Matthew J. DeLuca - Perfect Phrases for Negotiating Salary and Job Offers: Hundreds of Ready-To-Use Phrases to Help You Get the Best Possible Salary, Perks or Promotion

Other books in the Perfect Phrases series include:

Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews by Douglas Max and Robert Bacal

Perfect Phrases for Setting Performance Goals by Douglas Max and Robert Bacal

Perfect Phrases for Customer Service by Robert Bacal

Perfect Phrases for the Perfect Interview by Carole Martin

Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors by Meryl Runion

Perfect Phrases for Resumes by Michael Betrus

Perfect Phrases for Documenting Employee Performance Problems by Anne Bruce

Perfect Phrases for Cover Letters by Michael Betrus

Perfect Phrases for Motivating and Rewarding Employees by Harriet Diamond and Linda Diamond

Perfect Phrases for Business Letters by Ken OQuinn

Perfect Phrases for Business Proposals and Business Plans by Don Debelak

Perfect Phrases for the Sales Call by Bill Brooks

Perfect Phrases for Executive Presentations by Alan M. Perlman

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Money is an uncomfortable topic for most employees as well as for employers and interviewers. Many people have no idea what their parents, their friends, or even their spouse really makes. Certainly, no one can easily ask a coworker or friend, How much is your annual salary? So, we head into an interview situation with little or no practice talking about the subject of money. Maybe we enter with a lot of personal baggage, too. Add to this the lack of practice in interviewing and, most importantly, listening, and the whole conversation can be totally frustrating.

Even if you are not considering looking for a new job or are not in the middle of a job search, you will probably face discussions about your salary at annual reviews or when considering promotions or transfers. Few employees plan ahead for these important discussions; as a result they may act out of stress, embarrassment, or unease when the subject is broached.

A good manager makes plans for these discussions, and certainly an interviewer should be prepared for this integral part of the interview process, but in general many are not skilled in this regard. The most they might do is read off the salary level indicated on the job order they are seeking to fill. They are not equipped or empowered to negotiate a compensation package. The best tack to take when planning to talk about your compensation is to be prepared yourself. This preparation starts with some basic knowledge about yourself and your current situation.

Your outlook and your viewpoint are directly related to where you are standing right now and have a direct bearing on your negotiation dialogue. Are you currently employed and hoping for a raise? Jockeying for a better-paid position in the same company? Looking for a new job in a new company, doing the same type of work? Starting off on a new career path? Most of us will find ourselves in each of these situations, perhaps many times, during our working career. The following paragraphs discuss some of the common situations; each requires a different mode of operation.

There are diverse reasons why you may be unemployed at the current time, ranging from being downsized or quitting to raise a family or to go to school, to being fired for very apparent reasons (such as poor attendance or performance). You may see the handwriting on the wall and know it is a matter of time before your own position is eliminated in a management shake-up or divisional realignment. In each case, you need to do some basic preparation for your job search and inevitable money discussion.

The duration and reason for your unemployment are pivotal to turning this into a positive element during the job interview. If you have been in the military, raising a family, or continuing your education, these are very common reasons for being out of work. Reevaluating your career path, travel, or other personal reasons (caring for an ill relative or friend) are also explanations that the interviewer has probably heard before. It is not so much why you chose the path you have been on, or how long you have been on it, but what you have done to grow and remain current with your chosen industry or trade in the interim that is of more concern. The answer you give could very likely turn you into a valuable commodity.