider? If you’re active in your jobsearch, there’s a good chance you’re going to speak to a recruitment consultant for help at some point. Whilst the conversation with a recruiter is very different to the one you’ll have with a prospective employer, it’s still important to establish an effective relationship if you’re to get the most benefit from working with them. Each time a recruiter introduces you to one of their clients, they’re staking their reputation on you after all, so you’ll want to ensure that you build trust and rapport. Good recruiters can open doors that can be tricky to do directly. You’ll therefore want to have them fighting your corner ahead of your competition. Here’s a few tips to help you get off to a good start: **Be specific about your career goals** Being open minded to everything and anything will be a concern for recruiters. Employers want to see enthusiasm from interviewees. If you’re not able to articulate what you really want from your next role, recruiters won’t feel confident recommending you to their clients. A recruiter should be willing and able to help you consider what options you could explore however, so if you’re really unsure, ask for advice to help make some decisions. **Be open about your motivations for a move** Recruiters aren’t going to judge you for wanting to be paid fairly, nor for hating your boss. We’ve heard it all before and we want to help. Tell it like it is. It’s builds trust and allows us to fully understand your motivations, which will help to avoid wrong moves. If you’re vague or reluctant to discuss your motivations for a change it creates doubt, which won’t help you to reach their shortlists. We can also offer help in how to effectively discuss these motivations with a prospective employer.  **Ask them questions about the market in which you specialise** There’s two reasons you should do this. Firstly, it shows enthusiasm and that you’re serious about making a move. A specialist recruiter should be a valuable resource of information that you can tap in to for free. Take advantage - we generally like talking and it helps build that rapport. Secondly, it allows you to assess them too. It’s a two-way relationship after all, and you want to be working with a credible, knowledgeable recruiter who knows their market and shares advice and expertise generously. If you work within #legalfinance and are looking to build a relationship with a recruiter who’ll support you throughout your career, please get in touch and we can arrange a convenient time to talk. If you've enjoyed this article, why not follow me on LinkedIn for regular blogs and exclusive content: www.linkedin.com/in/richardhooper1
It is a market update for february 2023.
February 22, 2023
Our latest Legal Accounts Market Update (February 2023) covering hiring trends for law firm accountancy and finance systems roles. To download the full document in PDF please click here
Does interview feedback help or hinder your job search ?
January 6, 2023
The answer is obvious, surely? Of course it helps. You need to know where you’re going wrong and what you’re doing right. Right? Well, yes, but this also depends on how you process and internalise this information. And this becomes even more problematic when you’re unknowingly interviewing for opportunities you only have an outside chance of securing. In many cases, the main reason people don’t secure an offer is simply that they’ve been competing against someone who has more relevant experience and skills for that specific role and firm. Sometimes they simply don’t hold enough of the necessary experience the employer requires. In these situations, even if your interview technique was flawless, the outcome will be the same. But constructive feedback can still be expected and actively requested – one of the most common complaints about hiring firms and recruiters (external or in-house) is the lack of sufficient feedback for unsuccessful applications. You’ve invested time and energy in to the process after all – the least you can expect is guidance on what you could have done better. So at this point you can, and hopefully will, receive some constructive feedback which, crucially, may not be the reason you didn’t secure the role, but can be offered in the spirit of providing you with some help and guidance. And this is where the problem can start. If you suffer from imposter syndrome (the majority do at some point) this feedback can fester. You can over analyse it. It becomes ‘the reason’ you didn’t secure the job, even when that’s very far from the case. When this happens a few times over, it’s going to hit your confidence and it’s going to tie you up in knots for future interviews. You’ll be in your head and not in the room. Which becomes a vicious circle. Feedback will always be important. The good and the bad. But listen to *both*. Take on board the positives, see constructive feedback for what it is and don’t let it derail your confidence. When you secured your current role it was your turn to be the most suitable applicant, and that time will come again. When using recruiters, be wary if you’ve got the impression your recruiter will submit you for each and any role you show an interest in, with the bare minimum information shared and no discussion. You’ll almost certainly be entering application processes to make up the numbers, regardless if you may only have a slim chance of securing the role. If you work within legal finance and this resonates and you feel your interview technique is the problem, get in touch and let’s have a chat. Send me a note, give me a call or book a time in my diary from the following link: https://calendly.com/richardhooper/career-planning If you've enjoyed this article, why not follow me on LinkedIn for regular blogs and exclusive content: www.linkedin.com/in/richardhooper1
A woman is holding a trophy at the business awards show.
