On negotiating

During this part of the workshop I find myself agreeing with things he said a lot, and horrified at how I could’ve gone wrong at every step, and relieved that by some stroke of luck and common sense I didn’t…too much.

First thing he said on receiving an offer is to be flattered and gracious, show enthusiasm, and ask for time to consider it. I was pretty excited about the offer and might have just blurted out that I'll take the job on the phone. Common sense stopped me and told me to wait until I get a look at the full offer. Phew!

After comes evaluating and negotiating. He said many people don’t negotiate because they think they are lucky to have an offer or they don’t because the pay was higher than their previous job. Um…I was nodding my head at this point. I really wanted this job and the skills I will acquired. And it is more than my previous salary!

However, here are a few things to think about. Right now in the whole interview process you are at your most appealing to the employer, hence in best position to negotiate. Rarely does the job offer get pulled because you negotiated, so the worst scenario is that the offer stay the same, and the best is that you get more. So true! Also, it shows that even though you are really serious about the job, you are also seriously considering what it has to offer to you. Thank goodness I talked to Sis.

Now negotiating doesn’t just mean asking for more money. You need to research the competitive salary range for this position in similar markets to back up your asking salary. Also, it is not only the money. There are many other things to consider such as bonus, stock options, vacation, tuition assistance, healthcare, retirement, professional organizations and memberships, and flex hours etc. Now that he mentioned it I wished I had asked about professional registrations and flex hours. Something to keep in mind next time.

I did my negotiation with e-mail because well it gives me time to carefully word my responses. I guess my manager felt the same way because he was perfectly happy doing e-mail. The trainer also suggested e-mail instead of face-to-face since it is something where both sides need the time to think of the response.