First, a pep talk
It is OK to negotiate salary. U.S. employers are typically prepared for, and often expect, salary negotiation, but people from underrepresented populations are less likely to negotiate. It can be intimidating, but doing your research and preparing your strategy will help.
Negotiation tips
- Listen to online workshops (above).
- Use your career center: look on their website and talk to someone in your career office to get personalized feedback.
- Know typical salary ranges for the position given your location, experience, and education: Salary.com, Payscale.com, Glassdoor.com
- Consider negotiating other benefits such as paid time off, 401K contributions, health insurance, etc.
- Plan ahead. You do not need to, and shouldn't, respond to an offer immediately. You can thank the employer and ask for a timeline for getting back. However, some employers want to hear back within a couple of days. This doesn't leave a lot of time for preparation, especially if you want to meet with a career counselor or coach. Consider doing your prep work earlier in the interview process to avoid a stressful scramble when you get an offer.
