Negotiating your pay may seem scary and uncomfortable, especially when it’s your first job in your career field after graduating college.
However, it is essential you learn to negotiate your pay from early in your career, to avoid leaving heaps of money on the table over time that instead could have been in your pocket.
Below are four tips to help navigate the art of salary negotiation and get you well on your way to earning a few more extra bucks.
1. Never give your number first
It’s always best to have your prospective employer make their offer first, so that you don’t run the risk of coming in way too low and giving them a steal.
Let the employer throw out their number, then counter them with a number higher than what you would be happy accepting.
This gives you wiggle room for the ensuing negotiations, and will help you land closer to whatever figure you had in mind.
Employers expect their initial offers to be negotiated – don’t be afraid to respectfully decline their offer and come back with their own demand.
2. Take your time
It is perfectly fine to ask for 24 hours to think over an offer. Accepting a job offer is a big commitment, and employers will understand that.
This is especially important if you’re waiting for other offers to come in; you want to be sure you’re landing where you want and for the pay you want, so take your time to weigh your offers against each other before making a decision.
3. Know your worth (and your facts)
Be clear and confident about what you can bring to your prospective employer will go a long way in negotiating your pay.
Be proud of your skills you’ll bring to the position and don’t be afraid to brag on them a little bit to during the pay talks.
Even just negotiating your salary will show confidence and will earn you respect before you even step foot into your role at the company.
4. Think about other benefits
You’re not always going to get the pay you want, even after engaging in negotiations with your prospective employer.
When this happens, it’s a great idea to request to sit down with your boss to discuss what you need to do in your position to get to the salary level that you were expecting.
Having clear expectations set and a time frame will give you a goal to work towards and help ensure you won’t be stuck at the same pay level long-term.