Research the average salary range before applying for a paid position! Some organizations request a salary range to be submitted with the application and they will hold the applicant to what they list, so make sure you shoot for the stars at the beginning. Review the resources below to gain insights on how you will approach your next negotiation.
Negotiating
- Negotiating a job offer, consider what is negotiable along with how in demand your skills are for that industry.
- Evaluating offers, tips from the University Career Center
- Salary Guide
- Internships: Is academic credit or a salary an option?
- When negotiating do it in real time, avoid email and voicemails. Adhere to their timeline.
Tools
- 4 Salary Negotiation Tips (including sample scripts)
- LinkedIn Learning guide offers a video introduction and a Job Offer Checklist
- Compare cost of living in cities or use Area Vibes
- Create a budget worksheet to identify your salary needs.
- Resource Guide: Leveraging ChatGPT for your job or internship search
Sample Wording: Create a script before negotiating
Let the interviewer pursue the topic. Side step the question until you have an offer and always stick with a range.
__________________________
- I would like to know more about the position and the benefits before discussing salary.
- Would it be possible to discuss the growth potential for this position before discussing salary?
- Salary is not my main motivator. But I would like to know more about…
- I think we can come to an agreement about the benefits package. I have researched your benefits and from what I found online, I don’t think it will be a problem…The thing I am really curious about is how will success be measured in this position?
After repeated attempts consider replying to the interviewer with the wording below.
- How much do you have allotted for the position?
- What salary have others with my experiences started with?
- My salary request is ??-?? based on xyz (insert your accomplishments). However I will consider any reasonable offer.
- You have mentioned salary several times, are you concerned that you are not offering a competitive salary?
Always ask for time to consider the offer, but first express excitement or gratitude for the opportunity. Ask your questions related to benefits so you have more information to review.
__________________________
- I am very interested and excited about this offer.
- Would it be possible for me to get back with you on Tuesday with my final answer?
- I just need a day to review the benefits closely.
Have your benefits questions ready
- Where can I find the benefits to review?
- Does the final salary include the bonus we discussed?
- Is the ____ telework day flexible or would it be the same day of the week each week?
- What would be the official start date?
- Who would be my direct supervisor?
- Can you tell me more about ______ (insert what you value here)?
It doesn't hurt to ask! There are very few situations where the applicant should just take the initial offer. Identify what you can leverage as proof that you would be a valuable employee and use that as evidence that you should be compensated appropriately. Average number of days from job offer to acceptance is 12 so asking for a couple of days to review the offer is appropriate.
_________________________
Gentle push for more money/additional benefits:
- Do you have any flexibility on the _____ (insert salary, start date, etc.)?
- Is that salary negotiation?
- Tell me more about the remote work days?
- I am very excited about this offer. Based on my research of the average salary for a professional with my skills and educational background, the range is $55,000-$63,000 and I was hoping we could land somewhere at the top of the range.
- How close can you get me to ___?
- I was really hoping for closer to ___. (then silence!)
If the salary is “set”.
I understand that your salary is set for this position. Can we discuss (insert your values) the work hours and position title?
Determine the average salary for your field of interest
Research the average salary for your next full time job. Use the salary tools (below) to locate regional data for job titles searched:
- Indeed.com
- Salary Expert
- Payscale.com
- Glassdoor.com- Self reported company salaries and company reviews. You will be asked your salary anonymously at your current/prior firm to gain access
- Salary.com (free and paid version)
- Federal positions- GS level pay by location
Interview professionals working in the field and ask what they think the going rate is for an entry level position in the field.
Other Resources
- Already got the job? How to Ask for a Raise Without Coming off as Entitled
- Maryland: Salary history ban & wage transparency law
- List of states banning salary history questions on applications
According to a recent NACE recruiting article, 2023,
The average number of days between the candidate’s first interview and getting a job offer (or being notified they were not being considered) was 25.1.
Employers extended offers to about 45% of their candidates, and students accepted 69% of the offers. On average, students took about 11 days to accept an offer, down from 14 prior to the pandemic.