Big Book of Job-Hunting Hacks

If you’re uncomfortable talking about money or asking for what you want, don’t worry—go ahead and do it. Employers and HR professionals expect you to negotiate your starting salary. It’s very rare that the first package offered—pay and benefits, that is—is fixed. So think of it as a starting point and reach higher. Basic tips for successful negotiation include:

• Have a solid grasp of what is realistic in terms of pay, benefits, and perks for the type of job you’ve been offered.

• Also understand where you fit in the range of experience, skills, and value.

• Let the other person begin. This ensures it’s the right time to negotiate—and you hold the advantage if the employer names their figure first.

• If negotiations reach a point where the final salary offer is still low, move on to negotiate for more or better benefits.

If you don’t negotiate for what you want at this stage of accepting employment, Palmer warns, “You’re likely to leave several thousand dollars on the table. And you’ll never make that money up.”

The appropriate time to talk money (and benefits) is one of the firm rules in job interviewing. While the topic of pay may come up early—in a request for your salary history or requirements along with your résumé, for instance—the rock-solid rule is, don’t bring up the subject until the employer makes you a job offer.

It’s important to understand that that initial question is not part of salary negotiation or discussion, but simply to see if you fall in the general range of what they’re paying.

TIP: If asked to supply your current or previous salary, don’t lie! If you’re hired and the lie is found out, this is legal grounds for termination.

DOs AND DON’Ts FOR TALKING MONEY

DO be prepared to start negotiations as soon as your second interview—though the topic may not come up until the third or fourth interview. (See Chapter 8.)

DON’T ask about salary during your interviews. “It’s not considered appropriate,” says Palmer. “It’s expected that when you get the job offer, you’ll have done your research and be prepared to negotiate.”

DO have any notes on your salary research ready to reference during discussions.

DON’T accept a job, salary, or benefits that you don’t want.

DO ask for time to consider the final offer once you’ve reached an agreement on salary and benefits. It’s acceptable to request a day or two to consider the final offer.

Every organization has its own time line and process for hiring new employees, depending on its size and agility, procedures and protocols, and the difficulty of finding the best candidate for a particular position. Here is a general guide for how job negotiations might take place:

“Typically, after all the interviews are over and the company has decided whom they want for the position, an HR professional will make a phone call to extend the offer. That’s when the negotiation takes place. You want to be prepared for that call. You don’t want that HR person to have to go back to the hiring manager with your questions, so when you’re interviewing you need to have the mindset that you’re going to be hired. That’s when you should have asked all your questions. You want to come away from that phone call with the company’s best offer. Once you feel you have that, say, ‘I’d like a couple of days to think about it. Can I call you on Wednesday?’”

—Cheryl Palmer, CECC, negotiation expert and president of Call to Career

You can’t successfully negotiate unless you know the realities of the marketplace. What is the typical salary range for the position you applied for? Does that range apply in your geographic region? And when and how do you bring this up during negotiations?

Study up on salaries in your industry. You can start this research way in advance of a first interview, but by the time you’ve sent out your thank-yous for that interview, it’s time to start getting serious about money matters. This includes:

Know what you need. How much do you pay in total monthly bills, including housing, various insurance, utilities, and groceries? What benefits do you absolutely need—such as health insurance?

Know what you can command. Your own experience, education, and other qualifications will dictate where you are on the salary scale. Be realistic in assessing what you bring to the table.

Know the salary range for the position. This is the key element to negotiating. You need to research salaries and typical benefits by industry, position, area, and for the current economic climate. Don’t worry, we’re about to tell you how to do this!

USE THREE SALARY SOURCES

For good general salary information, Cheryl Palmer recommends salary.com and payscale.com.

“I also tell my clients to look for salary surveys from professional associations. Just be sure to look at more than one source, because there will be slight variations in information; consider your local geographic area. If you check three sources, you’ll be pretty well armed for salary negotiation.”

Find good salary info online at:

• Salary.com: Type in the position title and city/state you’re interested in and get base salary range for free. More detailed information is available for a fee.

• Payscale.com: Identify yourself as a job candidate, job seeker, current employee, or a business to get a free salary report based on your education/experience level, etc. The report is e-mailed to you.

• The Salary Info section on www.job-smart.org.

