Ready, Set, Negotiate!

Ready, Set, Negotiate! Would you pay the sticker price on a new car? The assumption when buying a car is that you can usually get a better deal if you ask for it! Negotiate! The same is true when you are offered a job. The truth is that many job seekers have been conditioned to believe that a company is making their best offer when they present a job opportunity and that just isnt true. Get Ready During the interviewing process, your role is to gather information about the job: measures of success, tasks and duties, but you also want to gain intelligence that helps you understand the companies policies and procedures, for example, how promotions and raises are dished out and how often, and the perks and benefits the company offers. You may have to network with current or past employees to find out some of this information. If the interviewer perceives that you are overly focused on vacation time, they may question your interest in the job. This sounds horrible. We should be able to have an open conversation about all aspects of the job and the benefits, but the reality often is different. Set You can not, nor should not, try to negotiate until the job offer is presented. For example, if you really need an extra week of vacation, do not bring this up during the interview. Withhold this request until after the offer has been presented. If you dont need their health insurance benefits because your covered under your spouses policy, keep this under your hat until you negotiate. This saves the company thousands of dollars a year and could translate into a greater base salary or perhaps even some extra vacation. Negotiate The offer has been presented, usually verbally, but sometimes in writing, now what? Show interest and enthusiasm towards the job and company first and foremost! Let them know you are excited then ask how long you have to consider the offer an when you can get back to them. Ask the question! Think about how many times youve met with them and how long the interview process has taken for them to reach this decision.  Taking a couple of days to consider this very important decision seems logical. Get more concrete negotiating tips Dont Overlook Negotiating Your Offer 9 Tips To Negotiate A Job Offer Like A Pro And this  Negotiating checklist  helps you plan which items you want to negotiate.