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How to Negotiate a Job Offer

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Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#51

Post by gonehome »

Xcelerate wrote: post #48

So, as a new employee out of college, if someone offers 100K, and you reply with "130K and we have a deal" are you going to be 1) laughed at and rejected 2) rejected 3) considered? I've always been one to just accept whatever -- "Yeah, that sounds good!" -- but I'm consciously preparing myself to avoid this tendency after I finish grad school.

I would state it a bit more eloquently and you'll probably get 110-115k.

The decision to hire is expensive, if they've already made an offer there is usually some room for negotiation either through salary or something else depending on the company (equity, time, travel).

If you were offered 100k and said that you'd love to work at the company, but would be much more comfortable at 120k they'll probably move a little bit just to close you.

Worst case is they'll get back to you and say that they're not able to move from their original offer in which case you can accept without worrying about it.

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#52

Post by rubberband »

bengrunfeld wrote: post #50

My method is to do a full analysis of their company, and then make a very nicely formatted doc listing everything that I thought was bad, and a full explanation of how I would improve it if I were hired there. Essentially, by using this technique, you've created a job for yourself, and given yourself value before you've even started there. Then, when it comes to salary negotiation, you choose the highest available fi…

I think this is an interesting idea, but wouldn't it come off a bit preachy? Like "I haven't even worked for your company one day and I already know a better strategic direction to take it. Your management is useless. Hire me."

Maybe I don't have a good enough imagination on what to analyze, though.

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#53

Post by bengrunfeld »

rubberband wrote: post #52
bengrunfeld wrote: post #50

My method is to do a full analysis of their company, and then make a very nicely formatted doc listing everything that I thought was bad, and a full explanation of how I would improve it if I were hired there. Essentially, by using this technique, you've created a job for yourself, and given yourself value before you've even started there. Then, when it comes to salary negotiation, you choose the highest available fi…

I think this is an interesting idea, but wouldn't it come off a bit preachy? Like "I haven't even worked for your company one day and I already know a better strategic direction to take it. Your management is useless. Hire me." Maybe I don't have a good enough imagination on what to analyze, though.

Since I am in marketing and web development, I go through all of their online assets and their front-end code/design.

So far, this technique has gotten me 3 good paying jobs, because I'm not trying to please them in the interview, I'm trying to show them how I can help them become a more successful company. Plus you win the high ground. You just have to do it in a constructive and respectful way.

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#54

Post by SatvikBeri »

Xcelerate wrote: post #48

So, as a new employee out of college, if someone offers 100K, and you reply with "130K and we have a deal" are you going to be 1) laughed at and rejected 2) rejected 3) considered? I've always been one to just accept whatever -- "Yeah, that sounds good!" -- but I'm consciously preparing myself to avoid this tendency after I finish grad school.

You will probably get a bit more. The worst case is pretty much that they respond "take it or leave it". You will almost never get rejected for negotiating-the company has invested a lot in getting to the point where they made the offer, and would really like to close.

(Of course, saying "130k and we have a deal" is a pretty terrible way to negotiate. See patio11's blog at kalzumeus.com or Ramit Sethi's book for a substantially better approach to negotiating compensation.)

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#55

Post by rm445 »

Ecio78 wrote: post #42
hfsktr wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of it might have been bad luck but I didn't really think any of it was. I knew that I was bad at interviewing. I just didn't realize how bad. My experience is probably more limited than I knew and the area I live in, while having jobs, isn't huge. That added frustration when the same companies had the same job pop up every 3 months (I applied for the new ones every time and never got a call). I hope that I can p…

Some of it might have been bad luck but I didn't really think any of it was. I knew that I was bad at interviewing. I just didn't realize how bad I've been working for 8 years in three different companies: I found the first job (out of university) because a friend of mine worked there. The two following jobs were "found" because our manager moved and we (me, my friend and some others) move consequently as a team. I d…

I could nitpick a couple of grammatical points, but your English is better than that of many native speakers I have worked with.

Unless you sweated over a dictionary for an hour to write the above comment, or your speaking is much worse, please make sure to market yourself as fluent in English!

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#56

Post by [deleted] »

Xcelerate wrote: post #48

So, as a new employee out of college, if someone offers 100K, and you reply with "130K and we have a deal" are you going to be 1) laughed at and rejected 2) rejected 3) considered? I've always been one to just accept whatever -- "Yeah, that sounds good!" -- but I'm consciously preparing myself to avoid this tendency after I finish grad school.

[deleted]

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#57

Post by run4yourlives »

GavinB wrote: post #14

The "Pre-Reqs" piece is not right. You really don't need to have another job offer or a current job to negotiate. A while ago I wrote up this script for how to negotiate a job offer with no leverage at all when you intend to accept it no matter what: http://bit.ly/1185CGm Most job offers come with leeway for negotiation, regardless of your situation. All you really have to do is ask.

>You really don't need to have another job offer or a current job to negotiate.

No, but if I know that you don't have another option, I'm not going to be as willing to give up more.

A known secondary option puts pressure (sometimes, tremendous) on your negotiating partner. The absence of such an option does not. That's what the article is saying.

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#58

Post by vidarh »

Xcelerate wrote: post #48

So, as a new employee out of college, if someone offers 100K, and you reply with "130K and we have a deal" are you going to be 1) laughed at and rejected 2) rejected 3) considered? I've always been one to just accept whatever -- "Yeah, that sounds good!" -- but I'm consciously preparing myself to avoid this tendency after I finish grad school.

You will almost certainly be considered. I've negotiated my offers up anything from 20% to 50%, which means usually my first counter-offer was higher than that.

I'd never just say yes.

By the time someone has made the decision to make you an offer, they have invested time in you, and will be psychologically invested in their decision - nobody likes "losing out", and so they will look for reasons to meet you. As long as your counter-offer is not ridiculous (and tacking on 30% is not), they will negotiate.

Just don't across as making hard demands, and give reasons even if they're total nonsense. People yield more easily if you give them an excuse to.

The irony is that people also tend to feel they made a better deal if they have to fight for it, even if they end up giving a lot.

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#59

Post by jcomis »

GavinB wrote: post #14

The "Pre-Reqs" piece is not right. You really don't need to have another job offer or a current job to negotiate. A while ago I wrote up this script for how to negotiate a job offer with no leverage at all when you intend to accept it no matter what: http://bit.ly/1185CGm Most job offers come with leeway for negotiation, regardless of your situation. All you really have to do is ask.

What if they put the initial number on you? As in, they ask what you are expecting?

Re: How to Negotiate a Job Offer

#60

Post by vidarh »

halacsy wrote: post #20

i think article is just wrong as it is. Maybe because I'm on the other side hiring engineers. But we don't negotiate salaries. Two factors: what makes you happy/enough (do not think about your salary but about your challenges) and what can we expect from you. I don't care how much money you would make at an other company, because you want to join our company. The first part is very personal. People having mortgage an…

I've never come across an offer that couldn't be negotiated, and I never would take the first offer. That includes offers from companies that "don't negotiate".

I'd walk rather than accepting an offer that truly can't be negotiated, because if the company is so inflexible that they can't even yield a tiny little bit, then that's a huge red flag to me.

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