The sad reason Australians are missing out on a decent pay rise, and it has nothing to do with their ability or the cost of living crisis.

Australians are missing out on pay rises because they underestimate their own skills, a careers expert says.

Wages are finally starting to outpace inflation, after three years of workers suffering real-terms pay cuts.

But to survive the cost of living crisis, a decent wage increase is needed.

Aimee Hutton, customer strategy and insight manager at Seek, said more than three-quarters of Australians were underestimating their own skills and experience.

“Rather than overvaluing experience, our research indicates that 78 per cent of Australian workers currently underestimate the value of their skills,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Whether you’re starting your working life or looking to move into a different role or industry, there are valuable ways to frame your relevant skills or previous experience, in a way that demonstrates how you would be the right candidate. fit for work.’

The wage price index growth of 4.2 percent was 0.1 percentage point above the inflation rate of 4.1 percent for 2023.

But in the year through January, salaries advertised on Seek grew 4.5 percent.

The data reveals that changing jobs is potentially a better way to achieve a salary increase to address the cost of living crisis.

A Seek survey of 1,200 respondents in 2023 found that 78 percent believed it was impossible to get a job without the necessary experience.

But an analysis of search ads showed that 52 percent of them did not specify a particular experience.

Hutton suggested that volunteering or taking a short course to land a new role could be the key to getting a great pay package.

“Your proactivity, diligence and hunger to learn will stand out, which are invaluable qualities for a potential employee,” he said.

‘We want to encourage people to consider less conventional routes when finding the right job for their needs.

‘This is different for everyone, such as acquiring new skills through self-learning, on-the-job training or volunteering, or transferring skills and experience from a different role.

“It’s a myth that people with no experience can’t get a job.”