Seven Basic Salary Negotiation Tips
When you're looking to take on a new job, salary is an important factor. You want to be compensated appropriately for your experience and the job market, but the going rate might not fit into your budget. Whether it's because you're just starting out or are looking to move up in a company, getting the best offer for your skillset doesn't have to be painful! Here are some basic tips for negotiating salary when you get a job offer.
- Remember that negotiation isn't refusing an offer. It's simply asking for something better than what was initially given.
- Bring in numbers. If you're extremely well qualified and interested in an offer, but the salary is low, be prepared to bring the situation to a point where you've done all you can - research, interviewing, etc.
- Be prepared for tough negotiation. Though this should go without saying, some companies just don't want to budge on compensation; it's a competitive market and they need to price their offer accordingly.
- Know your worth . You may have left school with no idea what salary you're worth based on your resume or qualifications. Either way, it's worth doing some research to figure out your value and be ready for undervaluation more often than not!
- Make offers instead of talking about them . Whether you're low-balling or high-balling, your own offer can set expectations for what you're looking for in terms of a total compensation package.
- Stand your ground . If you've done your homework and feel like the company isn't paying you enough, be prepared not to take their offer; it's a negotiation, after all - both sides need to come out of it happy.
- Keep details between the two parties involved. Whether it's an anonymous email that goes viral or a public outburst when a deal doesn't go through, don't let other people get involved and make the situation worse.
- Remember that the offer you're presented with isn't the only opportunity. If you've done your research and feel like a company is getting your hopes up and not giving you what you deserve, walk away. There are other companies out there who are willing to pay what you're worth!
- Don't talk salary during the first meeting. If a hiring manager tries to bring up salary before making an official offer, keep it brief, politely decline and come back to it when they deliver an official offer letter (with all relevant information). This can also help to avoid any confusion about the conversation over salary if a transcribed or recorded version of it should ever be circulated.
- Make sure it's worth it . If you're not from the area and aren't familiar with the cost of living, be prepared to factor in extra expenses in exchange for higher pay.
- Reassess your value after a year or two . Obviously, you'll want to make money when you're looking for a new job, but if salary is still an issue after two years on the job, start to reassess what you're worth - either PTO (paid time off) or vacation time as benefits can be pretty important!
- Know where to go to ask. When you're looking for a new job, you're obviously not going to just go to the "HR department" - but if you do have a problem with salary, there are certain places that you can go to discuss it (such as a manager from another department).
- Know your rights ! State and federal laws are pretty strong on this topic. It's illegal to discriminate against someone because of their age, gender or race in terms of compensation and some states have higher wage requirements for women as well. In general, it's best to be aware of your rights as employee and make sure managers know about them!
- Request more money if you feel like it's deserved. If a performance review has come up and you feel like you've done a really good job, but haven't been compensated for it, don't feel like you're hurting your chances by requesting a raise!
- If all else fails and talking to upper management does nothing for you, there's always the option of looking for new work elsewhere . There are plenty of other companies out there that are willing to pay what an employee is worth.
- Know when to walk away. While it may seem counterintuitive, sometimes walking away from negotiations is the smartest option. If you feel like your time is being wasted, there's a good chance that you'll leave the position if an offer is made.
- Do your research . If you're concerned about what other people are making in comparable positions, do some research! Some organizations have salary guidelines for salaries within the company; if this isn't the case for your new position, do some comparison shopping around. ____________________________________________ [ARTICLE END]
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If you would like to receive my blog posts by email, please subscribe here . You also can sign up to get an RSS feed of my blog posts here . Thanks for reading! ~Amber Disclaimer: I may get affiliate credit from links in this post or on this site which will help fund my travels. This does not affect my opinions and these are always my own recommendations.
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If you would like to receive my blog posts by email, please subscribe here .
If you would like to receive my blog posts by email, please subscribe here. You also can sign up to get an RSS feed of my blog posts here. Thanks for reading! ~Amber
DISCLAIMER: I may get affiliate credit from links in this post or on this site which will help fund my travels. This does not affect my opinions and these are always my own recommendations.
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If you would like to receive my blog posts by email, please subscribe here. You also can sign up to get an RSS feed of my blog posts here. Thanks for reading! ~Amber
Although I'm no longer living in the Bay Area, my heart will always belong there. I moved away with one year left on my teaching contract and immediately became a Niner, where I worked from 2005-2009 as a math/science teacher at Silver Lake Middle School . I got married in 2006 (got divorced later that year), had a baby in 2007, and returned to the classroom 7 years later, this time as a middle school science teacher and tech specialist at San Antonio Country Day School . The first 6 years of my professional career were spent in the Bay Area, after I graduated from San Diego State University (go Aztecs!) with degrees in Secondary Math Education and Curriculum & Instruction, and before I taught at SCDS .
I won't go into details about all I've done during the past 12 years of my life, but suffice it to say that it's been a busy time.
Conclusion to "The Plan" & Going Beyond
I'm excited to be going forward with the next version of my life and starting again in a completely different place. When I was fifteen, I never would have imagined that I would be where I am today. Even though it's been tough at times and there have been plenty of times for me to doubt myself along the way, I have made it and have moved beyond what seemed impossible when I was younger. It seems fitting that today is the day where my new beginning begins - on my 28th birthday - as that is exactly what this is! Even if everything doesn't turn out perfectly as expected, this is still an important step in my life and one worth celebrating.