You may feel like shouting a triumphant ‘yes!’ when the recruiter offers you the job, but you need to play it cool.

Accepting a job offer is a triumphant moment for any job seeker. After all the work you’ve done researching, applying to jobs on Monster, and interviewing, you’ve finally been offered the position you’ve been aiming for. Go you! You’re understandably psyched. But don’t be so quick to jump on board right away. Knowing how to accept a job offer is a key skill every job seeker must master.

When an employer makes a job offer, they’re effectively laying their cards on the table and they want you to do the same—meaning they want you to also put your cards on the table and accept the position right then and there. Do that and you’re giving up your negotiation power. Bad move.

To understand how to accept a job offer the right way, follow these steps:

1. Express Your Appreciation for the Job Offer
Whether you’re communicating in person, on the phone, or via email, thank the person who made the offer and say how excited and grateful you are before you do anything else.

Whether you’re going to come back with a negotiation or accept the offer without changes, starting off this way sets a good tone for the conversation.

Keep up the enthusiasm as you move forward. Remember that the company is vulnerable—you might not accept their offer—so make them feel less so with your interest in the role. Using words like “excited” and “thrilled” will get the point across, without saying you’re accepting the position.

2. Ask to Get the Offer in Writing
Learning how to accept a job offer means you need to know exactly what you’re saying yes to. Once you’ve thanked the employer, request to have the offer put in writing. An official job offer letter should include, at the very least, the name of the position, a start date, a salary, and details about benefits.
This step does two things:

1. It makes the offer official.
2. It gives you a chance to review the details thoroughly to make sure you completely understand what you’re being offered.

Ask how long you have to give a final answer after receiving the letter. If the employer says they need an immediate answer, that’s a bad sign. Accepting a job offer properly requires due diligence, and a company is very much aware of this. Pressuring you doesn’t give the best impression and tends to be used as a scare tactic. A responsible employer wants prospective employees to have some time to think—usually a day or two—before accepting a job offer.

But if you want to negotiate the terms, respond by saying: “I’ve considered the offer and it’s a wonderful opportunity; I would want to discuss the details more carefully. When can we set up a time to speak or meet?”

Be prepared with the right questions to ask when negotiating salary, and remember that you should take a collaborative, not confrontational, tone in your negotiation. After all, both of you want the same thing—you in that job.

3. Know What to Say When Accepting a Job Offer
When you’re through negotiating and ready to accept, reiterate all the details as you understand them in your acceptance. You can say: “It is my understanding that I will be eligible for X days of vacation, Y amount of bonus payable on Z, the company covers 75% of my health care costs and matches my 401K contributions up to the first 3% of my salary.”

This is especially important if you’ve negotiated up from the initial offer. In fact, you should also ask to get the final, official offer in writing.

If the negotiations took longer than expected, acknowledge that in your acceptance. Negotiation is stressful for both sides and expressing appreciation for your new employer’s time and effort once you finally accept an offer shows you’re ready to move forward.

Finally, ask about the next steps. For example, is there any onboarding paperwork you should get started on after accepting a job offer? Will there be an orientation? And how can you prepare for your first day? This shows your interest, which will reaffirm to the company that they made the right choice in hiring you.

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It is estimated that people change careers five to seven times during their lifetime. There is, however, no standard definition of what constitutes a career change. Is working in the same field but different industry a career change? Is becoming a business owner a career change if you are doing the same job you were doing as an employee? Or is a career change only a radical move across the field and industry?

Regardless of how big or small your desired transition is, here are some of the biggest myths people believe about changing careers — and what the reality is.

1. There’s One Fool-Proof Way to Change Careers
Countless books are written on the topic of how to make changes in life, including how to change careers. I like to read as many as I can and often find great ideas. Yet changing careers, like all transitions, is still a very personal experience. What seems difficult to you could be very easy for another person, and unexpected circumstances can derail the best of plans. Take the advice, for example, of building a side business while you have a job, so you can then transition out of it into the security of your own new enterprise.

Some companies include a clause in their employment contracts that prevent employees from starting a side business, or you might feel so down after coming back from work you don’t like that you feel too demoralized and too insecure to start a new venture. It’s not that the advice is bad — working on building your business while being fully employed is a great suggestion! — it’s just that not one piece of advice fits everyone’s situation.

Don’t look for one fool-proof way of changing careers — focus instead on creating your own path to a new career based on what you find most helpful.

2. Personality Tests, Journaling, or Reading a Book Are the Secrets to Success
Nothing happens just in your head. While writing, meditation, and personality tests can give you some new insights and ideas, if you have been stuck and unable to change careers for a while, the answers you seek are either buried too deep or are out there already — most likely both.

We react to our perception of reality — not reality itself. Because of this, each one of us has formed a number of beliefs about ourselves and the world that we mistake for the truth. Some common beliefs I see with my clients are that they are not good at something, or too old to change or bad at money, etc. Even with lots of journaling, the deeper and more ingrained your belief is, the most likely it is that you will not be able to recognize it for what it is — a belief, not the truth.

