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Salary negotiation is
probably the hardest task that you as a job seeker will encounter. To help
with this process, below are "7 Ways to Winning at Salary
Negotiation!"
1. Be prepared to
negotiate for the salary that you deserve! Research the salaries in your
field or for your particular position. Go on the Internet and find salary
indicator sites such as Salary.com or the Salary Wizard! Also, talk to
people in your future new field to discover their insights.
2. Know how much you need
to live on. Take out a piece of paper and write down your expenses. See
what salary you will need to cover them. Never take less than what you
need. This will ultimately cause you real problems! Also, determine what
types of benefits you need. For example, you may be a single parent who
needs medical and dental coverage for your children. Or as a married
person, you may not need medical or dental coverage because your spouse
gets it as his or her job. In this case, you might want to negotiate for
other perks or more money in your salary.
3. After the job offer has
been made to you, do not discuss salary until it is brought up by your
employer. When he or she asks how much you expect to earn, don't be
desperate. Take a deep breath and talk in terms of salary ranges instead
of specific salaries. From there, you will begin the negotiation process.
4. Don't be, look or act
desperate. Employers expect you to negotiate.
5. If the employer is the
first to make an offer, do not jump at the first figure put on the table.
Remember that there is always a range that employers use. Some will start
off the negotiations with the lowest salary in the range. If you take the
position at that point, you will kick yourself later. Other employers
start the negotiation bidding with a salary somewhere in the middle of the
range. If you take that, you probably can get more. There are even cases
where salaries are set. However, an employer who really wants you will
bend the rules. Still, it's up to you to get the employer to really want
you.
6. But how can you get an
employer to really want you? Know your worth! Revisit your skills. Go back
to your accomplishments. Present them in a light that will make eh
employer know that you are a valued employee, and it would be a shame to
loose you. You can something like "As you know, I saved ABC Company
$1 million in the last quarter by developing a system to track
products."
7. In the salary
negotiation process, think of it as a game. The employer puts an offer on
the table (probably a low ball offer), and you go away to think about it.
You present your accomplishments and hold out for more money. The employer
makes a counter offer and you try to get more money given the salary
range. This continues until you and the employer have come up with a
reasonable salary for both parties. Don't forget that a salary includes
benefits, and perks. Learn to negotiate for all three parts of the
salary negotiation.
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