Negotiating a salary

The fine art of getting more

June 21, 2000
Web posted at: 12:41 p.m. EDT (1641 GMT)

By Robin Ryan

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(womenconnect.com) -- What's the biggest mistake people when they try to negotiate a salary for a new job?

The mistake starts right in the cover letter they send when they apply and they talk about salary. The ad for the job says send salary history and too many people do. That's a critical mistake.

The key to salary negotiation is that the employer doesn't know exactly what you make. That gives you the most latitude to negotiate more. In your old job you may have been underpaid, or underpromoted. You don't know exactly what budget the employers have for the job. So remember, there's an old saying in hiring, "Who mentions money first, loses!"

But how do you avoid giving the number, when they specifically ask?

I once saw an ad in The New York Times that read, "Send salary history. If you don't, we won't consider you." That intrigued me.

So what do you do?

You write a cover letter outlining how you would do the job, your strengths, etc. Then at the close of the letter, if you are a graphic designer, for instance, you write, "According to the American Society of Graphic Designers, a designer with my background makes from $35,000 to $50,000, and I'm in that range." That way you've used an authoritative survey, but you use a range. Never use a specific dollar amount.

A fave question

When we did a survey of employers, we found that 23 percent said they ask a salary question, right up front.

When we asked why, they told us they do it to screen people out and to quantify what people had really done. If they were paid more, the employers reasoned, then that applicant had carried more responsibility, more duties. If paid less, the employers suspected the applicant might exaggerate duties and skills.

Of course, many times people are looking for a job because they've worked for a small employer who can't pay much or they've been promoted and given more duties but were underpaid. It isn't fair, but that's how some use it. So don't give it to them.

Artful dodging

What do you do when they start talking about this in your job interview?

Again, when it comes up, it's better just to use a range.

At this point, you can get information too. Use a technique that I call the "Salary Extractor."

Let's say the interview is going well and the person interviewing you says, "So how much money is it going to take to get you on board here?"

You respond , "Well what's the range this job pays?"

You extract the information. In most cases, the interviewer will come back with a range and then you can say, "I'm in that range," or "I'm near that range." But look, at this point, don't belabor the salary. It's still a screening tool. When the offer comes through, that's when you are in strong position to negotiate.

Robin Ryan is a Seattle career counselor, national speaker and author of "60 Seconds and You're Hired," "Winning Resumes," "Winning Cover Letters" and "24 Hours To Your Next Job, Raise or Promotion." She has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "NBC Nightly News." Her columns are read in magazines and newspapers and online.

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