A job interview has several aspects attached to it. One of the major aspects of a job interview is the job salary.
With the changing times and attitudes, discussing job salaries are sometimes overlooked or even ignored. However, this is one of the biggest blunders that a person looking out for a job commits during the job interview. In fact, discussing the salary during an interview is quite complicated and intricate. This article suggests some salary negotiation tips before and after receiving the job offer.
Every job interview depends on several aspects. Job interviews may last an hour, an entire afternoon, evening a day or even a whole week. Therefore, only the interviewer will have an idea whether or not they are about to hire a particular individual.
As the interview progresses, the interviewer will make up their mind firmly whether they wish to hire you or not, and then start the salary negotiations and the job offer.
Job interview & Salary – After reading this article you may also refer to the 2nd part of this article (Which is more detailed) – How to Negotiate Salary: Negotiation Tips.
You may also be interested in reading accepting a job offer or declining a job offer articles.
How to negotiate a salary – negotiation tips
Here are some negotiation tips to remember while negotiating the job salary once the job has been offered to you:
1. Being professional: Being professional during your interview not only helps you in getting the job, but it also makes sure that you get the best possible deal by the company.
2. Discuss your job salary only when the employer does: An early question about the salary will not only mean being immature but will also give across the idea that you are more interested in the money than the job. Therefore, the best idea is to ask or talk about the salary only when the interviewer speaks about the salary. This will not only mean that you are being thought about for the job, but also that the interviewer is serious about the entire job interview process.
3. The figures you have in mind: As an aside, remember that you should not disclose the amount you have in mind at the outset. It is only further in the meeting that you will get a clearer picture of the responsibilities and get more information about the job. If you quote a lower salary at the beginning and wish to increase the ante as the interview progresses, it will be very difficult or even simply impossible.
4. Steer clear of figures in your job interview: Even when you finally get the idea that you are in for the job and the interviewer make sure that you do not directly speak about the figures of the financials that they have in mind for you. To know the ball park figures of the salary try to find out the salaries of the people who are working at posts closer to you and in the department that you are supposed to be working in (if possible).
5. Use a Bracket instead of solid figures in the job interview: It is wise to use a bracket, which begins a bit lower than what the employer has offered and ending a little above what the employer had offered. This way, you will put your point across, as well as keep avenues open when it comes to the negotiation of the salary.
6. Keep Your Emotions in Check During the job offer acceptance: If the amount that the company offers as the salary is an amount that you are very happy with, make sure that you do not make it evident to the interviewer. This may cause the interviewer to actually review whether you are worth the salary that they have in mind for you.
7. The One Last Try: So okay, the interview is done with, the salary that is offered is good enough, but you think that if you take the bargaining a bit further, you will get a better deal. In such cases, you should make sure that you give the interviewer a clear picture that you are more than interested in the job, and the salary is now just a minor issue that can be solved out. Otherwise, you might lose a very lucrative job just for a few hundred dollars.
Accepting a job offer
Once you are negotiating about your salary, keep in mind that the first job offer and salary is just the beginning and if you work well and prove yourself to the company, the sky is the limit. Remember that appraisals take place in a company every six months or one year, and that is a time when the company simply cannot refuse you a salary hike if you work well and prove your worth. The process of looking for a job is long and complicated. There are several aspects to the job interview, one of them being the one of negotiating the salary. If you negotiate your salary in the correct manner, you are sure to get a hefty raise, if not, you may even lose your chance to be employed by the company. The right time to ask for or go through negotiations for your salary is only after a concrete job offer is made.
Last words:
Another thing to keep in mind is that unless you have been out of work for a long time, or if you were released from your previous company under dubious conditions, there is no reason why the company hiring you will not give you a raise. So, you can be rest assured that a salary negotiation is on the way, and the issue will be raised even if you do not.
However, it would be good for your salary prospects, if when asked about your salary expectations, you reply with a figure or a baseline higher than your current salary. If the interviewer asks you the question of your current salary several times during the interview, you should inform him or her about your salary and make it a point to tell them that you are looking for a salary increase.
Normally, if you are asked the reason for leaving the previous jobs, if you answer ‘for better job prospects’, you have more or less informed the interviewer that you are looking for a higher salary than you are getting currently.
Very rarely, the interviewer will bring up the salary matter at all. In such a case, it is right for you to ask what the financial aspects of the position are that you have been offered. But you will have to keep in mind to bring this up only at the very end of the job interview.
When you ask the question, make sure that you ask it with a level of curiosity. If at any point of time the interviewer feels that you are attending the interview and looking for a job change only for an increase in the salary, there is no greater guaranteed way for you to be eliminated from the interview.
It goes without saying that the person attending the interview has got a leeway to negotiate the salary only if they are offered a job with the company. Therefore, all you can do until you are offered a position with the company is waiting for it.
