Negotiating The Offer
How do I know if I should negotiate a job offer?
Every job offer should be and can be negotiated. If you, let's say, are expecting a job offer of $50,000 and you get the job offer of $50,000; keep in mind that $50,000 may very well be the low end of what the employer's salary range could be. So, why not come back and say, "Thank you very much for the position. I'd be delighted to take the position at $60,000" You've just made $10,000, haven't you? So, any point that you want to negotiate, now is the time to do it. The only time you have the power to negotiate anything about your job is when that offer is on the table. Once you accept that position, your negotiating power immediately goes away, so make sure you use that time between the offer and the acceptance to ask for anything, specifically, that you really want.
Does an employer normally expect you to negotiate a job offer?
Employers typically expect candidates to negotiate job offers, and it's a common practice; everybody does it. Negotiation is a part of business. And so learning to become an expert negotiator is a key component of being a good job seeker. And knowing what you want, what your expectations are, knowing what the market is bearing in your industry and the level or position you're applying for -- those are all key things to help you become a strong, powerful negotiator. Obviously, if your industry is paying $30-$36, for the position you're applying for, and you're trying to negotiate $75, chances are you're not going to get it, and you're probably going to end up losing the offer. So go in there armed with information. Information is power, and use that to your advantage in the negotiation process.
Should I negotiate a job offer myself?
99.9% of the time, the candidate will directly negotiate his or her position with the company. There are certainly circumstances where third parties will intervene. For example, someone who's in the entertainment industry who may have an agent, a manager or an entertainment attorney negotiate some part of the deal or job for that client. But most of the time, you need to be prepared to negotiate on your own behalf.
How do I negotiate a job offer, but not lose the job?
You can negotiate a job offer without losing the job by being fair and courteous to the employer. If you have multiple offers on the table, you need to let all the other employers know that that is the scenario. Sometimes that will put you in a better situation because the employers may come back and say well, we'll offer you more money then or, what do we need to do to get you to turn down these other offers. That's the ideal scenario. You can always buy a little bit of time by letting an employer know that you have some other offers to consider or that you're continuing to interview. You can also negotiate salary again at this point if you have other offers on the table. Now, if an employer starts to balk or they come back and they start to be very rigid in terms of their terms and conditions, that's a very good indication that you probably can't push things any farther than you have. So, at that point, it's probably going to come down to a take it or leave it scenario and you need to be prepared for that. If you have other offers on the table, that's always great, but if not just be prepared to reach that point in the negotiation process where there is going to be that final, this is it, take it or leave it.
How do I know I've negotiated the best job offer possible?
You know you've negotiated the best offer possible when you and the other party walk away happy. That's the bottom line.
Can I re-negotiate if I discover I "lowballed" my salary?
If you discover that you've lowballed your salary, unfortunately, the chances of you re-negotiating after you've accepted a position are going to be just about impossible. Remember that the only time you really have negotiating power on your salary is between the time the job is offered to you, and the time you accept. So, make sure you use that time to research salaries, check around with family, friends, other people who are working in similar types of positions, so that you know what is a fair salary for the position you're applying for. Once you've accepted that job offer with its salary, it's pretty much too late to go back and change things.