If you suspect this is the case for you, working with a coach will help you unearth what is driving your behavior unconsciously, and once you see your belief for what it is — just a belief —  you will be able to choose what to do with it. “I am bad at the money” might simply become “I need to learn how to negotiate my salary better”.

The other very common situation is that you have no idea what jobs are out there. I am always curious about what kind of work people do and am often surprised to find people have professions I didn’t know existed. For example, a lot of people don’t know what a Technology or Developer Evangelist does. Nope, it’s not a religious order! Here’s a handy definition from Wikipedia: “A technology evangelist is a person who builds a critical mass of support for a given technology, and then establishes it as a technical standard in a market that is subject to network effects. An evangelist promotes the use of a particular product or technology through talks, articles, blogging, user demonstrations, recorded demonstrations or the creation of sample projects.”

If you have technical skills and love people and content, this might be a dream job, yet so many people don’t even know about it. There are many more professions that are not very well-known, and this is why a huge part of you looking for what to do next has to include talking to people in the field.

3. You Need to Have Everything Planned Out
Some lucky people decide they want to do something different, research different options, find another job they like, and voilà — they make the transition. For most of us, things are a bit messier. Very often, people start exploring a different career, and something happens: they cannot transition into it, end up not liking it or discover something they like even better. There is no way for you to choose a new career until you try it out. The fastest way to find what you want to do is to try what seems like a good idea: job shadow, do it on the side, take a class (not an entire new degree!). You will discover that the journey will determine the destination and not the other way around.

4. Changing Careers Is Only for Rich People
While it definitely helps to have a partner, tons of savings, or a lucrative job to support you during your career transition, people change careers regardless of how much money they make. In fact, if you don’t like your job and on top of it you are making very little money, you should run, not walk, towards a new career! You are not doing yourself any favor by staying stuck and broke. We are incredibly lucky to have access to more information than ever, from finding free information online to the library (of which I am a huge fan!), to talking to people you meet at events, friends of friends, Linkedin… the sky is the limit! You can do a lot even with no budget, so don’t let a lack of money stop you from doing what you want. Be resourceful and use it instead as a motivation to take the leap.

5. You Need a Degree to Change Careers
Sometimes we form ideas about how things are and give up before we have time to check if they are really true. If you find yourself thinking you need a degree to change careers, do lots of research. Some jobs do require degrees and licenses (e.g. medical doctor, psychotherapist, etc.), but many more jobs do not require a degree by law. The most important thing employers want is to know you can do the job. If there is no regulation saying you have to have a specific degree, some employers ask for a degree because they see it as proof that you know what you’re doing. Can you prove yourself without going back to school?

More and more colleges now also offer specialized courses and Graduate Certificates to provide people with specific skills without the time and money investment necessary to get a whole new degree. Look at all your options, and then decide what would work best for you. In many cases, you will be OK without having to go back to school for years. And if you find you really need that degree, you will have made an informed choice.

6. You Need to Be a Business Genius to Start a Company
Psst… I have a secret. Very few people are “good at business” when they start. Most people have no idea how to run a business, and have to learn as they build it! This is why there are so many online courses to teach people how to market their work, get their first clients, etc. Don’t let your lack of knowledge stop you. Take it instead as an imperative to learn more about it. And if you can, start your business on the side and learn by doing. Then, when you’re ready, you can take the plunge and go full-time.

7. If Changing Careers Doesn’t Work Out, Your Life Will Be Ruined
When I lived in San Francisco, I took a four-month-long class through a nonprofit to learn everything about operating a business. I used to joke it was the cheapest MBA ever, and even got my friends to take it. The amazing thing? After graduation, some of the students founded highly successful businesses, some started pretty good businesses, some started a business and failed and some realized having a business was not for them.

Everyone, though, learned enough new skills and developed such a deeper understanding of how a business works that they could leverage their new knowledge into a better business, job, or salary. Some ended up getting better jobs, instead of becoming entrepreneurs.  In other words, when you embark on your journey to change careers, you will grow so much that you will be able to use what you learned no matter what.

It might not be what you expected, and you might experience a lot of heartbreak, failure, and discomfort along the way. But if you stay open, challenge yourself to learn new things, and put yourself out there, you will eventually be able to do something you find fulfilling.

The post The 7 Biggest Myths About Changing Careers appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

A Guide on How to Transfer Jobs Within Your Company
We all get frustrated with our jobs from time to time, and in those moments, you might find yourself looking at your coworkers with envy, thinking about how easy they have it, or how much more exciting their work is than yours. You might even want their jobs—like literally.

That envy can signal something exciting for your career. Changing jobs inside your current company has some big benefits: Not only is your employer more likely to take a chance on you—after all, you’ve already proven yourself—but some companies specifically have programs that facilitate internal transfers of employees, making it easy to make a change.

Of course, successfully transitioning to a new role requires some careful navigation. So, if you’re looking to make a lateral move at your current company, follow the tips and tricks laid out in this guide, from how to find a new role to how to make the transition smoothly.

