Shall I make the first offer when negotiating my salary?
It depends. Many give the advice to always make the first offer. Many give the contrary advice, to always let the employer make the first offer. There is no such thing as “always” here though. If you make the first offer you run the risk of making an offer that is lower than the maximum salary the employer is willing to give you. You also run the risk of making an offer far too high, in which case you will lose credibility. The advantage of making the first offer is, however, that the first figure on the table often works as an anchor around which the rest of the negotiation will circle. The answer is then:
If you have enough information to be sure that your offer is not too high or too low, then you should make the first offer.
To find out exactly when and when not to make the first offer, see my book “Negotiate Your Salary Like A Pro!”
How can I know if my offer is too high or too low?
You will have to prepare carefully. You have to find the range within which you are negotiating and then analyze carefully where in this range it is realistic for you to land. In my my book “Negotiate Your Salary Like A Pro!” I describe an eight step process that will do the job for you.
What if they say that the salary is not negotiable?
In general, they are not telling the truth. First of all, ask them why it is not negotiable. Is it because they have a limited budget, another applicants for the job or what? By gathering such information you first of all call their bluff, if they are bluffing. In addition, you find out what is important to them, what their interest are. When you have found their interests you can make an offer to meet these interests. In my book “Negotiate Your Salary Like A Pro!” I teach you more about the importance of collecting information about the employer.
What if I lack experience for the job? Can I still get a high salary?
Well, that depends. You must be realistic about this. But you must also realize that in many jobs, experience is only one of many important factors for the employer. You must try to think of and find as many of these factors as possible in order to counterweigh your lack of experience. In my book “Negotiate Your Salary Like A Pro!” I teach you how you can make yourself into an attractive product for the employer.
What shall I answer if they ask me about my current salary?
There is no given answer to this question. It depends on the situation, your bargaining position, the expected salary level with the new employer in comparison with the old one etc.
Basically, if you have a weak bargaining position but know that it could be possible to get a higher salary with the new job – don’t tell them your current salary.
If you, on the other hand, have strong bargaining power (meaning that they really want you for the job) then you could use your current salary as a floor which they will have to overbid in order to get you.
