You’ve managed to get a meeting towards the great job … the interview has gone well, and you’ve established an excellent rapport with the hiring managers … only a couple more minutes to go … Oh no! They just asked about salary expectations!
That’s where you’re going to be glad that you just did that research early in advance. If you didn’t, and are certainly not sure the place to begin, below are great tips.
Analyzing Salaries
Generally if the salary is simply not written in the job description, you need to determine what the job may be worth. Sometimes you may be asked to provide your expectations in your cover letter, sometimes it’s going to arise in an interview. But the key is to be prepared with this question, mainly because it usually comes up.
Practically no 1 magic figure when trying to determine salary for your particular position. This will depend on market conditions, the company, geographical location, size of the city alongside your own skills and experience compared with other applicants. So how will you determine what a job is worth? Try try using a combination of different ways to get as best a range as can be. These can sometimes include:
look for similar advertised positions which does state a salary range
research salaries on the internet, using career web-sites, expert association websites and search engines (we’ve provided some initial points by the end within this article) – what is the interest in your abilities?
search for a local Human Resource Centre of Canada office
talk with people in similar careers
Where to start whenever you are asked to present salary expectations as part of your cover letter?
Many hiring managers ask applicants to give salary expectations in their cover letter. This can often be done to screen out appliers who expect a larger salary as opposed to the employer is willing to offer. Try to answer by having a neutral statement, emphasizing how the opportunity is the central consideration within your decision and that you would consider any reasonable offer. If needed, provide a range of what you are willing to accept as opposed to a fixed dollar amount.
Salary discussions during the interview
Never raise up salary during interviews. Always let the employer bring it up. The same guidelines apply as above for cover letters. That is, try and postpone wage discussions until after an offer is made. Indicate you are open for negotiation but would prefer to wait until after the hiring decision has been made. Again, should you feel that possibly they are really pushing for a figure, try and offer a range, not just a specific dollar amount and make sure they know it depends on the entire package together with benefits.
Don’t fret if salary isn’t discussed throughout the first interview. It likely will be in your second or at the very latest, once you get an offer! Actually, salary is usually best left for discussion until after the employer has decided that they want to hire you. By this approach, you minimize the chance of taking yourself out from the running.
When a deal is made – Negotiating Salary
Employers can occasionally offer you a salary amount when an offer is created. Take some time to think over it; a couple of days is generally acceptable. Seeing that they’ve decided they want to hire you, you may be in a position to negotiate a little. But you need to decide what you will be prepared to accept, taking into consideration the likelihood of receiving other offers, etc. Take all factors into account when making your choice, along with the salary, level of responsibility, working conditions, opportunities for further education,, etc. Ask about extended health and dental insurance, education re-imbursement plans, vacation, etc.
Consider negotiating in a few perks instead if the organization has a rigid salary structure. Depending on the level of the job and current economic conditions, consider asking about a signing bonus, paid professional development, access to your working computer for home use and/or stock options. A flexible time-table and operating from home occasionally are often possible. Note: in the event the economy is at a downturn, a number of these perks will never be available (eg. signing bonuses) so make use of your judgement and good sense when deciding just how much room you have to negotiate.
Everybody is apprehensive (in other words, scared!) about negotiating for benefits and salaries. You shouldn’t be… it is quite common. But do be sure you remain professional about it! No matter what, don’t be rude or arrogant. Think carefully in what makes you worth a better salary compared to the one they have offered, and be prepared to articulate this to the employer. It’s during this time that you’ll be glad you did your thorough research.
When picking a guides for salaries one must understand you must research first. Take a look at here If you wish to continue researching. Happy job searching!
