Seven Basic Salary Negotiation Tips


Money is the most sensitive issue in the whole hiring process. Discussing the compensation often causes anxiety on both employee and employer. So with that in mind we have provided in the following paragraphs, a few steps a job seeker can take to make the process of salary negotiating smoother and more efficient.

Do research – value skills

Research – Before the interview process begins, contact the professional organization that represents your field of career. As soon as they provide you with your salary information, you can now examine your monthly cash requirements. Remember that once your taxes are added to your paycheck, approximately 30% of your gross monthly salary is deducted.

Determine your skills – You should understand that different segments of the economy require a variety of skills depending on the industry setting. Once you have established what your skills are and what they are worth to the current employment market, you would know the limitations of your negotiation.

Salary range information is available at American Almanac of Jobs and Salaries, National Association of College and Employers, Career Center, and professionals in your related field.

In stating your salary range, avoid basing your desired salary on your current salary. Always tell the truth when it comes to your past salary. It is acceptable to extend a range to approximately $6,000 to show that you are within the company’s price range but interested in more compensation.

Sell yourself

Weigh the company’s compensation package – To determine your fair market value for a specific job, you should consider the economic, geographic, and industry factors of the job offer. Weigh the benefits of compensation and promotions, insurance, allowed time off and retirement settlements of the offer to ensure a fair proposed salary.

Sell yourself – If you know what you could offer the company requires a larger income, never say it directly. Once you sell yourself discreetly, the interviewer would understand that the proposed salary is not appropriate for your background.

Attitude counts

Have a positive attitude – In negotiating, never compete. Negotiation is basically a process which could benefit both parties. Understand your needs and those of the company.

The final offer – Be aware when the negotiation is done. Pushing further when a deal has been set could give a negative first impression on your part.

Show what you are made of – The interview is only the first step in having an enhanced compensation. Once you are hired, offer your skills to the company and prove your worth by doing quality work. You may even get a promotion for doing so.

Based from a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, four out of five employees are willing to negotiate compensation. Understanding these basic tips will allow you to enhance the terms of your new job.


Job Earnings for the New College Grad


Fresh out of college, most people are excited about landing that first job and eagerly go about searching for it. Given that most grads do not have work experience, or only had a part time job while studying, it is not easy to secure an executive position right away.

When starting from scratch an individual has no choice but to start from the bottom in an entry-level position and then – in time – move to the top, based on his/her performance. The challenge most grads face in applying for a job is the competition. Aside from those who just graduated, there are also those who have left the previous job and are looking for a new one.

According to hiring and compensation experts, there is not that much room to negotiate when a job seeker is freshly out of college. This is because that person does not have substantial work experience as a basis from which to negotiate for a higher salary; especially in comparison to those who have adequate or substantial work experience.

The range of the salary fresh grads would command is based on the course of study s/he has completed in college. From the group of college graduates who volunteered to be surveyed, it was found that those who graduated from the sciences were able to get a higher salary compared to those who graduated from the liberal arts curiculum.

If you are a new college graduate, one tip that may help you a little in the negotiation process is knowing your potential and not easily giving in or selling yourself short. In the course of an interview it will boil down to the how much you will be getting. Most fresh grads accept what is given immediately and reply “okay” ending it there.

It is best to only talk about the salary when an offer has been made. If the interviewer is good, it can wait. During that time, you can try asking how much the company will pay for someone in that position and then be able to negotiate about that later on, regardless of the figure that was given.

The applicant can then ask questions such as job responsibilities, and mention that the contribution s/he can give to the company is more important than the salary s/he will be receiving showing the recruiter s/he is a team player.

Applicants can negotiate more by doing research on how much other companies are offering for the same job before giving an immediate answer. Being armed with that information makes it possible for you to negotiate the salary offered, and perhaps get a little more.

Getting a job is not only about a salary though. The process often includes other things that the company offers to its employees; and thoroughly checking out the other benefits and perks can also help in deciding whether the applicant should accept the job or not.