Negotiating Job Offers (Just ASK!)
“Those that ask – get. Those that don’t ask - don’t get.”
~Bob Burnett, Career Coach and Author.
Know When the Process Begins
As you enter the final “Knocking” phase of the Just ASK! methodology, you should have already completed a fair amount of the groundwork. Why? Because the process of negotiating a job offer really begins before your first interview.
In fact, it is a good idea to put together a realistic wish list of what you would like to see in the ideal job offer early in the process. Aside from salary, think about a signing bonus, benefits (vacation, insurance, etc.), tools you will need to do your job (association memberships, laptop, cell phone, etc.), and severance.
Do your salary research ahead of time on websites like:
Salary negotiations begin in earnest during the online application process when you are confronted with a profile form or a job application that asks for your salary expectations.
If you are staring at a paper copy of a job application that HR presented to you prior to an interview, either leave those fields blank or write-in the word “negotiable” and leave it at that.
The question of how much money you expect/want to make will usually come up in the interview. For a detailed discussion on how to handle that question, click here.
If you are looking at an online application or profile and the salary expectations field is required in order to continue to the next screen, plug in the following figure: $1.
HR knows you expect to make more than $1. It is simply a way to get around the question and pacify the technology until you have a chance to address it personally in an interview. For a detailed discussion on how to handle the money question during an interview, click here.
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