|
Phone interview scheduled
in the next few days?
Check
out my latest E-Book to give you the edge in the employment
process.
“Phone
Interview Skills Sharpened Right Here!” E-Book
shows you the steps you need to take, and what
to say, to have a successful phone interview.
The
E-Book is instantly downloadable and chock full of great
advice, links and resources that are easy to understand
and use immediately.
Click
here for details |
Wouldn’t
you like to feel more comfortable walking into a room
full of strangers?
My
“Surefire Networking Tips” E-Book
was written precisely to help you achieve success
in networking situations.
You’ll
learn:
- What to do before, during and after attending an event
- Techniques to de-stress the entire networking process.
|
|
|
|
"Most
folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to
be."
Abraham
Lincoln
(1809 - 1865) |
|
An
e-mail newsletter designed to transform the way you think about your career…
and to help you face Mondays with a smile!
by Dale Kurow, M.S., Career & Executive Coach
Welcome,
new subscribers and loyal readers!
I
spent a great “girls’ weekend” at the end of April with
my dear friend Liz in Sag Harbor. The beach was invitingly empty and we
enjoyed our walk, our Mexican dinner and shopping for flowering plants.
It was such a refreshing getaway and I came back with a renewed feeling
of calm and peace.
When
was the last time you did something to renew your spirit?
This
month’s topic focuses on salary negotiation tips. If you’re
in the midst of looking for a new job, or due for a salary review, read
on for information that can impact your bottom line.
Enjoy
the glorious Spring weather!
To
Your Success,
Salaries
On The Rise: Workers can expect slightly larger pay raises
in 2005. The average worker can expect a 3.7 percent increase this year;
raises averaged 3.6 percent in 2004.
Thanks to Career Management Institute for this info!
I
just finished reading a terrific book called Negotiating Your Salary,
Negotiating
Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute
(the revised and updated edition) by Jack Chapman. Jack is a guru in the
career development field. His book is a very practical, down-to-earth
guide on how to significantly increase your salary and raises.
Do
you know what salary you can command in the marketplace?
More
importantly, how well do you handle your own salary negotiations?
If
you’re like most of us, salary expectations is (are?) an uncomfortable
subject to discuss.
However,
by facing the salary issue head-on and preparing ahead of time, you can
take control of the process and significantly increase your income.
The
basic principle of Jack’s book is to delay telling your prospective
employer what your salary expectations are until you are sure there’s
a fit.
This
is easier said than done.
Have
you felt the pressure to divulge your salary expectations and the trepidation
that if you didn’t, you’d alienate the interviewer?
Back
in the Mesozoic era when I was a recruiter for Charles of the Ritz, my
very first questions to a candidate were: what is your current salary
and what salary are you looking for?
Most
applicants answered my salary questions.
However,
there was the rare case where the applicant deflected salary questions.
It was uncomfortable for both of us for a few seconds, as I’m sure
the candidate did not want to get on my bad side. It passed. But I remember
thinking: “this candidate is earning either too high or too low
a salary for us.”
Did
it stop me from moving forward with this candidate? No.
Did I suspect s/he was hiding something? Yes.
So
what’s the best course of action?
Here’s
a suggestion response:
“I’m
really interested in discussing how my skills fit this position and how
I can contribute to your organization. Salary is important to me, but
not the major consideration. I’m sure you offer a competitive salary
(what are they going to say - no?) and we can agree on a fair salary
if you decide I’m the right person for the job.”
There
are several reasons why it truly is in your best interest to delay salary
discussions:
-
You
need to get a handle on exactly what the job requirements
are and the scope/level of responsibility before
you can intelligently discuss salary.
-
You need to know your fair market value (check out http://www.salary.com)
and the value of the additional expertise, training and talents
you bring to this position. For example, you may possess
expert level experience in a software program that is unique to your
industry. You could consider adding ($2,000-5,000) to your asking
salary. That’s at least what it would cost the company to bring
a less experienced person up to speed.
-
Once
you have determined that this job is a fit, you need to sell
yourself to the interviewer beforehand (prime the pump),
so that when you do reach salary discussion time, they want you and
are more willing to be flexible about your starting salary.
-
You
need to be knowledgeable about other perks that you can negotiate
for if salaries are locked-in at set levels (this usually only occurs
in government jobs). For example: sign-on bonus, performance bonus,
early performance review cycle, stock options, expense account, car
allowance, additional vacation, memberships in industry organizations,
etc.
When
you’re thinking about making a big purchase (a car, an appliance)
don’t you shop around, deciding if the item meets your needs, looking
at consumer reports and negotiating for the best deal?
Why
would you do any less with your salary negotiations?
I
recommend you read Jack’s book Negotiating
Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute
I
also offer telecoaching, so if you’d like to rehearse what you’re
thinking of saying beforehand, call me at 212/787-6097 or email: dkurow@nyc.rr.com
to set up a consultation. I offer a 30-minute session for $90.00. Clients
have said it’s the best investment they’ve ever made.
A
better salary and bigger salary increase can be yours! |