Seeing as I
shall be leaving university soon I think it is important to discuss methods on
how to successfully negotiate a job offer. In the past I have obtained jobs by
either knowing the employer or getting lucky so I’ve never really had to sit
down and prepare myself for an interview. I always thought it would be fairly
simple as I have moderate confidence in myself that I’d be ok in an
interview... that was until I learnt about the possibilities a job offer can
contain in a recent lecture.
For a quick academic
outlook on negotiation, I shall look at what Cohen (1984) discusses where
negotiation is an acquired skill of which one party is looking to gain
something from the other through communication. In terms of a job offer the
variables are that of the employee offering a job with money and possible
benefits and the interviewee has to communicate his or her way through the
interview process to arrive at a respectful deal for both parties.
The most important
step for preparing for this situation is to plan your end of the deal – what are
you trying to gain from getting this job? You have to keep in mind that
although they don’t want to give too much away at the beginning, they are still
looking for someone to employ so will be willing to wager assets if you have the
skills. Below are a few simple things which will help you prepare and tackle an
interview.
·
Discuss all possible outcomes with the employer
(such as health benefits and payment bonus’)
·
Enter the interview in a confident manner – show them
whose boss!
·
Be polite but assertive to show you are a strong
individual and will benefit the company
·
Stay away from becoming aggressive or pushy – they do
need a new employee but you may not be their only option!
·
Construct some knowledge on the company itself and
the employer if you know who they will be. This can get you some inside
knowledge and may get the upper hand
·
Make sure you can validate what you are asking for –
if you only want more money because you’re being greedy they may be resilient
to offer you the position
·
Smile! A positive attitude can go a long way
Hopefully this will have helped
you in the future if you need to apply to a job. Let me know what you think in
the comments section below!
I too did not fully understand the potential of negotiation around a job offer.
ReplyDeleteI think the point you make about knowing what you want from the position is really important, as I have not been an interview yet where I haven't been asked this question.
Good post :)
Marie
Hi Charlie!
ReplyDeleteLike Marie, I never really knew what I could potentially gain by bargaining a job offer at the interview.
You make some very good points on handling job interviews, and I will take these tips into consideration when I hopefully have job interviews in the near future. :)
Daisy xx
Hello my fellow blogger
ReplyDeleteWell done on your post, I do think some people hesitate when it comes to negotiation but you should never settle just for anything. I think you should know your value as a person and what you can bring into the company, and if you persuade your interviewer to see just that you will put yourself in a good position to win the argument. I think your post will definitely help people to do just that. Thanks for sharing
Thought this was a really useful and interesting post Charlie! I never really knew how to negotiate when it came to jobs so this has been an eye opener for me. I will be taking on board what you said and applying it for when I actually get a job! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Corrie. Knowing how to negotiate can be a really useful tool, especially when it comes to bargaining the best deal for yourself and the interviewer.
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