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Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Pay Check
Negotiate for All You're Worth
It may be a tough job market but that doesn't mean employees should sell themselves short. Someone who's been unemployed for an extended period of time may simply be grateful to get a job offer. But they should not forget to negotiate for top dollar.
"Some people are afraid to negotiate in a down economy," says Wendy Terwelp, Milwaukee-based career coach and owner of Opportunity Knocks. "But what does it take to say, Is this negotiable?"
Research to determine what a job generally pays, she says. This means knowing how the company is doing and making sure the salary offered matches the going rate. Terwelp says that even in this economy companies have some wiggle room in what they offer job candidates. Also, be prepared to substantiate your worth to the employer using numbers. "You have to be able to demonstrate results from past employment, by quantifying them in some manner," she says. The more prepared a potential employee is for the ask, the harder it will be for the company to say no.
If additional dollars aren't an option, there are other things worth negotiating, such as vacation time. "All they can say is no," Terwelp says. Or perhaps, ask and ye shall receive. - Dana Carman
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