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After the Interview

Salary Negotiation Strategies

• Be Prepared:
  The more you know about your market value and the prospective employer, the better your chances for success. Enter negotiations with an understanding of your skills and their worth. You may even consider providing the prospective employer with written materials: salary stats for comparable work in your field, your previous performance evaluations, and your letters of recommendation to support your salary request. The time you spend preparing may be the best investment you'll ever make.

• Look at the Entire Compensation Package:
  To be successful in this type of negotiation, you need to know what you really want. What role do benefits ( insurance, stock options, 401(k) plans, pension and profit sharing plans, vacation days, paid holiday, and sick/personal days) play in your offer? How about the opportunity for future increases, or equity in the company? You may consider a lower salary if raises are possible and excellent benefits are provided. Understanding your needs will help you find a mutually acceptable salary.

• Rehearse Your Response:
  Negotiating a salary or benefits is uncomfortable for many people, however, by preparing what you want to say and how you want to say it ahead of time, you will be able to articulate your position more clearly and have a greater likelihood of success. Always try to put everything in its most positive light.
  
  » What to say: «
  "I'm calling you with some very good news. I would like to accept your offer and I'm looking forward to working with you and becoming a valuable member of the team; however, there is (are) a (two, three, some) concern(s) about the offer that I want to discuss. I don't know if you're able to make changes in this (these) area(s), but I'd surely appreciate your looking into that possibility. Namely, would it be possible to _____?"
  
  “That sounds great, but my three years of management experience will allow me to contribute immediately to your organization. Would you consider increasing the salary by 10%?”
  
  "I'm delighted that you are interested in me and I am very interested in the position. Based upon my experience and also because of a variety of expenses I'll have when I graduate, such as paying off my college loan and having to get a car, I'd like to be making around $X0,000. How do you feel about that?"
  
  "I really like the opportunity, and I know that I could contribute, but I have several other opportunities that are in the $X0,000 range (don't say it unless it's true) is there a way we could work this out?"

• Wear Your Salary Range:
  Dress the part, and let your body language speak to your professionalism. How you look will have an influence on how valuable you appear to your potential employer.

• Use Uncertainty to Your Advantage:
  The more information you provide to a potential employer about your bottom line, the more likely it will limit the salary offer. Before making an offer, a company typically tries to learn what it will take for you to accept the position. With that information, the prospective employer will be able to determine the minimum package he/she needs to offer. By not disclosing a specific salary amount up front, the prospective employer will likely work to make their best offer.
  
  » What to say: «
  “I am much more interested in doing (type of work) here at (name of company) than I am in the amount of the initial offer.”
  
  “I will consider any reasonable offer.”
  
  “You are in a much better position to know how much I'm worth to you than I am.”

• Do Not Feel Pressured to Accept an Offer on the Spot:
  How valuable and in demand will you seem if you accept an offer the moment it's presented? Instead, either take home the written offer or take notes on the details of the offer. Tell the employer that you would like to go over everything very carefully, and follow up the next day.
  
  » What to say: «
  “I'm glad we're both enthusiastic about my working here. I'd like to take your offer home and think about it. Could I get back with you tomorrow to talk more?”

• Never Forget that Employment is an Ongoing Relationship:
  When the negotiations are over, you'll have to work with the person with whom you're negotiating. Job negotiations are the starting point for your career with a company. Get too little and you're disadvantaged throughout your career there; push too hard and you can sour the relationship before it begins.