Most people are very excited when they are offered a new job. These people often sell themselves short when asking for a new salary. They may be so happy that they have finally gotten a job that they don’t think about the long-term salary benefits. They may also be afraid that if they try to negotiate they will lose the position.
Negotiating a salary can be nerve-racking, but it is imperative that you do it right. Here are some common pitfalls people make that you will want to avoid.
They Don’t Negotiate at All
The biggest mistake that people make is that they don’t negotiate at all. You need to make sure that you are going to be paid what you deserve when you take a new job.
Many people get gun-shy because they fear the employer will decide not to hire them if they ask for too much. You need to stay confident. They invest a lot of money making sure they hire and keep people who are going to move the organization towards its goals. They will pay a fair salary to make that happen.
They Talk about Salary before Being Offered the Job
This is where people go wrong in negotiating. You don’t want to discuss the salary until you have been offered the position. Negotiating is important but you need to make sure you don’t scare off an employer before they’ve even decided to hire you.
Try to Avoid Bringing up Salary First
Employers usually try to get new hires to make the first offer. Don’t bite if you can avoid it. You need to get them to make the first offer and use that as a baseline for your negotiation. This is where you can try to ask for more.
However, you need to know when there are some situations where you have to stipulate your salary expectations before moving forward with an application. This is especially true if you are filling out an application online. Most online applications require you to state what type of salary you are looking for. These are situations where you need to have a good idea of what to expect beforehand.
They Don’t Do their Research Ahead of Time
You need to be careful when it comes to stating your salary expectations beforehand. You need to make sure that you have a clear idea of what the employer is likely to agree to beforehand. There are two ways you can do this.
You can try to look at the average salary for people with your qualifications in the industry as a whole. However, you need to also take the business’s financial position into consideration as well. A start-up may not be able to afford to pay you as much as other companies. You may want to try doing some informational interviews with other employees or associates with the company. They may be able to shed some light on what the company is like.
They Take an Offer They Aren’t Happy with
Too many applicants are willing to accept an offer that they can’t be happy with. You will need to know the minimum that you are willing to take and try to negotiate above it. Keep in mind that the salary you accept when you are starting off will set the trajectory of what you will earn the rest of the time you are working with that company.
About the Author: Kalen is a business writer and advisor. He shares tips about receiving a Master’s in negotiation and similar fields of study for people looking to further their careers.