• SalariesReview.com (but most information will cost a fee).

• Glassdoor.com has information from real-life employees, including salaries by industry, by occupation, and by company. Even if the company you’re interviewing with is not included, this gives you some valuable comparisons.

TIP: Before negotiations start, try simply asking the hiring company what the salary range is for the position. You can call the human resources department and explain that you’re interviewing for the position. See if they’ll give you the information.

As with interviewing skills, practicing negotiation sessions can polish your skills and prepare you like nothing else.

Palmer agrees that you should “absolutely” practice negotiating. “There’s a lot of stress and a lot of pressure—mainly, pressure to just cave and accept what they offer,” she warns. “You play the part of the job candidate, and have a friend or family member play the employer—or better yet, a career coach. You need someone who’s going to be tough on you. It’s likely the person who’s offering you the job is trained in negotiation.”

LIBRARY RESOURCES

If you want a tough practice partner, look for a career counselor or job coach. Some public libraries have partnerships with nonprofit career services to help job seekers in the library; perhaps a volunteer can schedule a practice negotiation session with you.

NEGOTIATION CHECKLIST

Your preparations will be complete when you:

1. Have salaries or salary ranges for a comparable position from three different sources, giving you a clear picture of the package you should be offered for the job.

2. Believe those salary ranges are in line with what you need or want to earn. (If they aren’t, you may be applying for the wrong jobs—or you need to rethink either your career or your budget!)

3. Have statements prepared for arguing in favor of your specific qualifications—an advanced degree, a particular skill, excellent experience.

4. Have practiced different scenarios for tough negotiations and are comfortable pressing the interviewer for what you want and deserve.

So: you’re armed with some hard figures on what the salary range should be for the position you’re being offered, you know what you need and what you want, and you’ve practiced some negotiation scenarios. Sounds like you’re ready!

Much like when you started interviewing for the position, you want your interviewer to give you some information before you jump in.

“The basic rule of thumb is that whoever brings up salary first loses. The company very often doesn’t want to reveal what they can pay, and the job seeker shouldn’t want to reveal what she wants.”

—Cheryl Palmer, CECC, negotiation expert and president of Call to Career

Some interviewers will simply come out and say, “This position has a salary range of $34,000 to $38,000.” Most companies are likely to have salary ranges set for each position; but that doesn’t mean those ranges are set in stone. “Usually HR sets the parameters for [salary and benefits], but it’s driven by the budget of the department or company that’s hiring,” says Jill Silman, SPHR, vice president at Meador Staffing Services and a spokesperson for the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM). So if the stated salary range isn’t as high as you had expected or hoped, keep up the negotiations!

Other interviewers will ask you what you’d like to earn. It’s OK to dodge the question by asking if there is a set salary range. “However, you can’t continue to hedge indefinitely,” says Palmer. “After you go back and forth a few times, you’ll have to answer the salary inquiry. At that point, give a range, based on the research you’ve done. This is a good time to mention your research and the sources.”

• State, “I understand that your organization has a set salary range for this position, but I’d like to make a case for increasing that range in this case.”

• Point out your salary sources and the industry averages. (Don’t use your own previous or current salary as an example!)

• Remind your interviewer of several of your top selling points, illustrating why you are a valuable candidate.

• Don’t turn down the job right away, but make it clear that you are concerned about the money offered.

• If at this point it seems the top end of the range stated is as high as the organization will go, consider whether it’s worth negotiating on other points. (See below.) If you can’t get a package that suits your needs or wants, end the interview politely but try to leave the door open in case the organization’s decision makers change their minds.

• Negotiate for the highest end of the range. Reiterate your selling points to show your value to the company.

• Try for a higher salary rather than a middle-range amount with the promise of a bonus or future raise; your agreed-upon starting salary will be set in stone, unlike promises of extra cash in the future.

• Even if you get the salary you wanted, continue to negotiate benefits and perks.

• Don’t express excitement or delight. You still want to negotiate the best salary and benefits you can get, so push for the higher end of the range.

• Consider that there may be a reason the pay is higher than usual. You may be expected to work longer hours or travel extensively—so make sure you continue negotiations!

• Wait to see if the benefits package is decent. Is the higher salary range compensation for lack of health insurance or a retirement plan? If so, use your “thinking time” before accepting the offer to research how much of the high salary you’ll spend making up those benefits. Is it still a good salary?

