Salary In Six Steps: The Conversation That Will Affect The Rest of Your Life

You're in the preliminary stages of really competing for a job--meaning that the editor/publisher has called you up for a chat--and the topic of salary comes up. After combing your memory for valuable advice on how to negotiate a salary and coming up with nothing, you freeze. Is this you?

Well, it was me a few days ago, so I thought a refresher course in how to negotiate a salary was in order. Maybe it will help you out, too.

Don't Let This Be You!

1. First of all, timing is everything. The only time you should speak about salary is after they have offered you the job and before you accept. *This was my first mistake.*

2. Having a figure in mind in just not enough to begin negotiating your salary. Do research on what a typical employee in the particular area gets paid. Salary.com and payscale.com are pretty good sites. In addition, a career counselor once told me to present your salary request in the form of a $5,000 range. Start with what you should get paid, and add 5k to it.

3. Make sure you're familiar with the responsibilities of the job position, and weigh them against your experience. This will give you ammo if your new boss begins with a flat-out 'no.'

4. Always let them make the first move. If you get them to show their cards first, you stay in control. *Blunder #2 for me.*

5. Keep in mind that compensation should come in a package, and your paycheck is just one piece of that package. Ask about health benefits and vacation time. And if the company really can't offer you what you want in a salary right now, ask them when you could potentially be up for a performance review and a raise.

6. Remember, this isn't a bid for homecoming queen/king, and you're not asking for their vote for head cheerleader. What I mean to say is that salary negotiation has nothing to do with friendships or how much you want your boss to like you. You have to live off of what they're going to pay you, which in these here hard times, is going to be a challenge if you don't stand up for yourself and demand the salary that you deserve.

Review: Had I even gotten to step #1 in my crash course, I would have known that now is not the appropriate time to discuss a salary with this particular employer. However, as with everything in life, this was a lesson learned for me, even if it was the hard way. And if this job doesn't work out, I will know what to do next time. Wish me luck!

Thanks to abc.com, acetheinterview.com, valhenson.org and my wonderful Aunt J for the advice.