How to Negotiate Your Salary

Ways to Negotiate Your Salary

When you’re ready to interview for a job, you’ll probably have a lot of questions to ask your interviewer. The questions can regard company culture, job expectations, and much more. One of the most common and, arguably, most important questions you’ll want to ask pertains to what your salary and benefits are. Starting a job at a new company allows you to leverage your skills and experience for a better salary and better benefits. On the other hand, you can also negotiate your salary at your current company if you’ve taken on more responsibility. In this article, we’ll detail how to negotiate a job offer in ways that will help you when you’re interviewing for a new job or want to be recognized at your current company. Learning how to negotiate your salary is an invaluable skill.

Negotiating Salary

Negotiating salary can seem daunting because you may feel like you have to accept the first offer. However, getting hired by a new company is an agreement for both the new employee and the company, meaning that the parties involved in the hiring process have to agree to the terms of employment. This includes liking and agreeing to your new salary and benefits. To negotiate your salary, you’ll want to be prepared. Of course, you’ll want to be paid more than your previous job since you’re bringing new skills and experience to your next employer.  To negotiate your salary, you can do some research online to see what other people in your prospective position make, including in the area you live. You can also find out how many years of experience correlate with what range of salary. This way, during the interview, when salary negotiations occur, you are aptly prepared to discuss the facts of why you’re presenting the salary you are. When you speak with recruiters or hiring managers in a calm but confident way, you’re helping them listen to you and your valid salary negotiation points!  There are many suggestions when it comes to salary negotiations. Next, we’ll describe other helpful salary negotiating tips for when you negotiate your salary.

Salary Negotiation Tips

These salary negotiation tips will help you communicate what you’d like out of a job offer. As you negotiate your salary with the hiring manager, how they respond can also give you a clue as to how the company’s personnel approaches such discussions. Their attitude can help you determine if the company is the right fit for you, which is another part of the interview process. Nevertheless, let’s continue with more salary negotiation tips.

Be Approachable

When you negotiate your salary, you want to be approachable and not aggressive in any way. By showing the facts behind your desired (but reasonable) salary calmly, your hiring manager  more likely to hear you out. By illustrating the experience you have and showing that people with similar jobs and experience make a certain salary, you are presenting your case objectively. You should also affirm that you’re highly interested in the position regardless. Otherwise, you risk the hiring manager not wanting to hire you if you seem like you won’t take the job because of their offer.

You Can Compromise

It’s possible that the hiring manager can’t offer you the salary you had in mind. It’s important to work within their budget. However, a job offer also includes benefits, such as paid time off, healthcare, a sign-on bonus, sick days, and stock options, all of which you can negotiate for. If a hiring manager can’t match the salary you’re looking for, perhaps you can ask for more paid time off, a higher sign-on bonus, or better stock options. Out of all of these benefits, think about what’s most important to you, and ask if there’s room to increase your benefits instead of your salary. The hiring manager may respond positively to this suggestion since they can’t match your ideal salary. When you show that you’re open to these negotiations, your hiring manager might be as well.

Respect Their Budget

Unfortunately, businesses sometimes have tight budgets that hiring managers can’t adjust for potential candidates. If a hiring manager expresses this when negotiating salary, it’s critical that you remain respectful and listen to why the company can’t offer a higher salary or better benefits. You can ask if the company offers cost-of-living adjustments or promotions, both of which include an increase in salary once you’ve worked in the new position for a period of time. Remaining respectful is key for the hiring manager to still consider you for the job even though they can’t match your ideal salary and benefits. As you consider these salary negotiation tips, remember that it is a delicate topic, as people often avoid talking about their salary and money. However, it’s important to be rightly compensated for a job. Next, we’ll describe how to negotiate a job offer, even after you’ve accepted it.

How to Negotiate a Job Offer

One of the best times to successfully negotiate a salary is when you receive a job offer, especially if a salary discussion didn’t occur during your interview. If you didn’t discuss your salary and benefits during the interview, knowing that the company wants to hire you is one way to boost your confidence to negotiate your salary and benefits. Transparency goes a long way, as long as you illustrate why you need to renegotiate your job offer. As you talk with your hiring manager or recruiter, remain calm and keep confident to figure out how to compromise with them. However, there is a slight risk when it comes to negotiating your salary.

