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  • Hour glass icon21 minutes : 3 minutes reading | 18 minutes video

Navigating job offer negotiations

You've been offered the job: congratulations!

Now it’s time to think about aligning the offer to your expectations, your values and needs. 

The view from the other chair

Negotiation is infrequent in the academic context, but it is very common in other sectors.

Many things can be negotiated after a successful hiring process.

If you are using a recruiter, some negotiation can happen before the interview. For example, recruiters will know your salary expectations and what a potential employer is looking to invest in a new hire, and they will try to match those amounts as part of their role.

Below, what some of our employers have said about this:

Practice

Before diving into the negotiation process, you should practice some of your negotiating skills and techniques. One great starting point is a resource created by Daniela Bultoc about some key steps to consider when negotiating.

Once you feel more confident about your negotiation techniques, you can consider what areas of the job offer you would like to address with the hiring manager.

Salary negotiation

Is the offered salary satisfactory for you and does it correspond to your level of experience?

You should be prepared for negotiating a different salary, for example, at the top of the range offered.

Do some market research through your own network or websites like Glassdoor, and lay out the reasons behind your request.

Darci Smith, career coach, shared her top tips for salary negotiation:

  1. Always give a range: you want to make sure that the number you actually want is at the bottom of that range. 
  2. Never negotiate using your personal needs. Talk exclusively about your skills and why you deserve that range. 
  3. Ask a question and make them talk. For example: ‘I am looking between [...], does that work within your budget?’ 

What else?

Remember though, that salary is not the only negotiable.

  • Is a flexible working pattern important for you and your own time management?
  • What type of professional development is offered or encouraged in your new position?

Have a look at the video to hear what some employers, recruiters and hiring managers suggest as the best way to approach job negotiation. Remember to have a clear idea of what your negotiables and non-negotiables are before you start negotiating but remember to be flexible.

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