Negotiating Salary: Winning What You Are Worth

Negotiating Salary: Win What You Are Worth

Approaching the issue of salary can be very difficult. Many people find the experience of negotiating salary to be very stressful and awkward. With a little research and confidence, you can overcome these feelings and get the salary that you deserve.

When to Negotiate

The best time for negotiating salary requirements is once you’ve proven your worth. Once you have impressed your prospective employer with your skills and personality, you may receive an informal offer for the position. Your opportunity to negotiate is now, before anything is in writing.

How to Prepare

Prepare for negotiating salary proposals by researching salaries for comparable positions in your area.  You can use sites like Careerbuilder, Glassdoor, or Payscale to research what other people are making in similar positions.

Use friends, family, or peers to conduct mock interviews. Getting some practice talking about your salary requirements with people can help you feel more comfortable when you are discussing it with your employer.

Example Questions:

What do you think you’re worth?
How much did you earn in your previous job?
If I offered you ______, would that work for you?

Preparation Tips

Do not be passive when discussing your worth. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you think you deserve.

Before you go in to begin negotiating salary requirements, determine your bottom line.

Keep in mind that benefits such as insurance, stock options, and vacation time can have value as well.

Other Advice

Make sure that you are negotiating salary requirements in person, rather than over the phone or email. Simply being face to face can give you the upper hand with your employer and make your proposal more difficult to turn down. Make sure that any offers are put in writing. This will ensure that both parties are aware of the figure that was decided upon.