How to Find the Right Role at the Same Company
It’s easy to look at the other open roles in your company with a “grass is always greener on the other side” mindset. But jumping into a career transition without doing research is a recipe for failure. First things first, look up your company’s policies on lateral movements.

Why? You will want to show respect to the company’s policies and guidelines, so it can be consistent in the process—allowing you to transfer under the best possible conditions.

You should also research the specific opportunity that you’re interested in. Do your best to learn as much as possible about the potential role you’d like to move into by speaking to other employees currently in the role, sitting in their meetings, taking notes, and asking the right questions. Not only will you gain a better understanding of whether the role is right for you, but you will show your employer how interested you are and that you’re prepared.

How to Make Your Case
First, you’ll want to reach out to your manager. And yes, you might feel nervous talking to your manager about potentially leaving your team—but we promise this step is critical. In fact, you must speak to your manager before you approach anyone else about your move.

And if you’ve made up your mind that you want to apply to another role, make sure that you are ready to lay out a compelling argument about why you should be allowed to do so.

Try to frame your transfer request in terms of how it will benefit the company. Your move could benefit the company because you would add value to the brand in a new role, build skills the team is missing, or fit better in the new role, making the office more harmonious.

If possible, highlight more than one benefit. Prepare a list, and ensure that all the listed benefits are irresistible. When you make your offer, and let them see that they will get significantly more than they are getting now, they will find it difficult to deny your request.

This can’t be overstated. You will most likely receive a positive response if you can show a clear benefit—or return on investment—to your employer. But you can’t expect him or her to come up with those benefits him or herself. It’s critical that you provide the information.

Whatever you do, don’t give ultimatums. It’s one thing to let your manager know you’re interested in transferring positions—but it’s another entirely to threaten to or even hint that you’ll quit unless you’re given the job you have your eye on. Don’t forget: Your manager may not have the ultimate say in whether your transfer request is approved.
What’s more, there’s no better way to ruin your chances of getting what you want than by displaying a bad attitude. Managers don’t like to be threatened or be issued demands.

How to Navigate the Transition
To avoid hurt feelings with your former manager, and start things off on the right foot with your new manager, a clear transition plan is a must as you prepare to move into a new role.
Set up a meeting with your manager or your successor, if appropriate, in order to co-create a transition plan. Discuss any issues both people need to be aware of—think passwords, upcoming meetings, pending client requests, unanswered emails, or anything there may be.

Not only will this set you up for success, but it will help ensure that the transfer actually goes through. After all, you must admit: Without a plan, there really is nowhere to go!

At the same time, make sure you’re getting ready for your new role—just because your official start date hasn’t arrived doesn’t mean you can’t do some prep work. To ensure you hit the ground running, begin building relationships with your new team and learning more about what you’ll be doing—and, perhaps most importantly, how you can succeed at it.

To do this, set up one-on-one meetings with your new team members so that you can get to know everyone on a personal level. This will increase your odds of seamless integration.
This is also a prime time to connect with your soon-to-be manager and ask if there are any resources you should review or research you should start. Read up on anything he says!

Whatever you do, just don’t check out on your current job. Remember, you’re looking to stay within your organization, and reputation precedes itself. If you stop giving it your all in your current role, word of mouth may spread, and a new hiring manager may be reluctant to work with you. Your goal is to maintain your reputation as a great employee and continue to show your commitment to the organization your with—even if you’re not currently working for the ideal department or team you have envisioned just yet.

The post Switching Jobs Internally — How to Apply & How to Manage the Transition appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

These seven phrases can cost you money—or even a job offer. Choose your words wisely.

Finally, after making it through a grueling interview process you receive that job offer you’ve been gunning for all along. Still, there’s one more hurdle to cross, and that’s salary negotiation.
Though salary isn’t the only factor to consider when weighing a job offer—other incentives, such as a signing bonus, flexible work schedule, or relocation assistance, may help sweeten the deal—getting a fatter paycheck would certainly be nice.

To get a higher salary, however, you’ll have to do some negotiating. Now, here’s a lesson that may surprise you: What you don’t say is just as (or potentially even more) important than what you do say.
Don’t want to put your foot in your mouth? Here are seven phrases to avoid uttering when negotiating salary.

“The original offer works for me.”
According to a survey by global staffing firm Robert Half, 55% of workers tried to negotiate a higher salary during their last job offer, which means nearly half of job seekers still don’t negotiate their salary. By not negotiating, you could very well be leaving money on the table; after all, the poll also found that 70% of hiring managers don’t expect job candidates to accept their initial salary offer.
Sure, asking for money can be uncomfortable. However, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

“My current salary is…”
Revealing what you’re earning at your current job can hurt you. Don’t volunteer that information. When you’re changing jobs, you want to get paid based on your market value—not what you’re earning at the moment.

In fact, it’s even illegal today in some cities and states for employers to ask job candidates about their salary history. Still, if a hiring manager asks you what you’re currently making, Vicki Salemi, Monster’s career expert, recommends this pivot: “Could you tell me what the range for this position is?” Once they answer, state what salary range you’re looking for. “This way, you avoid setting the bar too low based on your current pay,” Salemi says.

