er was extended. How do you know the offer is acceptable? According to The Career Services Center Guide to Negotiating Salary, determining the market rate salary range for the type of position in your particular industry, is the first step to make. Knowing what the position pays on average can save you from accepting an offer that is too low, or from asking for too much. There are several ways to research salary range for a particular position. Many college campuses keep a collection of salary survey information. Job listings in the newspaper may also be a good source to gauge salary on. Friends or networking contacts, professional associations, and other job seekers can be useful as well. Review business or trade periodicals, or use on-line resources such as Salary.com, pictured below in Figure 1-1. Salary.com allows you to select from a list of occupations to find one that matches yours. Then, enter the location you live in, or you are job-seeking, to get an average salary range for that field and region. Resources such as these can be very useful in giving you a positive edge before even going in to the interview. Another aspect to remember is the total compensation package. Other factors can make a $35,000 salary seem like $50,000. For example, good insurance plans, bonuses, 401K plans, tuition reimbursement, continued training, paid vacation, stock options, company car, etc. The list goes on. A good point to remember is that while you may not get the exact figure you wanted, a solid benefit package can really sweeten the deal. Figure 1-1 Salary.com - http://www.salary.com/home/layoutscripts/sall_home.aspDETERMINE YOUR FINANCIAL NEEDSThe Career Services Center Guide to Negotiating Salary says, Decide, BEFORE YOU GO INTO AN INTERVIEW, what salary you WANT to earn, what you NEED to live on, and what you will be willing to SETTLE FOR. Before interviewing, spend some time figuring out what your cost of living is. How m...