Risk of Salary Negotiation 

How do you negotiate a job offer when there might be a risk of losing the job offer? You’ll want to remain polite and assure the hiring manager that you’re looking forward to starting your work while remaining firm in negotiation details. Being patient and offering a reasonable salary range and benefits is important for the hiring manager to consider your negotiation while still offering you the job. Now, how do you negotiate a job offer after you accept it?

Negotiating an Accepted Job Offer

Negotiating your salary after you’ve accepted a job offer can be difficult, which is why it’s best to negotiate a job offer either during the interview or once you have an offer, but before you accept it. You can ask for a raise after you’ve accepted a job offer and worked at your company for a while, though especially if you’ve taken on more responsibility than what is in your job description. To ask for a raise, you’ll have to ask your manager, who might involve additional management and human resource employees to make a decision. When you ask for a raise, you can explain that you’ve gained more experience and that you’ve taken on more responsibility. By remaining calm and patient, your superiors might hear your side and give you a raise.  Negotiating your salary may seem daunting, whether you’re interviewing for a position, discussing the details of a job offer, or asking your manager for a raise. However, there are ways to go about increasing your salary to accurately reflect your skills and experience. By using these tips to negotiate your salary, you can effectively obtain the salary and benefits that align with your credentials. At Brightwing, we help our candidates find a position that acknowledges what they bring to a company. Share This Post [social-share] More Like This
Resume Tips From a Professional Recruiter

Resume Tips From a Professional Recruiter

If you are thinking about a job change, consider some resume tips from a professional recruiter. Putting yourself out there on the job market can be challenging. It requires patience, determination, and some humility. Submitting job applications can often put you in a vulnerable place, and no one likes rejection. So there is little point in going about something as hard as a job search ill-prepared. How, one may ask, should someone prepare for a job search? The answer should be at the forefront of your mind, not only during job searches but in your professional career too. A quality resume is powerful. When organized well and executed correctly, a resume can make a job search easy. If a resume is constructed poorly, however, it can be to your detriment. With recruiting and hiring almost exclusively online nowadays, maximizing your digital resume is more important than ever. This article will go over some resume tips that will help you stand out to recruiters.  

Basic Resume Advice

A good resume is not easy to come by. Too many people just slap their work experience into a word document and call it good. Not surprisingly, that is a waste of time. So much more is needed to show off your achievements and skills. There are reasons that simply listing skills and work experience however you please isn’t efficient. When you submit a job application, your resume is going to be one of the first things a recruiter will see. Recruiters are usually trained to look for specific things in a resume. If what they are looking for isn’t found quickly, there is a chance your application could be discarded. Of course, there are some basic rules to follow when putting together a resume that will help you get noticed. Listed below are some helpful resume tips from a professional recruiter:  

Watch the Format

Keep your resume looking nice. It shows professionalism, attention to detail, and that you are interested in working. A polished format will help with the overall look of the resume.. Remember to keep formatting clean-looking, fonts and font sizes legible, and spacing consistent. You can inject personality with splashes of color or unusual headings. Don’t get too carried away though, and don’t include a head shot, or else it might start to look too unprofessional. Consider looking into templates if you need help. Always keep it to one page. Unless you are applying to a big-time executive position, don’t let any information run onto a second page.  

Brag and Boast

If you only have one take-away from this article on resume advice, remember this: your resume is your highlight-reel. It is a ticket to brag about your accomplishments and your skills. Don’t be shy! Mention job titles, awards, honors, and any other kind of things you feel deserve mentioning. Of course, try to keep it relevant and keep it honest. Don’t exaggerate to make yourself look good. Honesty goes a long way, but recruiters really want to see what you can do.  

Limit Content if Necessary

While you should brag about your accomplishments, it is not necessary to list everything you have ever done. Putting down all the jobs you have had since high school will only take up precious space. Instead, consider what is most relevant and what will really help get you the job you want. It is important to limit some content to make way for really important information. The important information will vary depending on the job, so it will require some judgment calls on your part.  

