The Best Place and Time to Negotiate Salary

The Best Place and Time to Negotiate SalaryThe Best Place and Time to Negotiate SalaryIf youre in the process of applying for a new job, the concept of negotiating your salary can be daunting, and there are a lot of logistics for consider. For example, is it best to bring up salary first before your interviewer does, or is that considered tacky? Where should you bring up the topic? Is a phone call during a job offer OK, or should it be done in person?For starters, realize that it is entirely professional and reasonable to negotiate salary, but there are probably a few things to consider that will ensure you come off in the best possible manner when doing so.The Best Time to Negotiate SalaryDo your research.Never bring up a salary negotiation before youve done your research. Do you know what other people with similar titles and experience make at your new company or at other companies? Asking for an outlandish number will only make you look unprepared, so be sure to never bring up the subject (or go into a meeting or call where the subject might be brought up by someone else) without doing some digging.Be strategic about when you ask.Its likely a salary (or at least a salary range) may have been posted with the job description, but even if it was, avoid bringing up the subject until your second round of interviews. If youve made it to the second round, that means that youre on the short list for actually getting the job, which puts you in a better position to get what you want.But dont wait too long.If youre not sure a second interview is in your future even if you are up for the job, try not to wait until the job offer comes around to start the negotiating process. Its best for everyone involved if you both know that your expectations arent the same, that way you dont waste any time.Shoot for a Friday, if you can.According to psychologists, the middle of a Friday morning might actually be the best time to ask for more money. The reason? Anticipation over the up coming weekend could put your would-be boss in a better mood. Hey, its worth a tryThe Best Place to Negotiate SalaryNegotiate in person, if possible.Its always best to negotiate your salary face-to-face, when possible. This shows incentive and fortitude on your part, something that your boss may respect and remember when taking your request into consideration.But also put it in writing.Although your negotiations should be done in person, dont forget to always also get it in writing. Even if its just to follow up with an email after your meeting to thank your interviewer again for her time, youll want to make sure you have a paper trail of your conversation.