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The 10 Commandments Of Salary Negotiations

1. Research your profession's salary range. Check with recruiters in your field (even if you don't pursue their leads), competitors, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Internet, your local chamber of commerce and trade publications.
2. Select a target salary or total pay. You may not get the amount you want, but having a specific objective can help you get close.
3. Don't initiate salary discussions. Wait for the interviewer to bring the subject up, even if it's postponed to a second interview.
4. When asked for your salary requirements, say that they're "negotiable." Do the same on applications by writing "negotiable" in any box asking about salary details. If the form asks you to provide current salary, write, "to be covered during interview." This isn't being evasive, because without knowing details about benefits, how could you select a salary figure?
5. When asked for your salary requirements, reply by asking the interviewer to share the position's salary range. If your request isn't granted, excuse yourself politely and leave. (Would you want to work for a firm that won't respond to this legitimate request?)
6. Discuss benefits separately from salary. Your list of benefits can include insurance, tuition reimbursement, relocation payments, stock options, bonuses and outplacement upon termination.
7. Analyze all benefit packages with a family member or friend, or with an insurance, investment or bank professional. They'll provide you with an invaluable second opinion and may look at the offer more objectively.
8. Consider the cost of living if you're moving to a new area, and if it's higher, suggest that you be paid a differential.
9. In discussing why you deserve a substantial increase, use examples of your accomplishments that prove your value, not merely your experience. Comparisons to your current salary are irrelevant and should be avoided; you're talking about the benefits you'll bring, not your past salary, which you may have had no control over.
10. Always assume a firm's first offer is negotiable and never accept an offer at the interview. Express your strong interest, but state you always discuss decisions of this magnitude with advisers whose judgment you have relied upon for years. Tell your interviewer when you'll contact him or her with your decision.

By following these commandments, you'll increase your chances of receiving a pay increase well into the double-digits.

This article can be found at: http://www.salaryexpert.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=SalaryAdvice.Dsp_Article&ArticleID=8

Featured Article

Eight Things That Can Boost Your Pay

1. Years of experience
   Typically, more experience results in higher pay - up to a point. Similarly, if the position calls for someone with 10 years of experience in a particular occupation, and you don't meet those requirements, you may find yourself on the lower end of the pay scale. Negotiation tip: emphasize your years of experience if you have slightly more than what's required; if you have too much experience, you may be overqualified.
2. Education
   The match between your education and what's normally required for your job usually affects your pay. Plus, the quality of education can affect salary. Earning a degree from a top program typically has a positive influence on pay, while earning a degree from a school that's considered weak in a particular field may decrease your earning potential. Negotiation tip: emphasize your education if it is more than what's called for in the job - and it's relevant.
3. Performance reviews
   Since most employers base their pay decisions at least partly on individual performance, this is an important variable when being considered for a pay increase or promotion. Even when applying for a new job, this information may be important to your prospective employer, as it gives a more complete picture of your abilities. Negotiation tip: performance has a significant impact on pay, especially incentive pay.
4. Boss
   The more discretion and latitude you have in relation to your company's success, the more directly your decisions and actions will affect the bottom line - and your own. And if your boss is higher on the corporate hierarchy, his or her recommendations concerning your pay have less chance to be overridden in the cycles of review. Negotiation tip: in the interview process, find out who the position reports to, along with the position's potential for growth.
5. Number of reports
   The more employees you manage, the higher your pay in certain jobs. Of course, your level of success is also based on the performance of the employees you manage. Negotiation tip: emphasize the successes of those who report to you or who reported to you in your previous position.
6. Professional associations and certifications
   Certifications and memberships in professional organizations or trade associations can have a positive effect on pay. However, if a job calls for a certification you don't have, you might not get the job or your pay might be set at the lower end of the range. Some employers require employees without certifications to work toward them. Negotiation tip: if you have a certification that is optional, but considered a plus, that means you can expect to earn a little more because of it.
7. Shift differentials
   In certain jobs, workers may be expected to perform tasks during less favorable shift times. These employees are typically paid a premium due to the higher social and physical costs involved in working outside "normal work hours." In jobs that don't normally operate on more than one shift, the differential is negligible and usually only taken into account when a nonsalaried employee works overtime or on a special project. Negotiation tip: you can expect to earn a little extra for working the second or third shift.
8. Hazardous working conditions
   In certain jobs, workers are expected to perform tasks under dangerous working conditions. Dangerous working conditions can be defined to include anything from handling dangerous chemicals in a research facility to walking a police beat in a dangerous section of town. Jobs that fall into this category are usually regulated by outside authorities, including labor unions and the government. Negotiation tip: ask for hazard pay if you are put on a temporary assignment in a dangerous location.

This article can be at: http://www.salary.com/learning/layoutscripts/leal_display.asp?tab=lea&cat=nocat&ser=Ser271&part=Par390

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