Edit Vigorously

Among all the resume tips from a professional recruiter, this may be one of the most important. Pretend that your resume is an editing assignment for grammar class. A great deal of effort should go into checking grammar, spelling, tense, and pronouns. Some recruiters may immediately discard a resume if they find spelling or grammar errors. A resume free of spelling and grammar errors shows attention to detail and will give you a good advantage. So break out the dictionary and give yourself a refresher on the Oxford comma.  

What is a Recruiter, and How Can You Stand Out to Them?

What is a recruiter, what do they do, and how can you impress them? Picture a college sports team. They send recruiters around the country to scout out talent and recruit athletes that will fit well in the organization. When a good candidate is found, they will try to get their attention and convince them to join their organization. It’s an interesting reversal. Athletic recruiters try to get candidates’ attention while corporate and agency recruiters’ attention is often sought by candidates. So it is your duty, as a job-seeker, to capture the attention of a recruiter. Of course, some may reach out to you through job search apps. You may need to decide if they are worth speaking with. How do you catch the attention of the good recruiters? It helps to know what their job is. They go through many resumes and applications, sometimes dozens at a time. They need to make sure an applicant is qualified and is a good fit for the position and company. They need to be careful about who they select and who they spend time getting to know, as they have to vouch for you when they bring your file to a hiring manager. Thus, it is not their job to do you any favors. So to stand out to a recruiter, you need to make their job easier. Make yourself worth recommending. Project a confident and professional tone. Make sure your writing is free of errors and that your resume is relevant to the position. If you help the recruiter, you are sure to stand out. And of course, unless directed otherwise, a cover letter never hurts.  

How to Send a Resume to a Recruiter

Personalization is the name of the game when it comes to sending a resume to a recruiter. Remember that you want to stand out while also making the recruiter’s job easier. By emailing your resume and cover letter directly to the recruiter, you are sure to stand out. Following the tips previously mentioned will also help with standing out. Keep the body of the email short and professional and avoid cliches. Include a strong subject line. You can usually find a good email on the company website. If an email to a recruiter or hiring manager can’t be found, you can usually find a generic email. Just include in the body or the subject something regarding the concerned department.  

A Quality Resume is Key

Taking the time to polish your resume might very well land you that job. Leaving it in a poor state, however qualified you may be, may cost you the job. A lot of business is done online now, and recruiting is no exception. Because of that fact, resume construction is everything. It tells a recruiter who you are and what you are capable of. It is their only reference of what kind of person and worker you are. Use these resume tips from a professional recruiter and build your resume to make it represent you properly. If you feel your resume is ready, submit it here to be considered for any openings you may be qualified for in your general location. It may be nerve-racking, but adequate preparation will lend great confidence.

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There’s fierce competition for employees in the automotive supplier business, but this industry is booming with great jobs of all ranges.

Learning the different types of interviews and how to prepare for them can help you land your desired position.

If you are looking for a new job in tech, you might be anticipating what questions you will be asked in your interview.

5 Steps to Acing Your Interview Do you approach interviews like a student sitting down to take an exam? You “study” ahead of time, trying to anticipate the “right” answers so you can ace your job interview? If you do, it’s time to stop. The student-teacher analogy is the wrong one. Interviews are not tests where one side goes in blind and the other has the answer key. Interviews are the beginning of a negotiation. You’ve got value to offer in the form of your talent, just like hiring managers have value to offer in the form of a paying job. Here are five steps to ace your job interview and land the next step in your career.  

1. Understand the stakes

Landing the wrong role can be just as devastating to your career as not landing any role at all. Your goal is not to contort yourself to fit into the mold of some ideal, hirable candidate. Your goal is to communicate the value you could bring to the organization, as well as qualify the opportunity for yourself. Ask yourself: what’s the worst thing that could happen? The answer: you don’t get the job. Those are the stakes – not more, not less. If the worst happens and you don’t get the job, that’s not a statement about your potential as a professional. It’s about that specific role on that specific team.  

2. Qualify the opportunity

You need to make a judgment about the company you’re interviewing with, and that requires you to ask qualifying questions. The hiring manager needs to sell you not only on the role, but also on their own vision for their team. Here’s an example of one way to do that: it’s common practice in interviews for managers to ask candidates where they see themselves in 5 years. But as the candidate, it’s time to start asking hiring managers what their 5-year strategy is. What kind of team will they need to accomplish those goals? What kind of skills will they rely on? Given the broader context, you can understand and show how you’re the right person not only for now, but also for the future.  

