Tips for Negotiating Your Salary

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To be able to properly negotiate your salary at your new position you first need to fully understand the price you command in the marketplace. While of course you are not a commodity with a firm purchase price, there are "going rates" for employees just as there are for products and services. Although it is never to your advantage to initiate a discussion on salary or to state salary requirements in your correspondence during a job search. You need to know the ball park range of salary for the position you are interviewing for before you can effectively negotiate salary.

Salary information can be seen in a number of ways, among them advertisements and internet job postings, your knowledge of the salary ranges at your current and past employers, salary surveys, informal networking, feedback from recruiters and direct research into a specific company. Do your homework during your job search so that you feel confident with your salary expectations are reasonable for your target position. Then wait to discuss salary until you're offered the job.

Upon doing your research and knowing what a realistic salary expectation is for the job position you are applying for it is now important to remain reasonable during salary negotiates. A major mistake I see job seekers make when it comes to the salary negotiation aspect of the job search is asking for a ridiculous amount of money that is not in line with the going price for the position they are applying for. If you are applying for a position that reasonably pays $35,000 a year, asking for $60,000 will quickly take you out of contention for the employment

position you are applying for.

When negotiating your salary also remember to be flexible. As part of negotiating salary you need to remember to look at the whole picture which includes the complete compensation package they are offering but also other opportunities that may arise from the position that will benefit your career. Maybe the salary is a little low for the position but they have a great health insurance package and very generous vacation and personal days policy.