Be reasonable in your requests when you make a counteroffer to the initial offer or statement. Bernice Kao, job/career specialist and job service outreach librarian at Fresno County (California) Public Library, recommends, “Lay out your counteroffer two steps above the original offer. Reassure [your interviewer] of the experience and benefits you will bring.” Ideally, your negotiating partner will meet you in the middle, which is what you wanted in the first place. Here’s an example:

Once you agree on salary, go on to review the benefits and perks that come with employment. These, too, are negotiable—so if the final salary offered is not what you had hoped, consider ways to make up the difference in either benefits or quality-of-life factors. “They’ve already made the offer, so see what you can get,” advises Kao. “You might give them five options and they’ll take three. Give them a choice, but base it in reality.”

The answer, in short, is “everything.” Most job candidates focus on the size of the paycheck offered—but that’s not all you can (or should) negotiate.

“It’s easy to be dazzled by what appears to be a higher salary—but the total compensation package includes benefits like a retirement plan and health insurance,” Palmer points out. “You have to look at that whole package.”

FOR INSTANCE . . .

“One of my clients left her job in IT and got an offer that she was delighted with. She was excited about the higher salary, but when I pressed her for information on her benefits, she didn’t know. She hadn’t asked before she accepted the job. Well, it turned out that her previous employer had 401K matching—and the new job didn’t. She was actually making less money.”

—Cheryl Palmer, CECC, negotiation expert and president of Call to Career

Look at the entire package. “These things will affect your pocketbook and your life,” Palmer stresses. You can negotiate:

• Flextime/telecommuting from home

• Health insurance: if you are already covered by your spouse, or by the military, can you negotiate a higher salary instead of health coverage?

• Vacation time

• When you get your first salary review (negotiate it earlier, in hopes of getting your first raise sooner)

• Retirement plans

• Bonus plans

• Tuition reimbursement

• Stock options

• Signing bonus

• Relocation allowance

• Start date

These days, more people are negotiating based on time. Parents of young children and Generation X in general value time off, so workers are bargaining for flextime, shorter days, or more days off. “Time is the new currency,” says Silman.

Once you and the employer have reached an agreement on all the factors of your salary and benefits package, conclude with these steps. If the negotiations occurred in person, you can state them; otherwise, it’s a good idea to send in an e-mail immediately to:

• Acknowledge the offer.

• Make sure the terms of the offer are clear. If not, ask for clarification.

• Thank the employer for the offer.

• Ask for time to consider. You want to think about the job, the salary, and everything that goes with it—anywhere from overnight to two days should be acceptable.

• Find out whom you should contact with your final decision. It may be the HR person or the hiring manager.

DON’T WANT THE JOB?

It’s still a good idea to ask for time to consider. You want to be certain of your decision. And if you’re not happy with the final package offered, there is a slight chance that the organization may reopen negotiations.

NEED MORE TIME?

If you need more than a couple of days to consider the final job offer—such as when you are juggling more than one offer (or hope to be any day now), ask for more time. Be honest and let the employer know why you’re asking for extra time, because this may be an imposition for them. It’s OK to explain that you’re waiting to hear about another offer, or have a follow-up interview scheduled at another company. (But keep it honest; trying to use another job offer to leverage a higher salary can backfire!)

Keep in mind that if you’re requesting a lot more time than the employer has planned to make a final decision, the employer may refuse. The best practice is to pick up the phone and discuss your situation. Make it clear that you’re interested in the position, but you need more time. Try to be exact in how much time.

No matter how perfect the job seems, or how generous the package offered, always ask for some time to consider the offer before making a decision. This is an important step that will affect your career, your life, and your bank account, so sleep on it. Use the time you’ve requested to review everything you learned about the position, the organization, the salary and benefits. Be honest in assessing whether the job and the employer are good fits for you. Once you’ve made your decision, it’s time to act:

When you accept a job offer, even verbally, it’s like signing a contract. So don’t say “yes” if you are not 100 percent certain you want that job and are willing and able to take it. If you accept a job in the excitement of the offer—say, you’re swayed by a sizable salary but have second thoughts later—it will be embarrassing to back out, and can damage your personal and professional reputation.