“I want more than that.”
Don’t just ask for more money—name a specific dollar amount you’re looking for based on market research you’ve done (i.e., how much the average worker, with your level of experience, makes in your region). A better approach would be to say, “You offered me X. If you can offer me Y, I would accept the job, and here’s why I’m worth that number.”

“I need more money because I have student loans to pay.”
We all have living expenses—rent, car payments, student debt—which is why they shouldn’t be your basis for requesting a higher salary. Hang your negotiation strategy on the value that you’d bring to the company.

“I hate to ask for more, but…”
Never apologize for asking for more money—it makes it seem like you don’t actually think you deserve what you’re asking for.
Similarly, don’t make the mistake of saying, “I don’t know if you have room in the budget, but I could really use more money.” That makes it easy for the hiring manager to deny you.

“I’m a top performer, and I expect to be paid at the top of your salary scale.”
If you want to sound rude and abrasive, this will do the trick. Nobody will want to work with you. Plus, just stating that you’re a “top performer” isn’t compelling—you have to show why you’re among the top talent in your industry.

“I have a lot of other companies trying to recruit me.”
Being courted by another employer? Having another job offer can make you a more attractive job candidate, but says there’s a better way to leverage your position: “I have a competing offer that will pay me X, but I think this job would be a better fit.”
Moreover, this tactic can give the hiring manager a reason to nudge their boss to offer you a higher salary.

Get smart
This isn’t the only time you’ll need to be persuasive in the workplace. Having strong communication skills is critical at every stage of your career.

The post Negotiating Pay? Keep These Phrases Out of Your Mouth appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

You’re in the home stretch. You have an offer on the table from a potential employer (or even your current employer) and you are at a three-way crossroads between accepting an offer, declining or submitting a counteroffer. Anxiety builds, doubt may creep in, and palms get sweaty. “Just don’t blow it” comes to mind flashing like a giant neon sign. Breathe. Keep calm. Don’t panic.

Negotiating a salary or compensation package is a stress you can manage.  It’s like an intricate dance learned over time: take one step forward, two steps to the side, spin then come together. Keep in mind, however, negotiations are no spin on the Dancing With the Stars ballroom floor—no extravagant or wild displays, no improv. Simply stick to the steps.

To teach us the negotiation dance, we turned to Deepak Malhotra, the Eli Goldston Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the author of Negotiating the Impossible. Not only does he teach MBA students the 15 rules of negotiation, he also warns of the pitfalls that we all may face as we seek to get an ideal package from employers. And one point he is sure to make is that salary negotiations are about more than just base pay or the zeros on a check. They’re about the whole package.

“At many companies, compensation increasingly comes in the form of stock, options, and bonuses linked to both personal and group performance,” said Malhotra. These factors plus benefits, time off, location (such as working from home) and title are all on the table during negotiations. And now, perhaps more than ever before, in many industries negotiating the finer details is par for the course.

“Job market complexity creates opportunities for people who can skillfully negotiate the terms and conditions of employment. After all, negotiation matters most when there is a broad range of possible outcomes.”

Now that you have an offer in hand, it may be time to negotiate. Malhotra shares his best advice for how to handle a salary counter offer like a pro.

1. Be firm and persuasive.
“Don’t just state your desire (a 15% higher salary, say, or permission to work from home one day a week); explain precisely why it’s justified (the reasons you deserve more money than others they may have hired, or that your children come home from school early on Fridays). If you have no justification for a demand, it may be unwise to make it.”

2. Be serious.
“If you intend to negotiate for a better package, make it clear that you’re serious about working for this employer.”

3. Consider both sides.
“They may like you. They may think you deserve everything you want. But they still may not give it to you. Why? Because they may have certain ironclad constraints, such as salary caps, that no amount of negotiation can loosen. Your job is to figure out where they’re flexible and where they’re not. If, for example, you’re talking to a large company that’s hiring 20 similar people at the same time, it probably can’t give you a higher salary than everyone else. But it may be flexible on start dates, vacation time, and signing bonuses. On the other hand, if you’re negotiating with a smaller company that has never hired someone in your role, there may be room to adjust the initial salary offer or job title but not other things. The better you understand the constraints, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to propose options that solve both sides’ problems.”

4. Be honest.
“My advice is to never lie in a negotiation. It frequently comes back to harm you, but even if it doesn’t, it’s unethical.”

5. Think beyond the cash.
“Don’t get fixated on money. Focus on the value of the entire deal: responsibilities, location, travel, flexibility in work hours, opportunities for growth and promotion, perks, support for continued education, and so forth.”

6. Submit your counter all at once, not piecemeal.
“If someone makes you an offer and you’re legitimately concerned about parts of it, you’re usually better off proposing all your changes at once. Don’t say, ‘The salary is a bit low. Could you do something about it?’ and then, once she’s worked on it, come back with ‘Thanks. Now here are two other things I’d like…’ If you ask for only one thing initially, she may assume that getting it will make you ready to accept the offer (or at least to make a decision). If you keep saying ‘and one more thing…,’ she is unlikely to remain in a generous or understanding mood.”

