How To Get The Starting Salary You Want Hint: You Have To Ask
Do you accept the first salary offered, or do you negotiate?
Before starting my own business, I worked for small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and international corporations.
And during those years, I always accepted the first salary offer.
I didn’t try to negotiate a higher salary.
Not even once.
Mostly I was afraid they wouldn’t hire me. It turns out until recently; most candidates accepted the first offer. But things are changing.
Consider Responses To Salary Questions
Most job seekers dread the expected salary question. That’s not surprising as most Americans aren’t comfortable talking about income, even with friends. 80% of respondents to a Lexington Law survey said they wouldn’t ask a friend how much they make.
You Still Can’t Dodge The Salary Question (Here’s How To Answer)
Most job seekers dread talking to recruiters and employers about salary. In many states it’s illegal to ask candidates about their current salary. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be asked about your expectations.
The truth is, you can’t completely dodge the salary question.
But, to some degree you can control it. You do this by understanding the process and being prepared.
Why do recruiters ask about your salary?
As a former recruiter, I know they don’t ask your salary requirements to put you on the spot. They ask because they need to know if you are in the salary range for the position they are filling. Remember, recruiters don’t work for you, they work for the employer.
7 Ways To Increase Your Chances Of Getting A New Job
Most of us wouldn’t buy a home or a car or even a new phone without some planning. Before a large purchase we’d check our credit report and research prices. Depending on the purchase, we might read reviews of realtors or retailers. We want to be prepared when we find the perfect whatever.
Yet, many people jump into a job search, a process that could change their life, with no preparation.
They see a few interesting job posts and decide it’s time for a change.
Often, they don’t have their resume or LinkedIn profile recruiter ready. They haven’t researched the salary range for the position they seek. They may not even have a clear understanding of what they want in a new position.
Big mistake.
A job search requires as much preparation as any other big move. Here are 7 steps you need to take before you begin your job search.
Salary: Negotiate Or Not?
Do you accept the first salary offered or do you negotiate?
In my 9 to 5 years, working for small firms, nonprofits, and international corporations, I always accepted the first salary I was offered.
I didn’t try to negotiate.
Not even once.
This was a big mistake on my part. I most assuredly left money on the table.
But, I’m not alone.
It turns out 73% of employers say they are willing to negotiate but 55% of candidates don’t even ask according to research done by CareerBuilder.
5 Great (But Not As Well Known) Sites For Job Seekers
Everyone knows the BIG, popular career sites like Monster, CareerBuilder, and Glassdoor. They all provide great information for job seekers. But, there are a many other albeit lesser known resources that can help you move your job search forward. Here are 5 of my favorites.
When I was working as a vocational counselor we had a copy of this in our office. That was in 1998. Now it’s available for free online. OOH has information on 100’s of careers: Accountants to Paramedics.