It’s an exciting yet daunting time for University of Oregon students set to graduate in spring. They’ve worked incredibly hard to set themselves up for a professional career and a prosperous future. For many, the moment they’ve been waiting for may be right around the corner – the one that they’ve worked so hard for a first job offer.
Thankfully, us Ducks know that the UO prepares us well for the job hunt. Thanks to resources like the career center, mentorship from teachers and excellent courses – our resumes are polished and our portfolios extensive. But once our focus turns from landing a job interview to making a decision, the responsibility is left solely to us. Part of that decision is seeing where we want to be years from now. Where do we want to live? How much money does that require us to make, accounting for spending and saving?
Developing professional confidence and salary negotiation techniques to reach your goals is important for all college students – but considering the gender wage gap, these skills are especially helpful for women. That’s why the American Association of University Women – a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to gender equity in education and the workforce with Oregon’s state chapter an AHPR client – curated WorkSmart, a free, online and self-guided salary negotiation training program. Below are the main takeaways to learn how to research your target salary, highlight your accomplishments and find the right words — and the confidence — to negotiate for better benefits and pay.
These skills aren’t just for seniors or entry-level professionals. The earlier you start, the better off you’ll be when it comes to making this important decision. And remember: when you negotiate for your salary as a young professional, you’re not only setting yourself up for success but also raising the standard for those who follow.
Know your value
When advocating for yourself, it’s crucial to have action-driven examples. This is where value statements come into play. A value statement has three components: your accomplishments, your skills, and the result you produced. Value statements are incredibly important to share throughout your interview process so that prospective employers know your worth and capabilities. If an offer is made, value statements come in as persuasive responses for your ideal salary.
Value Statements
Over the course of your college career, what skills have you learned that will help advance you in a professional career? Chances are there are a lot more than you may think. Take some time to brainstorm ideas for your professional portfolio. Think about your accomplishments, education, and your personal and professional experience (including awards and recognitions).
For example, you had a social media internship with the University of Oregon Baseball team. Your value statement might look something like: During my internship, I used my design skills and knowledge of metrics to increase Instagram engagement by 50%, which resulted in boosting online ticket sales by 15%.
Know Your Target Salary and Benefits
One of the most important aspects of knowing your worth is knowing the starting salary in your chosen field. Fortunately, there are many resources to use when identifying the compensation you deserve.
Research
First, identify a specific job title. Starting salaries will look different for an assistant account executive versus an account supervisor if you’re a PR major. It’s important to realistically compare your skills and level of experience with the given job requirements.
Now that you’ve identified your target title, use search engines to compare salaries across the industry. Job sites like Glassdoor and PayScale are great for pinpointing ranges, but those shouldn’t be your only sources. Talking with people in the industry – a.k.a. networking – is one of the best ways to learn about salaries. Regularly scanning job listings on platforms such as Linked-In is also a great way to set a range.
Check out these other resources that you can use during your research:
- payscale.com or salary.com
- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Business publications or other publications specific to your industry
- The local chamber of commerce
- Industry compensation surveys
*Tip: Salaries listed on job sites such as Linked-In are often approximated for specific open positions. The salary may vary depending on the candidate, the location of the job or other factors. You will likely be able to negotiate once an offer has been made.
Know Your Strategy
Now that you know your target salary, you need to prepare for what may be the hard part – negotiating – and the last thing you want to do is just wing it. The first step is starting the conversation, and ideally, you won’t talk about salary until the offer has been made.
Salary Deflection
According to AAUW’s research, it’s essential to do your best to avoid discussing salary or negotiating with the employer until you have received a job offer. During the interview, or even in the application stage, you might be asked about your salary history or salary expectations. You want to deflect those questions until you have an offer.
For example, what if an interviewer asks, “What are your salary expectations for this role?” You could deflect by saying something like the following:
- “What do you usually pay someone in this position?”
- “I’d like to learn more about the role before I set my salary expectations. As we move forward in the interview process I would hope and expect that my salary would line up with market rates for similar positions in this area.”
And what if the interviewer asks, “Can you share your salary history with me?” You could answer with one of these responses:
- “This position is not exactly the same as my last job. So, let’s discuss what my responsibilities would be here and then determine a fair salary for this job.”
- “I’d appreciate it if you could make me an offer based on whatever you have budgeted for this position, and we can go from there.”
*Tip: Some cities and states have laws against asking about someone’s salary history. Make sure you check local pay equity laws before going to an interview!
Negotiation sentence starters
Once an offer has been made, revisit your salary research and non-negotiables notes. Ask the employer to meet to discuss the details of your offer. These are ideas to get you started, but you should modify the phrasing to fit your personal style and the specifics of the situation.
- Thank you for meeting to discuss the details of your offer.
- According to my research, a fair salary range for people doing this job in this area is from $__________ to $__________.
- We share common goals, such as__________.
- Given my previous experience doing __________, I believe this is a fair salary range for this position. It sounds like you and I are on the same page about what I can contribute to the company.
Persuasive Responses
Anticipating how a prospective employer will react to your requests is essential to preparing your strategy. If you’re going to ask for a higher number than what’s been offered, be prepared to back it up with why you deserve it. *Remember those value statements!
Key components to your pitch
- Say thank you for the offer
- Share a compliment
- Share your accomplishments
- Make your ask
- And then stop talking!
Practice, and Practice Again
This conversation is important – and it’s likely uncomfortable for some. Take ample time to practice going over your notes of what you want to bring to the table and how you want to approach the conversation. Role-playing with a friend, roommate or family member can help you work out any stammering. With practice comes confidence.