Knowing your worth and developing winning strategies are crucial to successful salary negotiations.
Negotiating your first salary will require solid research and a lot of negotiation smarts. Before you start interviewing for jobs, take the time to know the ins-and-outs of salary negotiation.
- Research entry level salaries in your industry, sector, and geographical areas.
- Do not focus on “how much you need to make” but “how much value” you bring to the organization.
- Do not be the one to bring up salary questions in the interview process.
- Negotiate after you receive the job offer, not before.
- Do not accept the offer when it is presented. Clear your head and then consider the compensation package.
- Compartmentalize emotions when discussing salary.
- Put yourself in your fellow negotiator's shoes and determine how much room you have to maneuver.
- Make one counteroffer at a time. Do not attempt to negotiate too many elements in one counteroffer.
- Keep a record of all your salary negotiation conversations.
- Ask for the final offer in writing.
Visit career websites with salary information to begin your salary research and schedule a salary negotiation session with your career counselor.