Negotiate Your Salary Out of the Gate
Even if you are new to an industry or have been unemployed for a while, is it smart to blindly accept the first number that an employer throws out? I don’t think so.
Once you are inside an organization, raises are small and promotions are often slow in coming, so you have to do what you can to maximize your salary and benefits package right out of the gate. But how can you do this when the employer has the upper hand and hundreds of qualified candidates?
Young professionals often think they have to accept a lower salary because their internship or prior job experience isn’t a perfect fit. Get out of this mindset by considering what the experience you do have will add to the organization and what you can do that will bring in more money today.
When applying for a job in a new field, understand what positions at various levels pay by checking sources like payscale.com and having frank conversations with individuals working in the industry.
You shouldn’t be the first to mention salary in the interview, but if confronted about it directly, you shouldn’t hesitate. Tell the hiring manager or HR representative that you’re looking for compensation in X range and, at the same time, ask about the range for that position.
Once you receive an offer, evaluate it realistically, and be aware that public-sector organizations compensate differently than private-sector ones. Also remember, however, that employers will expect negotiation and are likely to go up from the original number. If you’re not entirely satisfied with the end result, see if the employer will agree to revisit compensation at six and 18 months of service.
Tagged as career planning, compensation, job offer, negotiation, salary.
Alexandra Levit
Alexandra Levit’s goal is to help people find meaningful jobs - quickly and simply - and to succeed beyond measure once they get there. A former nationally syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a current contributor for Fortune and Metro US, Alexandra has authored several books, including the bestselling They Don't Teach Corporate in College, How'd You Score That Gig?, Success for Hire, MillennialTweet, and New Job, New You. Her book on the top myths of business success is due out from Penguin/Berkley in the fall of 2011. Since serving as a member of Business Roundtable's Springboard Project, which advised the Obama administration on current workplace issues, Alexandra produced the critically acclaimed JobSTART 101 (www.jobstart101.org), a free online course that better prepares college students and graduates for the challenges of the workplace. She is a frequent national media spokesperson and has been featured in thousands of outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, ABC News, Fox News, CNBC, the Associated Press, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan. In 2010, she was named Money Magazine's Online Career Expert of the Year and the author of one of Forbes' best websites for women. Known as one of the premiere spokespeople of her generation, Alexandra regularly speaks at conferences, universities, and corporations around the world including the American Society for Training and Development, Campbell's Soup, McDonalds, and Whirlpool — on issues facing modern employees such as how to communicate effectively between generations.