7. Remember this is not reality television—you are not on Shark Tank.
“Resist the temptation to prove that you are a great negotiator. Fighting to get just a bit more can rub people the wrong way—and can limit your ability to negotiate with the company later in your career, when it may matter more.”

8. Avoid giving ultimatums.
“Sometimes we do so inadvertently—we’re just trying to show strength, or we’re frustrated, and it comes off the wrong way. Your counterpart may do the same. My personal approach when at the receiving end of an ultimatum is to simply ignore it, because at some point the person who gave it might realize that it could scuttle the deal and will want to take it back. He can do that much more easily without losing face if it’s never been discussed. If someone tells you, ‘We’ll never do this,’ don’t dwell on it or make her repeat it. Instead, you might say, ‘I can see how that might be difficult, given where we are today. Perhaps we can talk about X, Y, and Z.’ Pretend the ultimatum was never given and keep her from becoming wedded to it. If it’s real, she’ll make that clear over time.”

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You’re 96% sure that you are ready to schedule a meeting with your boss to ask for a raise. Or perhaps you’re nearing the end of the job interview process and an offer is in sight. However, if you’re like me, you have definitely put your foot in your mouth a time or two saying the wrong thing at the absolute worst moment. Doh!

Don’t mess up.

Don’t mess up.

No matter how many times you rehearse what to say, there’s always that risk of fumbling right at the five-yard line. Instead of panicking, get prepared.

To coach us along in the salary negotiation process, we turned to Josh Doody, author of Fearless Salary Negotiation. “A salary negotiation is a collaboration, and a key ingredient of a successful collaboration is good communication,” says Doody. “It’s important to be very clear with what you communicate to avoid ambiguity, which could complicate things and slow the negotiation process.”

Instead of Doody simply sharing the things you should say, he’s here to warn you about the potential negotiation landmines to avoid when angling for the salary you deserve. Here are 9 things to never say in a salary negotiation:

1. “Currently,” as in “I’m currently making…”
The most common question recruiters will ask a candidate is something like, “So where are you right now in terms of salary, and what are you looking for if you make this move?” Don’t fall for it.

“I call this The Dreaded Salary Question and it’s tricky because it usually comes up early in the interview process, and most candidates don’t think of it as part of a salary negotiation even though it is,” says Doody. “Answering this question by disclosing numbers can make it very difficult to negotiate effectively later on because it can box the candidate in. Once they disclose current or desired salary, the offers they get are very likely to be tied to those numbers. That can be very expensive if the company might have offered them a much higher salary than they disclosed.”

2. “Desired,” as in “My desired salary is…”
Don’t disclose your current or desired salary! “Recovering from this mistake can be tricky and each situation is unique. But one way to untether from those original numbers is to review the benefits package for deficiencies,” says Doody. “If the health insurance offering, paid vacation, target bonus or other aspects of the benefits package are underwhelming, the candidate can use those as reasons to ask for a higher salary to compensate.”

Instead, try something like :

I’m not comfortable sharing my current salary. I would prefer to focus on the value I can add to this company rather than what I’m paid at my current job. I don’t have a specific number in mind for a desired salary, and you know better than I do what value my skill set and experience could bring to your company. I want this move to be a big step forward for me in terms of both responsibility and compensation.

3. “Sorry”
According to Doody, “negotiating is uncomfortable, and our natural tendency is to try to smooth the edges on a difficult conversation. Saying sorry could signal to the recruiter or hiring manager that you might be willing to back down, and that could be expensive. Don’t apologize for negotiating.”

4. “No” and other negative words
“You want to continuously improve your situation throughout the negotiation and you do that by avoiding negative language and focusing on positive language. Instead of “No, that doesn’t work for me.” (two negative words) you can say, “I would be more comfortable with…” (positive words). Negative words slow things down and may put up walls that make collaboration difficult. Using only positive words is difficult at first, but you’ll get better with practice.”

5. “Yes”
While this may sound like the exact word to use when speaking to a recruiter, Doody insists it should be used with caution. “You’ll often get a job offer that seems really appealing, and it might be far more than you expected. Your instinct, in that case, might be to just accept the offer because it’s so good.”

But is it too good?

“It’s possible you underestimated your value in this situation. Instead of “Yes”, formulate a counter offer to see how much you can improve it. The negotiation should end with the company saying “Yes” to you. Once they say “Yes” to you, or you run out of things to ask for, then you are finished negotiating.”

6. “Later,” as in “I can deal with that after I start.”
Procrastinators, this one is for you. “Sometimes it’s easier to avoid uncomfortable parts of a negotiation by deferring those parts of the conversation until after you’re hired. That can be a very expensive mistake because you won’t have the same latitude to negotiate and improve your position once you’re in the door. Push through the discomfort and get the best possible result now,” Doody advises.

