Resume Writing, Jobs and Careers Blog

Negotiating is an art, no doubt. Done correctly it will lead to victory. Done poorly it could lead to failure. When it comes to negotiating salary and other benefits in the workplace, nothing makes people more uncomfortable. He who talks money first loses as they say. Why? Well, it’s because the minute you reference your previous salary, the other side has a distinct advantage. If you reference a desired salary, you may put yourself in a position where you downplay your worth; alternatively, if you present too high a number, you will not be considered for the opportunity.

Negotiating can be done in a way that basically bulldozes your way to get the answer you want, or in a way that focuses more on collaboration, cooperation, and communication. It is advisable to take a combined approach to ensure your negotiations are fruitful and effective for you.

Life in general is competitive. Professional life, much more so. You want to achieve results – tip the hand in your favor, so to speak. When handling matters of compensation there are a few key competencies that you need to understand:

Your desired salary – a salary that you need or want. This does not matter. What does matter is what the potential employer thinks is a fair salary for the position. Oftentimes a budget is already established – but you are not privy to that information. Prepare for this conversation by doing your homework. You need to understand the industry and what other companies are paying for positions with similar responsibilities. Once you are armed with some knowledge, you will be in a better position to represent yourself and obtain a salary that is in line with your expectations.

Consider intangible components – vacation time, external training / education, stock options, and bonuses are some things that you can negotiate to make up for compensation. These things have a tangible value. You should consider them when evaluating what you want. You might be willing / able to reduce compensation requirements for additions or guarantees in these areas.

Gear up for the tough questions – you will likely get the following question: “What is your current compensation?” Try to avoid answering this question. How you ask? Indicate that you would like to find out additional information about the role to ensure your competencies and the company’s goals are aligned. It is at this point that you can also respond by asking the salary range that the position fits into. Yes, this is a bit of a calculated risk. However, it is one that you should take. Be polite – you want to maintain the advantage here. Getting a salary range – or better a number will allow you to evaluate if the salary is something you would consider. I know it’s tempting to want to avoid that uncomfortable silence – but hold out. The potential employer will likely speak first.

There are options – If you find that the information presented by the potential hiring manager is not acceptable, you can simply express disappointment at the proposal indicating that with your experience and achievements, you think that a salary of (put in a range here) would be more acceptable. Expressing disappointment is non-confrontational and a demonstration of your feelings. Otherwise you can present an alternative whereby you would be considered for an increase after six months based on your meeting established performance benchmarks. If you produce results and meet the targets, it will fully demonstrate your value. A little flexibility and creativity will help you get what you want.

Present your case in a clear and compelling manner; remain calm and collected. This is business. Come prepared to explore and present ideas that will put you in a position of authority and give you the leading edge!

Debra Wheatman, CPRW, CPCC is the founder and Chief Career Strategist of ResumesDoneWrite, a premier career services provider focused on developing highly personalized career roadmaps for senior leaders and executives across all verticals and industries. Debra can be reached at:

DWheatman@ResumesDoneWrite.com
The Career Doctor Blog
ResumesDoneWrite
Connect to me on LinkedIn
Follow me on Twitter

I received a phone call from my friend Joanie after her second interview at a company that she was ‘dying’ to work for. Breathlessly, and in seemingly one long sentence she explained that she thought the interview went ‘amazingly’, and she thinks she will be the one to get the job. They told her they would get back to her with more information (whatever that means) by Friday. This conversation between us took place on a Wednesday. Of course, Thursday passed without incident, and Joanie was not frantic yet because it wasn’t Friday.
Read the rest of this entry »

How do you compensate on your résumé for a gap in employment? Naturally hiring managers want to see consistency; they want to see a professional history that does not contain gaps. Things happen though; there are personal and professional situations that sometimes come up – things that are beyond your control. So, what do you do if you have a gap on the résumé? You probably won’t have the opportunity to explain it, especially if you have applied online or are submitting career documents via web-based or other anonymous means. How do you present yourself in a compelling manner even with the gap?

