Salary Negotiation

Don’t ever assume that the salary offered is fixed. Employers will come up with more money when they realize you are the right person for the job.

Once you have received a job offer, you are viewed differently. You are no longer just an applicant. Instead, you are now seen as a valuable resource for the company - they like you, they want you, they believe you can contribute, and they do not want to lose you. They have searched through hundreds of applications and resumes, spent many hours interviewing, and finally decided to select you. The power has now shifted in your direction. Now is the time to negotiate - not any earlier, not any later - right now!

Unless you have strict salary requirements, it is smart not to discuss salary early in the interview process. At the beginning of the process the company has no idea just how valuable you might be to the company. At that point, you appear to be like every other applicant. If your salary expectations are too high, the firm might not want to deal with you. If the figure is too low, you risk appearing under qualified, inexperienced, and ignorant about the position. Don’t take the chance of making these mistakes. Avoid salary discussions until an offer is on the table. Once an offer has been made, a company may be more willing to do whatever it takes to get you to say yes to the offer.

Before you are able to do this, you must know how to do the following:

• Avoid talking about salary during the interview.
• Properly fill in the section on the application that asks for "desired salary."
• Negotiate a better salary.
• Determine what you are worth and what you should be making.