1. Telephone the hiring manager or HR professional to let them know the decision—before the deadline you promised. (You should have asked whom to contact at the end of your negotiation meeting.)

2. Follow up with an e-mail message stating that you’ve accepted the offer and requesting a letter of agreement or contract stating the terms agreed to.

3. Play it safe—wait until you get that letter, review it, and finalize the offer before you give notice at your current job, bow out of any other positions you may be interviewing for, or move across the country to start your new position.

Most employers have a hiring process they’ll follow, which includes drafting a letter of agreement for new employees. This letter—or formal contract, in some cases—should include at least the salary and benefits you agreed to in negotiations, and perhaps other details including your start date and to whom you will report.

You should carefully review the letter, compare the terms to those in your notes, and—if all details look accurate—sign it and send it back promptly. If you find a discrepancy between what you agreed to in negotiations and what the letter states, follow these steps:

1. Make a photocopy of the letter (or print out a second copy).

2. Use a pen to note the discrepancy. You can draw a single line through any text that you want deleted and make notes in the margins for what you’d like added.

3. Don’t sign the letter. In fact, you may want to write Xs or draw a line through the signature line.

4. Draft a brief cover note explaining the changes.

5. Send the marked-up copy and the cover back to the original sender, by fax or mail, and ask about next steps.

6. If the employer does not agree with you on the final terms, it’s time to either reconsider the “new” offer or request another meeting for further negotiations.

If your new employer does not provide a letter of agreement—perhaps it is a very small company, or a start-up business—you should take it upon yourself to draft one and ask your new manager to review it and sign it. It’s important for both parties to understand and agree to clear terms and conditions of employment up front.

GIVING NOTICE

Once you’ve officially accepted the job offer and have a signed letter of agreement from your new employer, you can safely give notice at your current job. For decades, the rule of thumb is to give two weeks’ notice before leaving. This is not a law; it is an ethical practice to give your employer time to cover your responsibilities.

Give your notice in person to your immediate supervisor and let her know your last day. You don’t have to go into specifics, just that you’ve accepted a position with another company. And DON’T accept a counteroffer from your employer if you’ve already accepted a new job!

TIP: Be prepared for the possibility that the day you give your notice may be your last day of work there. Some companies and departments are concerned about security or confidentiality and may decide not to let a departing employee stick around. This is legal, but know your rights:

• You’re entitled to be paid for all the days you’ve worked and, depending on your employer’s policies, any vacation or personal time you’ve accrued.

• You don’t have to sign anything or do anything in order to collect the pay that is owed you.

If, after you take some time to consider the final offer, you opt not to take the position, do the right thing: “Call them back. Be polite and thank them for considering you,” says Palmer. Let the employer know as soon as possible. After all, that organization has a position to fill, and other candidates are eager to get the call.

1. Call the hiring manager or HR professional to let them know your decision.

2. Follow up right away with an e-mail to that person, thanking everyone involved for their time and consideration, and restating that you are declining the offer.

3. If appropriate, give your reasons for declining—you are taking another position, or you could not reach agreement on salary or benefits. Keep this message positive, and if you can’t state the real reason (you hated the hiring manager), then simply state you are declining and leave it at that.

Keep your tone professional and courteous. “Even if you decide not to take the job, leave on good terms,” says Palmer. “Don’t burn any bridges.”

Once you’ve learned how to prepare and practice for negotiating, keep those skills fresh! They will come in handy throughout your career—whether you are negotiating your first raise at your new job a year after you’re hired or angling for more responsibilities. You’ll find that the more you practice negotiating, and the more you actually engage in negotiations, the better you are!

HR professional:	“The Sales Associate job is what we call a ‘grade 2’ position and has a salary range of $28,000 to $32,000. We think that is generous for an entry-level position.”
You:	“That range seems in line with my research. I know this is an entry-level job, but I worked an internship this summer at a company like yours, so I bring some recent experience as well as my Bachelor’s of Marketing, so I think I would warrant $32,000 a year.”
HR professional:	“That wouldn’t give you any room for a raise or cost of living increase. Why don’t we say $30,000 to start.”
You:	“That makes sense. But I’m confident that I can prove I’m worth more. Can we agree to schedule my first performance review for six months from my start date, with a potential raise based on my performance?”