Salary Negotiation Tips for First Time Job Seekers

Just like the first day at school, or the eve of your wedding day, it’s the same jitters you get when preparing for your first salary job, especially for first time job seekers. You don’t want to screw things up. You want everything to go perfectly well as you have pictured in your mind. Beyond that is when the bomb question drops: “What are your salary expectations?”

It’s okay to be nervous. The truth is every employee or salary earner has felt this way in their lifetime. And even the so-called recruiters have had their share of nervousness at some point in their corporate life. So, you are not alone but here’s the thing though, your recruiter should not sense your nervousness. 

For someone who has never had any work experience, it is natural that you feel unworthy to negotiate how much a company is willing to pay you. Negotiating a salary as a first-timer in the corporate world is slightly different from an experienced job seeker. 

The surest way to get something deserving out of that interview is to prepare ahead of that salary talk. On many occasions, first-time job seekers do not have much on their CVs to back them up, compared to someone with an 8-year of experience. So, their only lifeline for that who wants to be a millionaire hot seat is to be brilliant during the interview process. Let me show you how with just 5 tips.

SALARY NEGOTIATION TIPS FOR FIRST TIME JOB SEEKERS

1. Stay confident

First and foremost, you need to understand that this recruiter interviewing you is a human being like yourself. If you fail that interview, nobody is going to eat you raw, and you can try again there or somewhere else. If you pass the interview, good for you! You have started your journey to building a sustainable future in your career. 

This is to say that as long as you know that you can deliver the duties, you have every right to call the shots, with or without work experience. After all, they need you as much as you need them.

2. Don’t fall for the ‘Give me a figure’ trick 

It is common for recruiters or employers to ask what your salary expectation is. I beg of you, never fall for this gimmick. Usually, whenever you give a figure, you have short-changed yourself by either underselling yourself if you call a price below what they intended for you or having them pass on you due to calling a ridiculously high figure. It also generally makes you look unprofessional. You need to be diplomatic during salary negotiations. Recruiters always admire wit in cases such as this.

When a recruiter asks you to state your proposed remuneration, say something like this;

“I’m hoping for and looking forward to the best offer and general package you have lined up for me.”

If the recruiter presses further asking that you provide a salary range, answer by asking him/her if they have a range they are targeting. Some of them at this point may start getting impatient. Nonetheless, if they insist you give a range, you would have to move to the next alternative.

3. Use your research 

You have no excuse for not learning about how much salary is placed on your given role, especially because you are new in this field. How would you know if your employer is trying to cheat you or not? There are innumerable salary resources you can use online to gauge the salary for your desired role such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Salary explorer, and Salaari. Resources like this give you a benchmark of what companies in your industry pay their staff. 

Another way to go about it is reaching out to the Jagabans of your field to find out how much companies pay these days, or how much they earn. They have more to tell you than what websites may give you, as they will be able to share their experiences with you. 

4. Request for other benefits

Just because you are a first-time job seeker shouldn’t make you less worthy of requesting other benefits. Other benefits may include the flexibility of your work hours, perhaps, a remote situation once a week, medical insurance, or any other benefit you deem fit for your role. 

5. Renegotiate after an offer

One mistake job seekers make is settling for an offer that has been placed. Once you’ve been shortlisted for a job and have been selected to work with a given organization, the next thing they would most likely do is forward you an offer letter via email.

The remuneration would be included in the letter amongst other vital details. If you aren’t satisfied with the salary, politely send a response mail appealing for a renegotiation of the salary stating the reasons.

It is not worth it overworking yourself at a job you aren’t paid well for, then, breaking down or resigning out of frustration. Life, they say, is to be enjoyed, not endured. 

To be frank with you, have it in mind that beyond what a company is willing to pay you, you must prioritize the value and growth opportunities you’d be getting from such a company especially because you are a starter in this venture. So, don’t burden yourself only chasing after companies that pay more, neglecting the value they should provide for the trajectory of your career.