How to negotiate a fair salary.
It's the part of the interview that makes many people cringe - the inevitable question, "What are your salary expectations?"
Before you start tossing out numbers, do your research, says Martin Yate, author of Knock 'Em Dead 2000: The Ultimate Job Seeker's Guide (Adams Media Corporation, 1999).
Look at online job boards and in the newspaper to see the salary ranges offered for similar positions. Check out salary surveys at sites like http://www.salary.com.
Yate also recommends joining a professional association. You'll get to know a network of people you can call to find salary ranges for your position.
The three magic numbers
Once you have a good idea of the salary range for the position, come up with three numbers, Yate says. First, decide on the lowest amount of money you need to put food on the table and a roof over your head. It's not a number you'll share with anyone, he says, but if a great career opportunity came along, you'll know how much you need to survive.
This is especially important for the techies just starting out who may need to learn skills or gain experience in the field.
"If you accept a job where you can do it 100 percent, you're being paid for what you know, and you won't learn anything," says Yate. "If you're in information technology and you're not learning anything, you're going to become obsolete."
Second, decide on a fair number that represents your experience, skills and geography. Third, decide on the number that would make you "drop dead and go to heaven on the spot," Yate says. Now drop the first number, and the second two represent a salary range.
Turn the tables
But even when you've decided on your range, you don't need to volunteer that information until it's necessary, says Yate.
"You want to turn it around and say, 'I want to make as much as my skills and experience warrant. I believe if I'm an appropriate person for the job, you'll make me a fair offer. What is the salary range for this job?' They'll give you a range, and you can come back with a range."
"If they put an offer on the table, the next thing to do is say, 'That sounds good as a starting point. Let's go back to the job for a moment.' And make sure you really understand the job."
Ask the interviewer to explain the position again, and ask specific questions, such as:
From the answers, you should be able to get a profile of the kind of person they're looking for, and you can negotiate from a position of strength by identifying the ways you fit that profile.
Yate says it's important to keep in mind that once an offer has been made, the hiring manager has decided they want you. They don't want to have to go back and begin the recruiting process again.
It's not only about the money
However, if the salary is not negotiable, don't forget to discuss benefits, Yate says. Aside from reviewing the company's standard benefits package, ask whether a signing bonus or other incentives are in the cards. Find out if they'll pay for training and ongoing education. And remember, you don't have to accept anything, says Yate.
"At this point you're only negotiating," he says. "And if you're a techie and you're [job hunting] properly, you'll get a bunch of interviews. Even if you get an offer from one company that's not great, you can negotiate just for the experience of it."
For technologists, one of the most important things to remember is that a job is about more than just the salary or even the benefits – it's about what you'll gain from the experience.
"The worst thing you can do in the world is accept a job based solely on the money," says Yate. "If you're in technology, you know how fast the world is changing. ... You must look at where the company is, where you're going, what you're going to have the opportunity to learn, and the skills you're going to develop. If you don't stay current, you're going to become a dinosaur."