December 15, 2022
Kath Reynolds is the founder of Balance Recruitment an independent, multi-award winning Legal Finance recruitment consultancy, exclusively within the legal sector, with a UK & international client base. Based in London, Balance is the ‘go-to’ firm for the Legal accounts space in the city. Kath and her business have won 17 awards, and in this interview we discuss her business journey, and why awards have been so important in her business. Listen to the podcast now or click below...
A close up of a woman 's face with a collage of different images.
December 14, 2022
“They could do the job, but they just weren’t the right fit for the team.” Feedback I’ve heard countless times throughout my career and I’ve understood it. I’ve been there myself. It’s human nature to seek out commonalities. It’s how we’re all wired. But when it applies to hiring, it’s an unconscious bias that we need to discuss and bring attention to: affinity bias. We all experience affinity bias and it’s not intentional. If you find yourself in a social environment where you don’t know anyone, your subconscious will seek signs of familiarity. A common interest, a similar age/gender profile, or just a shared view overheard in conversation. It’s a shortcut to forming friendships and easing social anxieties with strangers. In the workplace however, if affinity bias goes unchecked it can lead to the building of homogenous teams; lacking diversity, innovation and creativity. Both at the point of hiring and for promotion opportunities when managers may be prone to promote those they ‘click’ with better. So what can be done about it? Firstly, the conversations around this need to be about bringing awareness, not criticism, shame or judgement. After all, it’s effectively a ‘native app’ we all have in our brains operating system. Being aware and curious helps elevate it above the subconscious. Decisions makers and interviewers need to be familiar with what affinity bias is - how it manifests, the problems and missed opportunities it can create. Reminders to remain self-aware at the start of every hiring process shouldn’t be considered patronising. Gut instincts need to be explored. Was it familiarity that made a favoured candidate stand out? Did they evidence greater abilities and more relevant experience than others, or were they given an easier pass because they mentioned a shared acquaintance or grew up in the same town? Firm “culture” needs to be understood as tangible values - not the office ‘vibe’. Each step of the hiring process and decision-making needs assessing to reduce the impact of unconscious bias. Can data or scorecards be utilised? Are diverse opinions deliberately being sought-out amongst the interview panel and listened to? All of the above will help your firm to promote greater inclusivity and to harness the potential that a truly diverse workforce will bring.  If you've enjoyed this article, why not follow me on LinkedIn for regular blogs and exclusive content: www.linkedin.com/in/richardhooper1
What can i say in an interview if i 'm leaving because of my boss ? balance.
December 6, 2022
**Don’t speak negatively about a previous employer** This is forever enshrined in the interviewing rule book. So then, what do you say instead if you want to leave because your boss is just plain toxic or incompetent (or both) and making your life hell? Just make something else up and hope it sounds credible? The issue with that is that your alternative reason might not sound credible. The reason might not align with what the firm you’re now interviewing with can actually offer you. Or it could sound vague, making them suspect you’re not telling the full story, leaving a question mark against your application. Our advice: be honest. Be professional in how you communicate the issues and have some non-emotive examples prepared which highlight an unreasonable management style or expectation, or other signs of an unhealthy work culture. Avoid a character assassination, but if things aren’t ok in your current firm/team to the point you want to find somewhere more enjoyable/healthy, that’s a perfectly legitimate reason which shouldn’t need to be unspoken. Talk it through in advance with someone neutral to see if it makes sense to them. And talk to an experienced and consultative recruiter who can offer candid feedback and further advice.  Follow me on LinkedIn for regular blogs and exclusive content: www.linkedin.com/in/richardhooper1
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