Presented on behalf of the GEM Consortium at the 39th Annual National Society of Black Engineers Conference This presentation explores topics that an engineering graduate might contemplate when negotiating their first lab contract or job offer. In addition, tips for managing associated challenges will be examined.

1. Dr. Ruthie D. Lyle
IBM Corporation
2013 NSBE Convention – The National GEM Consortium

2. This workshop will explore topics that an engineering graduate
might contemplate when negotiating their first lab contract or job
offer. In addition, tips for managing associated challenges will be
examined. *
* Please note the focus of this talk has been slightly modified.

3. • To Thine Own Self Be True
o Identifying and Leveraging Options
• Negotiation
o Win-Win
o Responding to Offers
o What do you need?
• Challenges
o Balancing Life and Career
o Dealing with Disappointment

4. “Many of us have created lives that give very little support for
experimentation. We believe that answers already exist out
there, independent of us. What if we invested more time and
attention to our own experimentation? “ You could focus your
efforts on discovering solutions that work for you.
- Margaret Wheatley
Author and Management Consultant

5. ? You must go from seeking
a job, to seeking an
opportunity that will
enable you to gain the
experiences and skills
Academia you need to reach
your goal.
Corporate
Startup
Global Assignments?
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
- Lao Tzu

6. • Leverage Networks: LinkedIn.com, Prof/ Alum Organizations
o Understand how employers use LinkedIn
o Understand how to find an opportunity on LinkedIn
• Vetting Offers
o Create a matrix ranking each position compared across a slew of
characteristics: location, salary, lifestyle index, career trajectory and
predicted happiness on a scale of 1 to 10
o Leverage your network, talk with people to understand the organization
culture and areas of growth, understand the optimal landing opportunity

7. A win-win negotiation settlement is an integrative negotiated agreement.
In theory this means the negotiating parties have reached an agreement
after fully taking into account each others' interests, such that the
agreement cannot be improved upon further by any other agreement. By
definition, there are no resources or 'gold' left on the table and all
creative options have been thoroughly exploited.
• Example:
“In explaining to the department why I needed a particular piece of
equipment, I also pointed out how other faculty could benefit from its use,
and how its acquisition would count as a matching contribution toward
additional grant support.”
Shon Pulley, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
University of Missouri-Columbia
Reference: http://www.negotiations.com/definition/win-win/

8. • Make sure you have an offer • Negotiate hard on things that are “out
of bounds”; negotiate more gently on
• Know what you want – and what you do things that are “in bounds.”
not want
• Learn about the tenure process, but do
• Clearly communicate what you want – not get hung up on it
but only to the right people
• Start as high as you can in institutional
• Always try to use your work quality of prestige
productivity as the rationale in your
negotiations • Get as high a starting salary as you can,
but be realistic
• Make requests in an informational
manner rather than in a controlling • Create options, and keep as many open
manner for as long as you can
• In making a decision, combine logic and
emotion
Agreements should be documented in writing

9. • In Academia?
o Funds to help support research assistants
o Specific laboratory equipment
o Reduced teaching commitment in the beginning
o Corner office, excessive starting salary, travel perks…
• In Corporate or Startup Environments?
o A mentor and/or Sponsor
o A formal rotational development program
o Assurance that Initial assignments will foster technical leadership
o Opportunities to work in growth markets, global assignments

10. Making Choices can be Challenging
Things to consider
• What is your passion?
• Dual-Career Couples
• Starting a Family
• Caring for Family Members
• Aligning your passion with
your legacy

11. • Understand that is normal to
feel disappointment, anger,
rejection and even
embarrassment
o You are not alone
o You could have been the second or
third choice
• Try Again!
o Examine your options
o Work your Network

12. Resources on Negotiating an Academic Offer
http://www.uic.edu/orgs/wisest/initiatives2/sessions/session11/sources%20for%20negotiating%20offer.pdf
Startup Opportunity Job Search Tool
http://www.startuphire.com
Leveraging LinkedIn for your Job Search
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networking/a/linkedin.htm
General Principles for Responding to Academic Job Offers
http://cgi.stanford.edu/~dept-ctl/tomprof/posting.php?ID=47
http://www.stanford.edu/group/vpge/docs/AC7.pdf
Richard Reis, “Tomorrow’s Professor: Preparing for Academic Careers in Science
and Engineering,” IEEE Press, Piscataway, NJ, 1997.