Oregon State University Career Guide - Flipbook - Page 44
O昀昀ers and Salary Negotiation
Salary negotiation is perfectly normal and is expected for most full-time job o昀昀ers. Research what
someone of your quali昀椀cations typically makes and prepare to make a case for what you believe you
should be paid. Don’t be afraid to ask — as long as you are polite and not demanding, a job o昀昀er is seldom
rescinded as a result of salary negotiation.
SEVEN STEPS OF SALARY NEGOTIATION
1.Thank the employer for the o昀昀er:
Do not accept the o昀昀er on the
spot, even if you want to take it!
Be enthusiastic and appreciative
but also request time to think
about it. Ask about bene昀椀ts such
as medical and dental coverage,
retirement packages, vacation time
and advancement opportunities.
Inquire about additional clauses such
as noncompete and nondisclosure
agreements and ask about the
expected start date.
2. Research your fair market value:
Tools like Glassdoor, PayScale and
Salary.com can help you determine
salaries for people in similar positions
with similar experience. Federal
government salary ranges are listed
in the General Schedule Pay Scale,
and many government and university
salaries can be found online. Factor
in your geographic location and the
cost of living. Also, think about the
type of employer — nonpro昀椀t, small
startup or large company — and
consider special skills, certi昀椀cations or
other experience that make you more
quali昀椀ed.
3.Determine your range: Based on
your research, come up with a desired
salary range. Decide on a low number
that is the lowest you are willing to
accept and set the top number at 20%
higher.
4.Make your case: Lay out your
position con昀椀dently, using evidence
about your experience and
quali昀椀cations to show why the salary
is appropriate. If possible, don’t be the
昀椀rst person to state a salary number.
This risks either undercutting or
overshooting what is appropriate. If
the employer asks you what you’d like
to make, ask what is typical for the
position. If you’re pressed further, give
a number that falls within the range
you’ve predetermined.
5.Get ready to go back and forth:
Employers will rarely accept your
countero昀昀er on the spot. They will
typically go back to their manager,
check budget numbers and then
either accept your o昀昀er or counter
with a lower number. At this point,
you can either accept or ask for
something di昀昀erent.
6. Think of nonmonetary options: If
the organization can’t budge on the
salary — or even if it can — it may be
worthwhile to negotiate other aspects
of your compensation package,
such as 昀氀exible work hours and
location, vacation time or education
opportunities.
7.Get the o昀昀er in writing: Make sure to
get a formal o昀昀er letter laying out the
salary, start date, bene昀椀ts, location
and required acceptance date.
Review the o昀昀er for accuracy before
accepting it or giving notice to your
current employer.
SAMPLE
NEGOTIATION CONVERSATION
I am so appreciative and excited to receive this o昀昀er! I am especially pleased with the ____ aspect of this position that we discussed
last time we met.
After researching my position in the market, I found that the average starting salary for someone with my level of education
and experience is typically between $65,000 and $70,000, which is $5,000 higher than the salary o昀昀ered. Given that I also have
____________ skills, I’d like to counter your o昀昀er to a salary within this range. Is there an opportunity to negotiate to align with the
value I will bring to this position?
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
43
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
