Today’s post is a little different from the usual fashion blog posts. I am going 5 salary negotiation tips that I have learned along the way in my career. The first two jobs I got out of college I took the very first salary that I was offered. No questions asked and no form of negotiation.
Tip #1 – Do your research
When I apply for a job I always do research on the size of the company. I also utilize a handful of other sources to research salary. Robert Half has a salary guide that you can look up based on the type of industry, size of the company, and the position you are applying for. The numbers seem a little inflated so I usually go with the median number. Be realistic and not go too over the top. Also, be sure to let the company know that salary is negotiable as you are interviewing.
Tip #2 – Sell Yourself
Even when I am interviewing I always think that my job is to sell myself. What do I have to offer the company. When you have been offered the job and find out how much they are going to pay you for the position always counter. The worst thing they can say is no. Always ask if they have a signing bonus. This is something that not every company will advertise. If you do not ask then you will never know.
Tip #3 – Be prepared to walk away
If the offer is not what you wanted and they will not budge, be mindful that it is ok to walk away. If you are still employed it is fine to hold out for the right position to come along. Taking a low offer sets you back because any future job opportunities that you pursue after that will base you next salary on your current salary. Always make sure during the interview process that you let them know that as much as they are interviewing you, during that process you are also making sure that this is the right position for you.
Tip #4 – Be Confident
My mantra when it comes to a lot of things is “short and sweet.” Get to the point and be confident in what you say. If the company offers you $45,000 and you wanted $50,000, then I would say “Based on the research that I have done and also having 5 years of experience in this field I was hoping for $53,000.” Leave it there and see what they say.
A few times I have had the HR person say to me that they do not think that the hiring manager is not going to pay that much. Your response “I really loved talking to all the people that I met during my interview and think that I would be great fit for the role you are filling. Salary is not a deal breaker, however it would not hurt to present my counter offer to the hiring manager.” That way either they will say this is the final offer or they will tell you that they are going to talk to the hiring manager and see what they say. The reason I countered at $53,000 is because if they were to counter, chances are they might come back at $50,000 which is what you wanted to begin with. So its a win win situation.
Tip #5 – Practice
I always practice what I am going to say. This helps me with coming off confident and also not spend time trying to think of what to say.
Once its all said and done, be sure to thank the person that has been your contact. And ask what the following steps are going to be. When you get the offer letter, READ through it and don’t just sign the letter.
Hopefully you find this helpful. Let me know what other tips that you may have.