The Rules of Salary Negotiation

Most of you in IT are underpaid, you know that. Maybe it's time for a salary negotiation? When in talks with a new employer should you accept the wage they suggest? Lucky for you Calum Coburn at Negotiations.com has the 32 essential rules already outlined. Advertising

And just because you're not in IT doesn't mean these rules don't apply to you. If you're looking at increasing the amount your boss hands over to you, in any industry, then read on. If you're not interested in more money, then I must ask you Why Not? Advertising

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1. Negotiate. Yes, just by choosing to negotiate, you'll be raising yourself above most of your competition. How? A Society for Human Resource Management survey found that 8 out of 10 recruiters were willing to negotiate salary and benefits with job applicants. Yet only 33% of applicants surveyed said they felt comfortable negotiating. In our experience, the remaining 2 out of 10 who weren't prepared to negotiate with their recruits are either unattractive to work for, had unwisely started with their best offer, or will be forced to revise their thinking when they realize their true choice. Advertising

25. Your Mental Frame. “Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity” James F. Brynes. Think about your thinking, examine your mental frame. Are you viewing your salary negotiation and job as an opportunity or a safety net? Opportunity negotiators perform better, as they have given themselves the mental freedom to be courageously flexible. Advertising

28. Is time on your side? Calculate what you're worth per hour or day, and multiply up the amount of hours you will be working to see if you're being paid your full worth. Many consultancies expect that you work longer hours, including weekends, but don't pay you for this time. So the high salary may look less attractive when you weigh the real opportunity cost in lifestyle tradeoffs. Perhaps you should be negotiating a time based pay model rather than a project or fixed rate. So would an hourly rate be better than a daily rate? Alternatively, if you're confident of completing the project in good time or in fulfilling your responsibilities in say 4 days per week, then argue for the full salary on your reduced amount of time. Would flexitime suit you better?

32 Reasons Why Geeks are Severly Underpaid - [Negotiations.com]