How to Negotiate Your First Job Salary Out of College
When first entering the world of business, many newbies are excited to get any job offer at all, potentially leading them to sell themselves short when it comes to salary negotiations. While you likely can't demand the same salary starting out as you will with some experience under your belt, often there is some wiggle room in starting salaries. Instead of taking the first offer in haste, educate yourself on the basics of salary in your industry and engage in some negotiation.
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Instructions
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Research rates in the industry. Gather reliable statistics related to salary from a source such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Gather company-specific rate information if you can. If the company that is offering you a position posts its salary statistics, use this information to your benefit, getting a better idea of what is reasonable within the company itself.
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Use any remotely related previous experience to your advantage. Even though you have never worked in the industry directly, you can mention internships or other related jobs, giving yourself at least some experience.
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Decide how much you want the job. If you are absolutely committed to the job for which you have an offer, you may not be able to negotiate as strongly as you can if you can take or leave the position. Unless there is something special about the job, try to not get attached so as to not reduce your negotiating abilities.
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Counter your first offer. Instead of signing immediately upon receiving your first offer, take some time to think it over and create a reasonable counter. Take the information you gathered through researching into consideration when crafting this counter.
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Settle upon an offer with which you are content. Move through the back-and-forth process as many times as you need to hit a salary with which you are comfortable. If the company presents an offer that it declares is its "last" you may have to settle with the offer even if you aren't pleased, or walk away and seek a new job opportunity.
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