Q. I graduated from college with a journalism degree last month. Two weeks ago I applied for, and interviewed with, two editors at a local newspaper. The interview went well, and I actually used many of the tips I have picked up from your column to ask
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questions. An editor from the paper called a few days ago to tell me the paper will offer me a job later this week, and I'm very nervous about negotiations. The editors took me through information on the company's health insurance and 401k plan in the first interview, so I believe the main points left to go over are vacation and salary.
This being my first job out of college, how do I negotiate a salary if I feel what I'm offered is too low? I have never negotiated a salary, and I honestly don't know what I would actually say to the editors. The same goes for vacation. What are typical issues with vacation time that come up in negotiations?
Any advice you can offer will help tremendously.
Thank you,
On the SpotA. Congratulations!
Salary is most important at this point, and you express some reservations about it. That is your top priority. The wage you get when you start a new job sets the threshold for future raises -- and even the platform for future jobs. You are wise to get what you can.
Part of the bind you're in is that you can't see the company's books, so you don't know what the salary range looks like. Even with way more experience than you have now, you simply don't know how your offer stacks up against what others are earning.
You're almost always better off making the case that you deserve the money rather than saying you need it. So, leave need behind and stress your experience and academic achievements with a brief recitation of a few key points about your qualifications: "I expected to be offered a larger salary because of my A, B and C." Be straightforward. Even say what your desired salary is. I would set my counteroffer 10 percent ahead of what was offered. It really doesn't make much sense to haggle for less than that, and the return offer is likely to be beneath yours.
If the paper counters with a bonus, stick with your request for a higher salary. A bonus happens once; a higher base salary pays benefits every year.
If you want to talk about vacation time, put that on the table at the same time as the salary request. Vacation is often based on experience, so there may not be much leeway on that for a new hire. Make sure you know whether you will be able to take some days off this year. If the vacation offer is poor and you need a break, ask to have your start date moved back.
If you ask these things politely and professionally, there should be no reason for anyone to pull back an offer, so don't worry about that. And good luck with your new job.
More on negotiating:
"Breaking In: The JobsPage.com Guide to Newspaper Internships."
Coming Friday: She wants to show her work on a Web site, but it gets so messed up in editing that she wonders whether it is OK to clean the work up before she posts it. After all, the mistakes are not hers.