3. Put your interviewer at ease

If you want to ace your job interview, don’t just focus on what you say, but how you say it. Use the mirroring technique while interviewing to help your interviewer feel more comfortable and familiar, faster. When you’re on the phone, listen to the tone, rate of speech or cadence of how the hiring manager is asking questions and try to match those qualities in your replies. For example, if the manager has high energy and speaks quickly, you should try to respond with plenty of energy and pace yourself. If in person, it’s always good to match the body posture/body language, too.  

4. Get comfortable with silence

As with any negotiation, rushing to fill silences puts you at a disadvantage. When you act (and feel) like you’re on more equal footing with your interviewer, it becomes easier to allow pauses to pass naturally. Don’t give your nerves the reigns: stay focused and concise when you answer an interviewer’s questions. Sometimes, silence is all you need to ace your job interview.  

5. Ace your next job interview with the right recruiter

Pick the right recruiter. There are a LOT of recruiters out there. So, do your research. Choose the right recruiter based on their reputation, area of focus (skillset), and location. Search for recruiters at firms that are Great Recruiters Certified, for example, as a way to narrow in on high quality. Having the right recruiter at your side is a much more efficient way to go through a job search process, and really develop the best possible offer. [vc_btn title=”check out our open jobs!” style=”custom” custom_background=”#ffc600″ custom_text=”#0a0a0a” shape=”round” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fhttps://www.brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com%2Fjobs%2F|title:News%3A%20Job%20Seekers”]

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5 Recruiters Weigh In On Best Interview Techniques

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Here are tips from 5 Brightwing recruiters on how to ace the interview…  

1. How to beat the nerves

   

Jason Hochstein
Director of Talent Acquisiton, Brightwing

“I was working with a candidate who used to get so nervous about interviewing, she’d lose sleep. The night before, she’d think about how it was going to go. The night after she’d pick apart her performance.   Interviews are definitely nerve-wracking – there’s no way around that – but I don’t think they should be a miserable experience!   After a mock interview, I gave a few tips on how to combat the nerves:   →  Remember you’ve got power, too. And you have priorities other than making yourself hirable. You need to make a judgment about the company you’re interviewing with!   →  Put it in perspective. Ask yourself, what’s the worst thing that could happen? The answer: you don’t get the job. Those are the stakes – not more, not less.   →  If the worst happens and you don’t get the job, that’s not a statement about your potential as a professional. It’s about that specific role on that specific team.”

2. Get comfortable with silence

   
dan start

Dan Start
Brightwing Finance & Accounting Recruiter

“Stay focused and concise when you answer an interviewer’s questions. If you can’t be succinct, they’ll imagine you rambling on in future conversations and meetings. So get comfortable with pauses – don’t talk just to fill them.”

3. Use the mirroring technique

 

Will Foss
Brightwing IT Recruiter

“One thing I like to tell candidates is to use the mirroring technique while interviewing. It can help make the interviewer feel at ease with you, faster.   When you’re on the phone, listen to the tone, rate of speech or cadence of how the hiring manager is asking questions and try to match those qualities in your replies.   For example, if the manager has high energy and speaks quickly, you should try to respond with plenty of energy and pace yourself.   If in person, its always good to match the body posture/body language, too.   You definitely don’t want to look like a copycat – it should just feel natural.”

4. Be yourself (while selling yourself)

 
justin hochstein

Justin Hochstein
Brightwing Finance & Accounting Recruiter

“I know it sounds simple, but BE YOURSELF. Let a company hire the real YOU. Of course you want to come prepared (with your proudest achievements, the reasons you want the job, etc.), but don’t confuse presenting your best self with hiding who you really are.”

5. Choose your representative wisely

   
mike gourley

Mike Gourley
Brightwing Engineering & Design Recruiter

“Pick the right recruiter. There’s a lot of us out there. So, do your research. Choose the right recruiter based on their reputation, area of focus (skillset), and location. I’ve seen the value we can provide to candidates. It’s just a much more efficient way to go through a job search process, and really develop the best possible offer.”

