One rule you must follow in salary negotiations
- The FIRST person who mentions a dollar figure, is usually the loser!
When asked for salary requirements or histories, don't feel pressured to respond,
especially within a cover letter or even during the initial interview This is just a
tactic to screen out under or over-priced candidates. If you feel compelled to
"follow the rules," then mention a salary/benefit range that was dependant upon
your direct responsibilities and achievements.
You need to remember that your salary isn't always going to be a dollar figure. It
could be a salary plus benefits including profit sharing, vacation, health insurance,
etc., and that's usually not determined until well into the interviewing and/or initial
salary discussion phase. You don't even know the benefits at this point, so again, mum's
the word right now! The main thing to remember as the
discussions heat up, is to be flexible and think of alternatives before you get into the
nitty-gritty of the deal. Review all of the company's benefits before the big show down.
If you REALLY want to work for this company and they just aren't paying the money you
think you deserve, work out some benefit trade-offs. In doing so, you'll show that you
aren't a pushover and you are capable of compromising while a "win-win"
situation.
Salary negotiations are usually the toughest part of the search so it's impossible to
mention every scenario here. We can help ensure that your negotiations are successful, so
consider career coaching on this issue. Just a brief
hour-long session should do, depending on your own confidence level. By managing your own
salary destiny, you'll be maximizing all the time and energy you put into getting the
exact job you want at the salary you deserve!
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