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.