7. Try, as in “Can we try…?”
“Try is a passive word that leaves a lot of wiggle room, and you don’t want that,” insists Doody.  “It’s easy for someone to say — honestly or not — “We’ll try…” and reply with, “We tried and it just didn’t work out.” Don’t ask them to “try” to do something. Instead, use more positive language like “I would be more comfortable with.”

8. More, as in “I want more…”
While this word seems counter-intuitive because you are negotiating to get more, it’s a word that is too general for a successful negotiation. Instead of asking for “more” salary or “more” vacation, this is your time to get specific.

“Don’t leave things to the imagination once you’re negotiating. Instead of “Could you budge on the salary?”, say, ‘I would be more comfortable with a base salary of $105,000.’”

9. Want
Lastly, the word “want” can tank negotiations. Using it can undercut the entire premise of your argument that you deserve to be paid more and you deserve a more competitive salary. Go into a negotiation with facts and figures, making a compelling case. Start with printing out the results of your personal salary estimator, Know Your Worth. See what you base salary should be and see what the industry norms are.

“You could talk about what you want, which just isn’t all that important. Or you could talk about what the company wants, which is not as potent as talking about what the company needs, which are the most important thing,” adds Doody. “Focus on the company’s needs and how you can help meet those needs so they can easily see your value and work to compensate you for it.”Moving to a new city for work? Check out Bankrate.com’s new Cost of Living Calculator to determine what you’ll need to earn!

The post 9 Things to Never Say in a Salary Negotiation appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Negotiating is intimidating. Talking about money is awkward enough as it is, but add on the element of asking for more money, and it just gets extremely uncomfortable.

One aspect of negotiating a job offer that seems to make people squirm is the fact that it’s not really a give and take. The idea is to just, you know, take more — and that feels weird, not to mention less effective.

So, how do you make it a give and take when it just feels like you’re doing all the taking?

I recently attended an event by a very frank recruiter who was answering every job search related question from the audience as honestly and thoroughly as she could — and the questions were tough, especially about negotiation. The most interesting insight she offered was that there is actually something job candidates can offer when they are negotiating (and it’s unbelievably obvious): Accepting the role in a timely matter.

Put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter: Once the perfect candidate is lined up and the job offer out, there is nothing he or she wants more than for you to sign said offer. That means all the recruiter’s work is done! With that in mind, the magic words for you to say when you’re negotiating are: The only thing preventing me from signing this offer is…

When you begin your negotiation from this angle, the recruiter is on your side. He or she wants you to sign, and you want a slightly higher salary or a more flexible schedule — whatever it is, it’s now aligned with the other party’s interest as well. As long as what you’re asking for seems doable, then what you’ve just said is pretty much music to the recruiter’s ears.

Next time you’re gearing up for a job offer negotiation, try it! Make sure you’re actually willing to accept the offer should your requests be met, and then set up a time to chat with the recruiter. During the conversation, be clear that you’ve very excited about the opportunity, but that you have one or two concerns about the details of the job offer. Then say the magic words, and see what happens. If you can get HR on your side, then half the battle is won.

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In an ideal world, you’d get offered the salary you want right off the bat, but if you’ve been working or job hunting for a while, you probably know that very few people receive their perfect offer right out of the gate. Most of the time, you have to ask for what you want, make your case, and hope that the company you’re negotiating with has the bandwidth to give you what you’re looking for. Whether you’re negotiating for more money or perks at your current company or trying to secure the right offer somewhere new, here’s the best advice we heard this year for getting what you deserve in 2018.

1. Be sure your performance merits a raise before you ask for one.

If you’re going to try negotiating for a bump in your current salary, be sure you can show that it’s warranted. One of the biggest mistakes that can ruin a salary negotiation is not having proof that you’re indispensable to your organization. “The biggest mistake I’ve seen from employees over the years is asking for a raise when their performance is average or sub-par,” says Joanna Buickians, vice president of operations for JBA. “For example, I’ve had sales people asking for raises when they are in the red and not able to close — or worse, people who take frequent vacations, use all their sick days… who have a general sense of entitlement and an attitude of ‘I deserve a raise because I’m just awesome.’ If these employees had shown they’re really worth their salt, by showing up to work on time and working as hard as they could, I would have given a them a raise.”

2. Treat it as a collaboration, not a fight.

By approaching a negotiation as a way to work with with your hiring manager or HR department rather than against them, you’re more likely to be successful. “Never engage in negotiation as an ultimatum — an either/or — but rather as a collaborative process and a unique opportunity to create a compensation package that makes sense for both you and for them,” advises career coach Roy Cohen. “Establish priorities as to what is most important to you and what items you are willing to trade off.” Then, make your case and say that you’re looking forward to “working together” on this — one of the best phrases to use in a salary negotiation if you want to succeed. “Unless you know for sure that you are indispensable, and few of us ever are, successful negotiation should never become adversarial. That is a bad sign that the process has broken down or will,” Cohen continues.

