Working World

I’m negotiating starting pay for a new job. I know what a friend was offered a year ago at a different firm. Our degrees are identical, and even our work experience is the same. Does knowing his salary help? How do I tell them what I want to be paid? Should I bid high to get the money while they want me or low so I show I am willing to work my way up?

What someone makes in another firm is an indicator but not a guarantee. It helps to have asked in the interview what the salary range is for the job, but if you are truly in ignorance, the range for your friend’s position should serve as a rough benchmark.

Often employers ask the applicant to name a salary because if you lowball yourself, they might save money. Generally, they have a number in mind. If you go too high, they can always negotiate you down, but if you go low, they have an out. Note: Naming a higher salary works better after you are offered a job. In an interview, you might price yourself out of the market, so just say that salary is negotiable if there’s a fit.

Tell them you have questions: What’s the budget for the position? The pay range? What determines where a person starts in the range? When are reviews? What are the criteria for raises?

When they get back to you, ask to start in the middle of the range because [insert appropriate though realistic self-promotion]. Focus on the position they are hiring you for. Once there’s a number on the table, hesitate at least a little before you reply, and then say you were hoping for something higher. They have the option to make it a better deal. If they do not, you’ll know you tried. And their number might be higher than what you would have said. No matter what, ask that your salary be reviewed at the end of your probation, and negotiate a minimum raise for the next round, assuming you pass muster.