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To maximize offer acceptance, you’ve got to help candidates imagine a future where they love working for you and with you. Here are 5 keys to making it nearly impossible to turn down your offer…

Looking to land a new engineering job? Don’t be nervous about interviewing! Check out our top 4 tips to help you ace your technical interview.|Looking to land a new engineering job? Don’t be nervous about interviewing! Check out our top 4 tips to help you ace your technical interview.|Looking to land a new engineering job? Don’t be nervous about interviewing! Check out our top 4 tips to help you ace your technical interview.

3 Ways to Say Thank You After Second Interview [vc_raw_html css=”.vc_custom_1581093901436{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;}”]JTNDaDIlM0VzaWduJTIwdXAlMjBmb3IlMjBvdXIlMjBtb250aGx5JTIwbmV3c2xldHRlciUzQyUyRmgyJTNFJTBBJTI2bmJzcCUzQiUwQSU1QndwZm9ybXMlMjBpZCUzRCUyMjI3MjUxJTIyJTIwdGl0bGUlM0QlMjJmYWxzZSUyMiUyMGRlc2NyaXB0aW9uJTNEJTIyZmFsc2UlMjIlNUQlMEE=[/vc_raw_html] Sending thank you notes after any interview is important, but thanking interviewers after the second interview is a MUST! The stakes are higher, and so are the expectations. Every situation is different. Sometimes mailing your thank you is the best option, and other times an email is the way to go. In this blog, we’ll provide 3 examples to say thank you after the second interview. No matter which thank you method you use, the objective at this point is to emphasize your enthusiasm for the position, the company, and why you are the best fit for the position based on your experience.  

Thank You Email After Second Interview

  Emailing a thank you note after the second interview is by far the most common follow-up method. Although there are always exceptions, we’ve come up with a few ways for you to tell when you should utilize email over snail mail: — The interview was very informal and laid back — The interviewer is following up within 3 days — The job itself requires a lot of email usage #1. Email Example (in-person interview) Justin —  It was great meeting with you for a second interview today! My enthusiasm for X position has grown even stronger since our first discussion. Once again, I felt a strong connection with the culture of X company, and believe I would make a great all-around fit. My X skills and advanced experience in X solidify my belief that I am a great fit for this exciting position. Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me. I look forward to hearing back from you! Joe #2. Email Example (over-the-phone interview) If you had two phone interviews, you probably spoke to two different people. Justin —  I enjoyed speaking with you for my second interview today! Ever since my first interview with Jason, I’ve had a strong vested interest X Company. Our discussion today solidified my enthusiasm for X position, and I am confident that my experience in X would make for a great fit. Thanks again, and I look forward to meeting the X Company team and yourself in person! Joe

Thank You Letter After Second Interview

  Mailing a thank you letter may seem a little old-school, but it’s still appropriate for some situations. For example, if the hiring manager or company has a more traditional attitude or culture, a thank you letter may be the way to go. Here are a few other reasons why you may want to choose snail mail over email: — Interview was very formal — Lengthy hiring process — Interviewed with other candidates #3. Letter Example Dear Mrs. Green,   Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the second time. I appreciate your interest in my candidacy for X position. As we discussed, I believe that my array of X skills will be of great value for X Company. I am especially interested in this position because X, Y, and Z. I am looking forward to meeting with you again to discuss any further details about my past experience, skill sets, or any other relevant matters.   Kind Regards, Joe

Final Interviewing Tips

  No Dumb Mistakes – You cannot afford to spell the interviewer’s name wrong. Be sure to proofread! Personalize – Be authentic, and make sure to reiterate what was previously discussed in the interview. Be Prompt – Sending a thank you note within 24 hours shows that you mean business.   We wish you the best of luck in all of your interviews. If you ever need any assistance, feel free to contact Brightwing anytime.

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These job interview questions can be asked at any job level and any position and can reveal personality, drive, level of ability and strengths.|These job interview questions can be asked at any job level and any position and can reveal personality, drive, level of ability and strengths.|These job interview questions can be asked at any job level and any position and can reveal personality, drive, level of ability and strengths.