How To Negotiate Your Salary

The process of job hunting is full of not just excitement but also anxiety. Preparing a resume, applying for posts, getting ready for interviews, facing the interviewer, waiting for responses and making a decision gets tiring, to say the least. And once you get a job offer, what is most difficult is negotiating the salary. Salary and compensation is that part of the job negotiation that can effectively make or break a deal.

Once a company has selected you, it will contact you for the vacant position. It is generally at this time that the salary is negotiated. Before agreeing to any offered salary, remember that the company requires your skills and finds you competent enough for that job. If you have applied for a new job while already being employed, you would obviously seek higher wages, a better working environment, and an overall upgrade in all aspects of your career.

It is generally a mistake to not ask about your salary up front. It is generally during the interview that the employer will ask you about your salary expectations. Research the market properly and find out what is the standard salary for that kind of profile. Generally, your experience and the standard of the company will also determine the salary offered to you. When asked directly, this can be a difficult question to answer, but remain confident and say what you really expect based on reason and logic.

If you come prepared for such a question, it will be better and you wouldn’t look surprised when the question is popped to you. If your interview has gone well so far, you will be confident enough and upbeat when this question is asked. It is always safe to ask for a base-level salary, and telling the employer that based on your performance you expect a review of your performance in two months or 6 months. This way, the employer will know that you are not unrealistic in your salary demands and also confident of your own potential.

However, if the salary offered is way below your expectations, tell the employer in no unclear terms that you need time to think about it. Ask them for some time and then don’t call up the employer. If they are in dire need, they will call you up themselves and hire you on your terms. If you are appearing for more than one interview at a time, don’t be afraid to let the interviewer know this. Tell them that you have other good offers in hand too and your final decision will only be taken after weighing all the options that you have in hand. Don’t make false claims here, bring it up only if it’s true.

Lastly, remember that if you are out of job then may be it is more important to have a job first so go ahead and accept that offer even if the salary offered is a little lower than what you expected. Once you have some experience added to your profile, you will always be able to negotiate a higher salary in your next job. So, be realistic and be aware of your market value. This is what will get you the salary that you deserve.