How to Negotiate Your Salary Offer

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How to NegotiateYour Salary Offer By MARCY
LERNER
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Congratulations. You've received an offer for
the job of your dreams. After sending out all
those resumes, wooing (gaining support of ) the
hiring manager and following up with a courteous
thank-you note, you're one step away from your
first day. But that step may be the most
important one yet.
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For some job hunters, salary negotiation is the
most terrifying part of the interview process. It
also may be the quickest, taking place in less
than a minute in many cases. Yet with all the
advice you can find on resumes, dress and
interview techniques, very little covers the most
crucial part of your search.
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Consider these techniques for getting an offer
you can live with.
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Do Your Homework
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Always keep a minimum salary requirement in mind.
With a little research, you can determine a
realistic and satisfactory salary. Luckily, the
Web hosts a plethora ( more than one can deal
with) of salary survey sites -- the more reliable
ones compiled by government agencies, employment
agencies, universities and professional
associations. Use them to find the average
earnings for entry level to executive positions
in your industry.
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Make Your Choice
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Once you have an idea of the kind of money you
can expect, determine three figures 1. how much
money you think you need 2. how much you want,
and 3. what you think you can live with. Put
together a personal budget, keeping in mind that
things like income tax, loan payments and health
care will probably account for a huge chunk
(amount) of each paycheck.
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It's also important to know that buying power
depends largely on the city you live in. If you
earn 30,000 in Cincinnati, you'd need to make
more than twice that salary to maintain your
lifestyle in New York City. If you have job
offers in different cities, you can compare their
values with a cost-of-living calculator.
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Can We Talk?
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If this is your first time out in the job
market, you'll probably have little to bring to
the bargaining table -- unless you have specific
programming or engineering skills. You'll have
more negotiating power if you have internship or
co-op experience. Some employers expect you to
bargain, while others have strict pay guidelines,
based on salaries across the industry. The
companies that are firm on-salary often also have
schedules for pay increases.
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Beyond Cash
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Are you willing to compromise cash for benefits?
Quality of life may mean more to you than money.
One hiring manager at a Silicon Valley startup
advises job seekers to "evaluate the
non-financial aspects of a package." It's
important to consider things like "the size of
the company, work environment, dress code, and
the experience you stand to gain," especially
when you're looking at cash-poor startups or
industries where entry-level salaries are
traditionally low.
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Would you give up a little money if you could
wear jeans (informal trousers) to work and start
your days at 10 a.m.? Flight attendants may only
earn 20,000 per year, but they travel for free.
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When you sit down at the bargaining table, find
out what your employer has to offer. Some
employers pay average salaries for the industry,
but enrich the overall package with things like
bonuses, full health coverage and tuition
reimbursement(paying back). If you're a night
owl(night bird), or you like to work in your
pajamas, ask about flextime and telecommuting
(phone,radio)options.
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Once you have an offer in hand, your bargaining
power is heightened. Ask who the healthcare and
insurance providers are and what each plan
covers. If you'll have to move across the
country to take a job, ask about relocation
(moving to a new place) assistance.
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Don't feel pressured to accept an offer right
away. Once you've given that OK, the deal is
effectively closed -- it will be much harder to
make amendments (changes) later on.
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If it seems that you're getting nowhere, and you
feel you absolutely can't live on the salary an
employer is offering, offer to temp (work for a
short period of time) for the company --- once
you prove yourself, you could get a more
acceptable offer. Don't be afraid to refuse a job
offer if your criteria aren't met.
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Negotiation Tips
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For example, the Department of Labor's
Occupational Outlook Handbook features salary
information, job descriptions and an employment
forecast for each industry. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics also offers a thorough package of
employment information and statistics by region.
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Don't forget to ask friends and alumni (school
mates) of your school who work in the industry
what a typical starting salary for a new graduate
is in the job of your choice
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1. Know your market, and know your
marketability (adaptability to). Do you
have rare, desirable skills? As far
as salaries are concerned, are you
being realistic, based on your
industry of choice?
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• Don't turn negotiations into an argument.
• You're hoping to work with these people --
  
• Don't get pegged (fixed at certain level) as a
  prima donna (self-import and mind
• changing).

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3. Decide what you need, want, and can
survive on before you walk into an
interview.
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4. Wait for an offer -- don't just announce
your minimum to the interviewer. And
never respond immediately -- take time to
think things over. 5. If you feel the
package is unsatisfactory, figure out
what would make the package more palatable
(agreeable). Don't just wait to see what
the employer has to offer.
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6. Get your offer in writing. This includes the
salary you agree upon, details on
potential increases, and any unusual
terms regarding your benefits or vacation
time. For example, if you need immediate
leave before you've accrued (added in
amount)
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entire healthcare premium (payment), you'll have
something to show HR if a problem comes up.
If you accept the job, send a letter
confirming your mutual agreement on the offer
and keep a copy for your records.
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7. If you're dissatisfied with the salary
package but are willing to take the job
nonetheless, ask for a performance review
in three or six months, and get it in
writing. --- Ms. Lerner is editorial
director of Vault.com, a New York
City-based information services provider
for job seekers.