Read the rest of this entry »

Did you recently get passed up for a big (or not so big) promotion? Did you ask for something at work and were flatly turned down? It happens – to all of us at some point. Things do not always go your way, and rejection is part of life – all aspects of life – both personal and professional. How you handle the rejection at work can serve as the cornerstone for short- and long-term success. It’s time to ‘man-up’ as they say.

Read the rest of this entry »

You have a big interview coming up. You need to be prepared to ensure you are ‘on top of your game’. This is the opportunity for you to present your qualifications and achievements, and ensure a potential hiring manager knows that you can deliver. Here are some tips to help you with the dynamics of the interview.

Know Thyself: Before the interview, spend time reviewing your own résumé. You need to be prepared to talk about your background and reference details about the positions you held – some of which may have been some time ago. You don’t want to be caught without an answer to a question regarding a position you held five or six years ago. It won’t take long to brush up on your background. I can assure you, you will be happy that you took the time to review your history so you are prepared to answer questions and reference achievements throughout your professional tenure.

Read the rest of this entry »

Having just written a resume for a part-time actor and musician, and full-time bar owner I decided to write an article on pursuing opportunities in the exciting and bustling world of the hospitality industry. For sure, there is no shortage of high-end restaurants, clubs, and theaters in New York. With those things come a never ending flurry of visitors – from all over the world. If you are one that loves the nightlife, loves to boogie and is considered to be royalty of social networking by friends and family alike, then perhaps a career in hospitality is just the thing for you. You will use all of your networking and social skills, relationship building capabilities, organization and detail orientation, and extroverted nature in a professional role in hotel and restaurant management.

Working in a management capacity in a hotel or restaurant requires the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. You must exhibit exceptional customer service skills and the ability to motivate a staff. A big component of the position is leveraging social skills to engage customers and generate new business. Of course, you also must be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of how to increase sales and drive profits. In this position you will no doubt come into contact with a diverse and dynamic group of people from all walks of life. There is plenty of room for advancement. Be aware though that this is not a traditional 9-5 job, and will require weekend work and extended hours.

Read the rest of this entry »

Are you considering pursuing an MBA? You are probably weighing the pros and cons of furthering your education. It seems like a pretty simple and clear-cut decision, right? Enhancing your education, developing improved skills to help advance your career, meeting new people to add to your network – how could you not think this is a good idea? Well there are the costs to consider, of course. Even more, there is the time investment; if you are going to pursue a full-time course of study, there is lost wages to be considered. How are you going to pay your rent and feed yourself without an income? There are certainly no absolute guarantees that you will get exactly the job you are looking for at the salary you feel you are deserving of after completing the program. You can always participate in a part-time program; it will take longer and you might miss out on some of the relationships and camaraderie formed that is afforded by a full-time program. These things notwithstanding, the following are some very compelling reasons to help you understand why an MBA is a wonderful thing and can really help you achieve your professional, and perhaps even some personal goals.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not uncommon for an intern-hopeful to feel shocked after realizing that they need to create a resume in order to apply for a position. Because many on-campus jobs are obtainable without a resume, some students never assume they will need it to apply for an internship. They’re wrong. The truth is many large companies require that their internship candidates submit resumes and cover letters just as job candidates are required to do. If you fall into this category, take a look at three ways that you can bring what experience you do have to life so that you can snag that great internship.

Read the rest of this entry »

The process of applying for jobs can be so taxing that at the end of a long day of searching, it’s pretty common to just collapse from exhaustion. With so much work involved in the process, it’s no wonder that some candidates can get a little desperate.

If you feel you are in a position of desperation as you search for jobs, you don’t want this to be obvious if you are called in for an interview. So before you go in for the next one, let’s explore some ways that you can saturate your interview with self-confidence.

Read the rest of this entry »

We’re living in an electronic world, which means it’s pretty important that when it comes to resumes you learn to be an electronic girl – or boy. There are a high percentage of companies that prefer that job candidates submit applications and resumes online. So if you don’t know how to do so, you may find yourself left behind your technologically advanced competition.

The good news is that it’s not difficult to understand the basics of electronic resumes. If you know how to type basic documents and send emails then this process shouldn’t be challenging for you. To get you started, however, let’s take a look at the world of electronic resumes, as well as some basic tips for how to make them work for you.

Read the rest of this entry »