After what might have been months of work, you’ve done it. You’ve finally been offered a job. Gone are the weeks, and possibly months, of emailing resumes, going on interviews, and dealing with the inevitable rejections along the way. Of course, you now have reason to celebrate. But don’t lose sight of the unique opportunity you now have. The company wants you. After all, they made you an offer. Therefore, they may be willing to pay you more than they initially offered. If you’re perfectly happy with the figure in front of you, great. If you’d like a little more money (and who wouldn’t), here are a few thoughts about how to make the most of a salary negotiation.
1. Be Willing To Say No
It’s easy enough to say no. But how will you deal with the anxiety it produces? The company might never make another offer. If they do want you, though, they probably will. In a best case scenario, you’ll be negotiating from a position of power. Hopefully, before you start negotiating, you have another option, or better yet, two. This will give you the attitude necessary to walk away from an unsatisfactory offer if need be, since you have a plan B. In negotiations, the person who says no has all the power. But, turn the offer down gracefully if you do. That way, the person with whom you’re dealing doesn’t get his ego bruised and withdraw the offer entirely.
2. Don’t Get Greedy
If the company makes a second offer, you may be tempted to turn down their second offer as well, or counter-offer their offer to try to get even more money. But unless you are absolutely willing to lose the job offer completely, don’t do this. Most people don’t like the back-and-forth negotiation dance, and if it goes on too long, you risk making them think you’re greedy, or that you’re taking advantage of them.
