uch money is needed for bills, such as rent or mortgage, utilities, credit cards, etc? It is very important to take these factors into consideration when looking for a new job. Other aspects do, however, come into play when you determine your financial needs. They are called benefits, and they can either hurt you, or help you. Benefits can be worth another 29 percent to 50 percent or your salary (Martin). Depending on the company, insurance premiums, bonuses, and matching 401K plans can vary. After all is said and done, you may be making the salary you wanted, but could be paying too much out of your own pocket for insurance, or retirement plans. Know what you want, or could live with before you get to the negotiating phase of the interview. DETERMINING WHAT YOURE WORTHBefore you negotiate your salary, be aware or your market value. As I mentioned before, Salary.com can be useful for finding salary ranges, but it can also help you find out what you are worth using the Personal Salary Report, pictured in Figure 1-2. The Personal Salary Report calculates data, such as the current market rate, your educational level, and experience, to name a few. It tailors to your location, industry and company size as well (Salary.com). When all of your personal components come in to play, the report gives you your estimated market value. This can save you the trouble of demanding a salary that would generally go to someone with ten years of experience, while you have two. Figure 1-2 Salary.com - https://secure.salary.com/salaryreport/graphics/PSR_header_salary.gifINTERVIEWINGOnce you have done your research, you know what to expect and what you want, you are ready to interview. After one or two interviews, you may be reasonably sure that you are one of the front-running candidates, especially if the topic of salary comes up. A common mistake people make, is having the wrong attitude about negotiating. This process should be a smooth ...
