Interview skills/Content and readings/Fall 2017/Week 5

Salary Requirements
Discussions of salary requirements during an interview can be tricky. There are no absolutes about when you may be asked your salary requirements: It can be during the initial screening interview on the telephone, casually asked during the interview, or during a second (or even a third) interview. In general, it is good to say that your salary is in line with the current market rate - and move onto discussing the requirements of the job.

You may have had several interviews or this may be your first interview. In either case, the subject of salary may have the effect of making you feel embarrassed or shy. This is the time to Raise Your Voice - by being prepared and asking (within reason) what you need in terms of salary and compensation. Employers expect candidates to be informed about their marketability for a given level of job in a particular industry.

The CareerOneStop reading offers information about how to obtain salary information for a specific type of job or occupation. Click on the "Identify the Salary" link highlighted under "Evaluate the Offer Wisely" to find salary information for over 800 different occupations. You will read how to communicate your ideas and concerns effectively. Because salary negotiation is a type of dance in which you and the employer may go back and forth in discussing issues, tradeoffs, and so forth, the article helps you to "understand the rules of the game" in order to achieve your desired outcome.

It is important to be prepared and not be taken by surprise. The article includes various scenarios in which you are asked to respond to questions about your salary expectations and offers possible responses to these questions.

Readings

 * Negotiate Your Salary, CareerOneStop
 * Salary Questions & Negotiation: Responding to Questions About Your Salary, Virginia Tech
 * Video: Negotiating Compensation: Interviewing Skills (3:02)
 * Video: How to Handle Salary Questions (1:36), by Jobspeaker

Negotiating Job Perks
Salary is not the only opportunity for you to negotiate with a potential employer for a desirable outcome. Many of today's employers offer perks as "extra vacation time, flexible scheduling, continuing education benefits, and tuition reimbursement" to retain valued workers and attract new employees. This article offers eight tips to "negotiate for perks in lieu of a higher salary."

Readings

 * 8 Ways to Negotiate for Job Perks, CareerBuilder

Readings

 * Why Recruiters Rely on The Overqualified Word and What You Can Do About It, by Russ Finkelstein, LinkedIn Post, Aug 22, 2017

Followup Activities

 * Thank You note
 * References
 * Followup
 * Cover Letters
 * Networking
 * Unwritten, Unspoken Rules of Job Hunting / Interviewing - "Everything is Negotiable"
 * Be What Your Role Says You Are - i.e., Comms, Sales, etc.

Interview Debrief & Learning

 * What did I learn about myself?
 * What did I learn about the company?
 * What did I learn about the hiring manager?
 * What did I learn about the hiring process?
 * What did I learn about other opportunities - where I could be of service?