The document outlines essential information about job offers and negotiation strategies for recent graduates, emphasizing the importance of understanding the full compensation package, including benefits and salary negotiation tactics. It provides guidance on when and how to negotiate, including how to respond to salary expectations during the application process and interview stages. Key advice includes conducting thorough research on salary ranges and ensuring that any agreement is documented in writing to avoid misunderstandings later.

1. Presented by:
Lauren Burmester &
Valerie Kielmovitch
Career Services
Career Services
(386) 226-6054 ▪ careers@erau.edu ▪ http://careers.erau.edu

2. • What is a job offer?
• Negotiating Basics
• Conducting Research
• Salary Talk
• The Job Offer
• The Negotiation Process/Counter-Proposal
• Accepting the Offer

3. Not just the amount of salary the employer extends
“Job Offer” is a comprehensive package:
• Health and retirement benefits
• Vacation time
• Sign-on bonus
• Relocation assistance
• Performance evaluations
• Stock options
• Professional development options
• Travel requirements
• Tuition reimbursement
• Flexibility of work schedule
• Telecommute options
• Immigration paperwork

4. • When to negotiate
• Negotiate only when you feel you are not
being offered what you and the job are worth
• Don’t negotiate just for the sake of it
• Do not negotiate until an offer is made
• Recent grad/not too much room for negotiation
• Know your strengths
• As a new grad you have more negotiating power if:
 You have relevant work experience (internship or summer job)
 You have technical expertise that is highly sought-after
 You have a graduate degree in an area of expertise
 You have a written job from another employer that
offers a higher salary (use only if you have not already accepted)
 You have campus involvement/project experience/thesis
expertise
 You have completed research and published

5. • Things you need to consider:
• Your worth
• Your budget
• The industry of the employer
• The geographic location
• How much recent grads are getting paid
• How much other similar positions are posting for
• The position, company, competition
• The economic climate

6. • For comprehensive salary data:
• www.salary.com (Salary Wizard)
• www.glassdoor.com (Self reporting system)
• www.careerbliss.com (Self reporting system)
• http://homefair.com (Salary Calculator)
• http://college.wsj.com
• JobStar ( www.jobstar.org )
• Salary Survey of the National Association of Colleges & Employers
• Salary Success: Know What You’re Worth and Get It
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics
• US News & World Report
• Business Week
• Professional Associations, Trade Journals, Business Magazines
• Newspaper and online job listings

7. • Use websites such as NACE to find salary research and
information:

8. • You want to put off the salary talk as long as possible
• The first one to talk salary loses negotiating power
• Talking about salary early can also make you look more
focused on money than the position
• Entry-level candidates want to let the employer bring up
the salary first. Once you have had the opportunity to
demonstrate your qualifications, you’ll be in a better
situation to discuss your salary requirements

9. The Application
• Sometimes employers will ask for the following on the
application:
• Salary requirement -how much you expect
to get paid
• Salary history- how much were you paid in
the past
• Used by employers as a screening device

10. Possible application responses
Request Possible response
Your Salary
Requirement
 Provide your salary requirement
 Provide a wide salary range
 State that you “expect competitive or fair compensation”
 Express your salary flexibility
 State that you would prefer to discuss salary in an
interview
 Give your salary history instead
 Ignore the salary request
Whenever
possible
 Do not provide your salary history or salary requirement
prior to an offer so you may maintain your power as long
as possible.
Retrieved from www.quintcareers.com

11. During the Interview:
• If asked for your salary requirement during an
interview you can:
• Express expectation to be paid in line with
market conditions and your experience level
• Let the employer know you prefer to wait to
discuss salary until you have both determined
you are the right person for the position
• Ask for what their expected salary range is
• Provide a salary range

12. • Until you receive a job offer-there is nothing to
negotiate
• If you don’t provide a salary requirement some
employers may not consider you for the position
• Do your research in advance and have a
pre-determined salary range in mind
• Never lie to an employer about your salary history
• Act professionally
• Inquire about company policies regarding raises

13. • You have been offered the job, now what?
• No matter how good the offer sounds, take sometime to think it
over-it is customary to ask for 24-48 hours to think an offer over
• Thank the interviewer for the offer and express your interest in the
company and position but ask for time to evaluate the offer
• Think about your expectations, find similar salaries and do your
research

14. • What if the job offer is less than what you had hoped for?
Now it’s time to move to the negotiation stage…
• Ask for a higher salary and provide reasons why
 Reasons should be benefits to the employer NOT
because you need more money to pay your bills
• Always ask, never demand for more money
• Use humble language: “Hope”
• Never say “Want”, “Expect”, “Require” , “Demand”
• Provide a salary range higher than you are willing to accept to
allow room for negotiation from the employer

15. • Counter Proposal
• Can be done in person, on the phone, or by email
• An employer may ask for a written counter proposal letter
• Use your best judgment
• It is up to you to demonstrate why you are a value to the
company and why you are worth the added investment
• If salary cannot be negotiated (you receive a
“firm offer”), consider negotiating other aspects
of your benefits package such as:
• Change in evaluation period, sign-on bonus, vacation
time, relocation, company laptop or cell phone (if it’s
needed in your position), stock options, etc.

16. • Example:
“I am extremely excited about your job offer. I think your company
is a good fit for me and the Systems Engineering position would be
a wonderful opportunity. However, I am hoping we can
discuss the current salary offer. I have conducted some research
on salary for a similar position in this area and based on my
educational background as well as internship experience I am
hoping for a salary range between $54,000-$58,000. Please let me know
if you can help me with this.”

17. • Throughout the negotiation process make sure to continue to
sell your skills and experiences
• Never make demands, keep the tone conversational instead
of demanding
• Do not keep counter-offers going for multiple rounds; after your
initial counter proposal you should avoid making additional
demands-remember your offer could still be rescinded
• If you have no true intentions of accepting the job offer then do
not start the negotiation process-do not waste yours or
the company’s time
• Ask yourself: If they accept my requests, am I prepared to accept the position?
Source: www.quintcareers.com/printable/salary_counter_proposal.html

18. • Now the ball is back on the employer’s court-and you
will wait for a response
• The employer will get back to you and either agree to
your requests or give you a counter offer-you may ask
for more time to evaluate your new offer

19. • After you and the employer come to an agreement,
be sure to get the details in writing
• Ask for an official letter of offer or contract; this will
guarantee that:
• Your boss will not later forget what you have
agreed upon
• New management will know what agreements
were made when you were hired
• Once you accept an offer and all negotiations have
ceased you should also stop/withdraw from all other
interviewing

20. Try not doing the following:
 Settling/not negotiating
 Revealing how much you would accept
 Focusing on need/greed rather than value
 Weak research or negotiation preparation
 Making a salary pitch too early
 Accepting a job offer too quickly
 Declining a job offer too quickly
 Asking for too many changes in counteroffer
 Taking salary negotiations personally
 Not asking for final offer in writing
Source: www.quintcareers.com

21. • The first person to mention salary loses negotiating
power
• Have a fair range in mind – be able to justify your
requirements
• Have reasonable expectations based on the industry,
position, geographic location, and experience
• If you don’t ask, you won’t receive
• You can always try to negotiate other benefits
• Don’t be too pushy – they can rescind the offer

22. • www.quintcareers.com
• http://ezinearticles.com
• www.resume-help.org
• http://susanireland.com
• www.collegejournal.com
• http://career-advice.monster.com
• www.1st-writer.com

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