Fearless Interviewing6000 occupations. You can access the handbook online at
http://www.bls.gov/oco/.
The basic premise of all of these bargaining factors is that
you are not a position.In fact, what you bring to the table may
be a lot more than what the company had in mind for the posi-
tion. Since you’ve assessed your skills and constructed Q state-
ments in the last chapters, you are more likely to be able to con-
vince the employer that indeed you have more to offer the com-
pany in bottom-line profits than the average person they had in
mind for the position.
At no time, especially during salary negotiations, do you
want the employer to think of you as simply “filling a position.”
Rather, you need to be thought of as an individual with special
talents who can help the employer solve problems and who can
add value to the bottom-line profits of the company.
So few people actually do a thorough inventory of their abil-
ities and are able to communicate them. I’m certain that after
doing the exercises in the previous seven chapters, you’ll be able
to absolutely shine as that ideal candidate who brings extra value
to the organization. With extra value comes a higher salary. Let’s
continue with the last two bargaining factors.
- Determine your target salary and benefits. Your target salary
should always be 15 to 20 percent more than what the employer
initially offers. Learn to quickly multiply by 15 or 20 percent and
add it to your salary figure on the spot if you need to. Distinguish
between the benefits you absolutely need and those you want.
(See page 139 for a list of benefits.) - Forecast how long you are willing to wait until the negotia-
tion resolves in your favor. Some people feel they can wait only
10 minutes; others, wisely, know that it can actually take weeks
before a compensation package is settled. You may need income
at this very moment, but the longer you can afford to wait for cir-
cumstances to go your way, the greater advantage you will enjoy.
Is it worth it to you to spend a couple of hours
planning your negotiations if it means earning
$20,000 or even $40,000 more a year?