"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."     Winston Churchill

Negotiating Your Salary

When confronted with the thought of negotiating our salary during a job interview, some of us question our ability in effectively handling a salary offer that is below our expectations. With a little strategy, you can negotiate your salary like a pro by incorporating some of these helpful tips into your planning.

Avoid including salary information on your resume. If a company requests salary information on your resume, you could choose to ignore the request or state in the cover letter that your salary is negotiable based on the responsibilities of the position. Another option is to include a broad salary range rather than a fixed amount. If you get the interview, fixed salary amounts leave little room for negotiations.

Do you know what the position pays? If not, you need to do some research. Websites such as salary.com and salaryexpert.com offer salary information for various job titles within a specific geographical area. This data gives you a good idea of what your experience and skills are worth in the marketplace. You can use this information as a baseline for your negotiations.

Never discuss salary until you get a job offer. Try to delay directly answering salary questions until you know what the position entails.If the employer asks for your desired salary before obtaining this information, explain that you are looking for a competitive salary based on the responsibilities of the position.You can then start asking the employer questions about the position. Once it is explained, aim for the highest competitive salary range based on your research and the employer’s information.

If asked for the amount of your current earnings, don’t inflate your salary; instead, support your higher salary request by establishing how your qualifications can be of value to the company. Take your time in responding to an offer. If you are not satisfied with the amount, ask the employer if this is his best offer. Don’t feel obligated to accept right away. Take a day or two to think about it. Sometimes employers will increase the offer if they feel you won’t accept the position. 

If you are not successful in negotiating the salary you requested, focus on negotiating bonuses, more vacation time, or a salary increase after your first performance review. Before accepting an offer, remember to always get everything in writing.

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Employment Planning During a Recession

During this recession, some of us have been demoted or given the pink slip due to employment cuts or company bankruptcies. Retirees and those close to retirement have lost their pensions, 401ks, and other hard earned investments. As a result, some retirees are going back to work and unemployed job seekers are earnestly searching for employment in an economy teetering on a 10% unemployment rate. Employers are experiencing overwhelming amounts of applicants for just a handful of job openings. Jobs are no longer a dime a dozen, but opportunities do exist.

Desperate times call for strategic measures. Now, more than ever, unemployed job seekers need to target their search and effectively market themselves; even if it means dedicating eight hours a day to secure a position. Finding a job today requires a personal employment plan that focuses on building interview opportunities. Key areas of your plan should include job search strategies and resume targeting. 

Don’t be passive in your job search. On-line job postings and paging through the want ads aren’t active approaches to finding a position. Job seekers need to be seen and heard. Attending job fairs, contacting executive recruiters, cold calling, or networking through social and professional organizations are some ways you can make personal connections. Most jobs are found by forming professional relationships. An employer will most likely interview someone recommended by an employee or recruiter before searching their own database for candidates.  

A resume and cover letter are not broadcast flyers for the masses. They are marketing tools specifically designed to highlight and sell your best qualifications to a potential employer. You should have more than one resume tailored toward each position you are applying for. Just listing your job duties has little chance of being noticed in a sea of resumes.Your professional value must be demonstrated by including the results or successes of your past duties. Awards, special projects, and quantifiable results due to outstanding sales performance are some accomplishments you could highlight. Also, feel free to experiment with different formats and layouts. Resume handbooks and on-line samples are excellent resources that can assist you with developing a strategy that can best represent and market your unique qualifications.

Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t found a job within your anticipated time frame. Today, job seekers need to be patient and persistent while executing their employment plan every day.  

Eventually, well thought out strategies and hard work will pay off.

Articles by Anne Kern