Take a job offer from good to great

Take a job offer from good to great

As the job market picks up, too many of us may be tempted to accept too little for our next position. Here are some tips for maximizing your next career move.

September 29, 2010 4:34 by Katherine Azmeh

The job market is picking up, according to Emirates 24-7. But given what we’ve all been through, too many of us may be tempted to take the first offer that comes along – particularly if it offers “most” of what we’re looking for.

Employers know that a tough employment market gives them the leverage they need to offer a rock bottom salary, so Kipp sifted through tips from career experts to give you some guidelines that could help take an attractive job offer from good to great.

1. Begin with some soul searching. Before you can negotiate, you have to define an acceptable salary range based on industry research. What are professionals in your field earning, on average? Then, evaluate your personal salary worth based on factors like experience, educational and professional credentials, and previous salary.

2. In order to negotiate up to that magic number, determine the overall value of the package you’ve been offered. Factor in non-monetary aspects of the offer, including commute time, professional advancement opportunities, work environment, and lifestyle factors. In other words, don’t look at salary alone.

3. Put a price tag on everything: It’s easy to focus on the monetary bottom line, but career experts say you should put a dollar value on all aspects of the offer. “I was trying to decide between two jobs with drastically different salaries,” explains Kaitlynn, a private school teacher from the UK. “The school offering the lower salary was located within 3 miles of several nice, affordable flats, while the second offer was about 20 miles from residential areas. I chose the lower offer, because of its proximity — when you put a dollar value on gasoline, car repairs, and the more abundant housing choices, the lower salary looked more competitive”

So before you consider negotiating salary, be sure that you know your own salary ideal – as well as your lower limits. Once you’ve assigned a monetary value to each aspect of the employment package, you’ll know exactly where you stand in the negotiations.

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