Negotiating Your Salary

The key to successfully negotiating your salary – or anything else, for that matter – is understanding the other party's position. As we mentioned in our discussion of the salary determination process, the salary offer that comes with a job opening can be quite rigid, for reasons that have nothing to do with you or with the people who want you to join the company. For that reason, we would strongly discourage you from taking a hardball approach to salary negotiations. More often than not, this tactic backfires on the job seeker.

Remember that the person with whom you're negotiating is probably going to be your supervisor. He or she will determine your annual raise next year, and possibly beyond that. You don't want to start off with hard feelings.

The smarter thing to do is to take a polite but firm approach with the employer. Explain that you are sincerely interested in the position but believe that you are worth more compensation than they are offering. Remind them of the extra value that you would bring to the position. You may not be able to achieve a significantly higher salary offer, but your chances of success with this approach are much greater than they would be if you shout and pound the table. Moreover, you'll be maintaining your employer's respect and good will – something which, over time, may pay off far more than an increased starting salary would.

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