3. Don’t feel like you have to share your current salary.

It’s super common for recruiters to ask what you’re making at the moment and what you’re looking for in terms of compensation in your next job. You do not have to answer this directly, and it’s actually one of the things you should never say during a salary negotiation, according to Josh Doody, author of Fearless Salary Negotiation. “I call this The Dreaded Salary Question, and it’s tricky because it usually comes up early in the interview process, and most candidates don’t think of it as part of a salary negotiation even though it is,” he says. “Answering this question by disclosing numbers can make it very difficult to negotiate effectively later on because it can box the candidate in. Once they disclose current or desired salary, the offers they get are very likely to be tied to those numbers. That can be very expensive if the company might have offered them a much higher salary than they disclosed.”

4. Wait as long as you can before discussing salary.

This one is especially true if you’re trying to score a great salary at your first job, but it’s applicable to all job seekers. In addition to avoiding naming a number that you’re looking for in terms of salary, “you also want to defer the salary conversation as long as possible, because the longer you can defer that discussion, the more time you have to impress them in your interviews and convince them that you should be paid at the higher end of the range they have budgeted for the role,” Doody says. By leaving the money talk until the end of the job application process, you’re more likely to nab a higher paycheck.

5. Think beyond dollars and cents.

It can be tempting to focus on the dollar amount you’ll be taking home each month or year, but if your prospective employer isn’t open to changing the how much money they’re offering you, don’t forget about benefits negotiation, which can actually be one of the most important parts of figuring out your salary. Consider what might be worth bartering for, whether it’s extra vacation days, better medical or dental benefits, a gym membership reimbursement, or even commissions.

6. Let them know you want to accept the job.

In the final stages of negotiation, another helpful phrase is something along the lines of, “If you can do x, I’m ready to accept your offer.” This lets them know you want to accept the job, but you need a little something more first. “When you get to this phase of the negotiation, you want to make it clear to the recruiter or hiring manager that saying ‘Yes’ will end the negotiation so they’re more comfortable acquiescing,” Doody says. For example, you may want to say, “I understand you can’t come all the way up to $60,000. It would be great to add an additional week of paid vacation along with the $55,000 you suggested. If you can do that, I’m on board,” he suggests.

7. Don’t use your personal circumstances as a negotiation tool.

While it might feel logical to explain your personal financial situation as your reasoning for needing to earn more money, experts say this can also ruin your salary negotiation. “One of my employees requested a meeting to negotiate their salary,” says Lori Bizzoco, cofounder of NV Media, Inc. “They came into the meeting and right off the bat started to discuss their personal financial situation at home: She was getting married and the wedding was costing more than she and her fiancé had anticipated. She used the wedding as a bargaining tool to ask for a raise. At the risk of sounding less compassionate than I really am, I must express the importance of leaving personal issues out of the conversation when asking for a raise. As much as I empathize with financial struggles, an employee can create a more compelling argument for a raise by providing evidence of his or her hard work.”

8. Know your worth.

One of the simplest and most effective tools you can use in a salary negotiation is information about what others in your position make. That’s why our Know Your Worth tool is so useful when you’re looking for a new job or trying to up your pay at an existing job. By inputting some basic information about yourself and your job history, you can get a better understanding of your market worth. Armed with this knowledge, you can negotiate confidently.

9. Use your network for research.

Another tool you can add to your research arsenal is your business contacts. Journalist Jillian Kramer did exactly that when recovering from a lowball salary offer at a magazine: “I spoke with contacts and coworkers until I found a connection between one of them and a former employee at the magazine. And after a quick introduction, that former employee was happy to dish on what he’d earned when he’d worked in the exact position I was going to fill.” With this in mind, Kramer was able to make a more informed counter offer to the hiring manager, and ended up with a salary that she was much happier with.

10. Never apologize.

According to Doody, “sorry” is another thing you should never say in a salary negotiation. Why? “Negotiating is uncomfortable, and our natural tendency is to try to smooth the edges on a difficult conversation. Saying sorry could signal to the recruiter or hiring manager that you might be willing to back down, and that could be expensive. Don’t apologize for negotiating.”

The post The Best Salary Negotiation Tips of 2017 appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

Create a business plan for yourself, and make your career your life’s work.

Author and career consultant Ronna Lichtenberg believes that by taking a day to think about the way you earn your living, you can make a huge difference in making your job more fulfilling. Ronna recently led a career seminar for a group of women looking to get more out of their work. Whether you work for an employer or yourself, in a major corporation or behind the counter in a coffee shop, you’re the CEO of your career. The tools any CEO needs are the same ones the rest of us need.

By following the steps outlined in Ronna’s seminar, you can create your own business plan and find more fulfillment your career.

Who Are You?

Write a curriculum vitae in 15 lines or less – not a résumé, but a description you might give to someone introducing you as a speaker.

Repeat the exercise, but write your description as if it were 15 to 20 years from now.

Start thinking about what it would take to get from the first introduction to the second. In CEO lingo, this kind of thinking is called gap analysis.

Most people have trouble with this exercise, according to Ronna. While many of us often worry about our careers, we don’t take the time to think about them in a focused way. To help the process, Ronna suggests asking yourself these questions:

• Do you know what your most valuable skills are?
• Could you write an ad for yourself?
• Do you sometimes feel there’s something stopping you from reaching your potential?

