Show me the money! Negotiating the best salary package...
So, you've performed well in interview and you are confident of getting that job offer. Congratulations, but don't celebrate too soon, as there is one more critical step to get through before you can celebrate your new job. Negotiating the best salary package for you.

Get it wrong and you could take the job being underpaid or even jeopardise your job offer by being too pushy. So how do you navigate the murky world of salary negotiations, and get that job and be paid what you're worth? Pay attention to the four areas I've described below and you should be OK!

Research
The starting point for any negotiation is to know what you are worth.To do this accurately you should take advice from recruiters, look at adverts for similar jobs, research salary surveys in trade magazines or online, talk to people doing similar jobs and call similar companies directly and ask their salary ranges for the type of job you're looking for. In this way you should be able to know what your skills and experiences are worth in your new role.

Answering key questions
Companies want to secure the services of the best people for as little money as possible, so they will often ask 2 key questions during interviews that can ruin your negotiating position.

The first is "what did you earn in your last job?" You have to be careful when answering this question as once an interviewer knows your current salary they will try and fix your next remuneration package around this figure. Your best answer is to add together your salary plus the financial value of all the benefits you receive and give that as your total package value. You should also say that the figure you give is for doing your existing role within your current company and should not reflect that value of the remuneration for the new job you are applying for with the new company.

The second question is "what level of salary are you looking for in this job?" As most people undervalue themselves, the easiest way for organisations to keep salaries low is to ask this question and let the candidates incriminate themselves. Your challenge here is to ensure you know the salary or salary range on offer for the role and then confidently reply that with your level of skills and experience you would think that you are at the top end of the salary range they are offering.

Get it in writing!
Once you've successfully completed the interview you should ensure that you receive an offer in writing. Don't accept the job during the interview, instead say that you would like to receive a written offer first and then to consider the whole remuneration package. Once you have an offer in writing it demonstrates that the employer really wants you for the job, and you can then think about negotiating your overall package.

It's not just salary
The financial compensation you will receive for doing a job is not just salary. Many other benefits will affect your overall compensation. If you need to focus on the salary level, you can ask for more or you can focus on increasing possible bonus or commission rates. You can also shorten salary review periods or try to negotiate a raise after 6 months if your work is judged to be acceptable.

Also pay attention to all the other benefits that a company might provide as these can often add up to 30% of your total compensation package. These include; private health insurance, life insurance/death in service benefit, business travel insurance, number of days holiday, paid sick leave, pension plans, profit sharing/stock purchase plans, overtime, subsidised loans for commuting costs, health club membership, training courses, company car scheme, mobile telephone, company computing equipment and the flexibility to work from home occasionally and even the job title itself.

Remember that if you don't ask, you won't get. But this has to be balanced with you being realistic and constructive in your negotiating stance. Good luck!

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