I’ll admit it. When I started working, I didn’t know you could negotiate a salary. I thought the number in the offer letter was carved in stone. Employers give, and you take with no conversation around it. But when I became a recruiter, I was shocked when a candidate pushed back, and my boss was okay with it: companies actually expect you to negotiate. 

Recruiters know that asking about salary requirements is a needed part of their job but that it is also a game that employers and candidates play to see who can negotiate the best terms. If you are well qualified for the position but do not want to disclose your salary requirements in the application, someone from the company will likely reach out to speak with you.

Knowledge is power. Understanding how a company determines its pay structure is vital to understanding how to maximize your potential compensation, should you be made an offer. The first thing to know is that different industries will offer different pay scales.

The truth is that you are in a negotiation whether you are actively negotiating or not. If you choose not to negotiate a new job offer, are you okay with a suboptimal outcome? Michael Jordan said it best, “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.”

 When you are thinking about a potential job opportunity, learn about the total compensation and benefits package. You may find that you would gladly offset a lower starting salary for access to many of these benefits. 

You have received an offer of employment. Great! The hard part of the job search has been completed. Don’t let down your guard, though. You have now moved into a very tricky part of the job search which can have an impact for years to come–the compensation negotiation. Not negotiating starting salary, especially early in your career, could cost you an estimated  one million dollars over your working life. That is significant money! Raises on top of a higher base and bonuses based on a percentage of a higher base salary can significantly increase your earnings.

If you have been contacted by an employer, you can be sure that one of the first questions that will be asked will be about your salary needs. You know this is coming, so as a job seeker, you should be prepared for this question. Why would an employer ask about this?

You know you are going to get the question about salary requirements. While it may be an uncomfortable question to be asked, my best advice is to prepare in advance to answer the question.