The next step involves thinking about what it means to invest in Me, Inc., and how to be your own CEO. Any CEO needs the following:

• A vision for the business
• Financial skills
• A marketing plan
• The ability to manage and motivate others

Work on these skills, concentrating on the next 18 months to three years. Ronna says that it’s easy to become overwhelmed and give up if you go beyond that time frame.

Develop a Vision

Use these exercises to help you begin to see what Me, Inc. means for you. Remember, some people are better at visualization than others, so keep at it. After the exercise, take out your curriculum vitae again and look at it in the context of your visualization. Is your image of your future self in sync with what you described as your best working day? If not, why not? Rewrite your description to fit your new vision of your future.

Imagine Your Ideal Working Day

Ask yourself these questions:

• What time of day is it?
• Where are you?
• What are you doing?
• Who are you working with?
• What about this work feels good?
• Who are you talking to for support?
• Who is paying you?
• How much are you getting paid?
• Why are they paying you instead of somebody else?

Now imagine your worst possible working day, using these same questions. Focus on your priorities. The challenge is not avoiding bad days completely – they will always happen – but knowing what the issues are at work that you want to avoid.

Take a Relationship Inventory

Make a list of the people with whom you have regular contact in your work life. Divide that list into three categories:

Category A is energizers. They’re people you trust, admire and respect; they give you good advice and help you grow.

Category B is people you like well enough. They are reasonable to work with.

Category C is battery drainers. They’re users, underperformers or people you believe, for whatever reason, are your enemies.

Now think about the time and energy you spend on people in each category, including the time you spend thinking and talking (complaining!) about them. The Category A people are the ones you should be reaching out to: if you go to lunch, they are the ones you invite. Category B people may have roles that make them important to Me, Inc., so stay in contact with them. But limit the time you spend on Category C people as much as you can.

Making It Happen

Evaluate yourself by answering these questions:

• Write down your target markets – who needs to know about Me Inc., and its value?
• How often will you be in touch with them? What specific marketing materials (resumes, new ideas) will you present them with?
• What skill do you most need to improve in the next 18 months? How will you accomplish this?

It’s time to develop a Me, Inc. business plan! Thinking about yourself as a business can feel funny, says Ronna, but even as an employee, you’re offering buyers a set of products and services for a given price. Ask yourself these questions:

• What is your advantage over the competition?
• How does your “price” compare?
• Who is your target customer?

You may find it difficult to answer these questions, especially when trying to articulate exactly what your products and services are. Dig deeper for your answers.

Sell Yourself

Now you’ll use your business plan to pitch Me, Inc. Selling may be uncomfortable for you, but to be successful, you need to be able to describe what you bring to the marketplace.

Create your own ad: Fill in the blanks: The goal of your ad is “to convince ______ to buy ________ because _______.” With this goal in mind, create your ad.

Pitch your ad: Invite a friend or co-worker you trust to listen to your pitch. Give yourself three minutes for the pitch, and give your friend two minutes for comments.

Make an impression: After your pitch, the listener should know what your “brand” was, and what made it different from its competitors. Pop-up window Exercise Two: The Relationship Inventory. Once you know what you’re selling, who are you going to tell? In the case of Me, Inc., you’re going to be spending your time and energy. You’ll be advertising yourself to the people you pay attention to. Make the most of your limited time by spending it with people who can help you grow.

You’ve figured out who you are, what your plan is, and how to sell yourself—what’s the next step? First, evaluate yourself based on what you’ve learned.

Exercise Two: The Relationship Inventory

Once you know what you’re selling, who are you going to tell? In the case of Me, Inc., you’re going to be spending your time and energy. You’ll be advertising yourself to the people you pay attention to. Make the most of your limited time by spending it with people who can help you grow.

Exercise Three: Making It Happen

• List three specific steps you would take to reach your goals.
• Write yourself a letter detailing your plans, stash it away, and read it six weeks later.
• Share your plan with a trusted friend and set a specific time each week to measure your progress.

Don’t let yourself off the hook. If you’re having trouble, figure out what’s holding you back. Don’t just dump the plan – revise it and recommit yourself. Soon you’ll be on your way to working for the best company possible – Me, Inc.!

The post Investing in Me, Inc. appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

If you’ve ever tried to develop your personal brand from scratch, you know that it’s an overwhelming process, to say the least. Where do you start? What should you include? What does “personal brand” really even mean?

Well, here’s some good news: We just discovered an amazing workbook from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) that makes everything a lot more clear (and a lot more enjoyable). The beautiful, interactive tool will take you through the process of determining how you want to be seen by the world baby step by baby step: from figuring out your core strengths and weaknesses to defining your career passions and purpose to translating it all into your resume, elevator pitch, and more.

Basically, if you’re serious about nailing down your personal brand (and, yes, you should be), this is the best tool we’ve seen to make it happen. Download the workbook today, make a commitment to actually go through it over the next couple of weeks, and see just how effective a strong identity can be for your career.

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