WCIYP- Salary Negotiation

Okay, so you made it through the dreaded interview process, and landed the job! You start on Monday and tell all of your friends and family the good news. And then someone says, "How much are you getting paid?" Uh...... you can't answer that question because you didn't ask. You do not want this situation to happen to you. Salary negotiation is an extremely important part of the interview process.

I know the term "salary negotiation"  may seem a bit intimidating, but you should always ask about it before accepting a job. You don't want to be working for $18 an hour when you could have been making $23.

You probably have some questions like when to bring it up? What to do if it isn't the amount your willing to settle for? Well, take a look at these few tips below that will help you along the path of the negotiation process.

Bring it up when....

• You know your in the final interview. 
• You know that they want you to work for them.
• You know that you want to work for that company 

Uncover the Range: One of the purposes of salary negotiation is to figure out how much an employer is willing to pay you. They usually have a range in mind, so you have to find out what that is and use it to your advantage. Employers are trying to pay you the least amount possible, whereas you are trying to get the most amount possible. For instance, and employer might offer $20 and hour, but they can actual afford to pay you $30. Most of us would prefer $30 an hour, so don't let intimidation keep you from negotiating.

Don't Give a Figure First: ALWAYS let the employer be the first one to state a figure. For some reason when an employer mentions a figure first, there is more of a chance of getting a figure higher than what was originally stated.

Tip: Try to avoid giving a figure when asked question like, "What kind of salary are you looking for?" You might think they are trying to be nice, but they are just trying to get you to state a figure.

Do Your Research: Let's say this is the first office job you have landed, and you have no idea what an average salary looks like. So, do some research!

-Ask people: Maybe you know someone with a similar position in another company. So, take the time to ask them what their salary looks like so you can get a fair range.

-Use the internet: There are a handful of websites that help you find accurate salary information.


Some common ones include:
-www.salary.com
-www.bls.gov/ooh
-www.salaryexpert.com

Maybe you haven't had any experience with salary negotiation, but that's okay. Just remember that you never want to accept a job offer without know the pay. If you have no idea where to start or how to bring it up, just try following a few of the tips above!