How to Negotiate a Higher Starting Salary

Money Talks Growing up, we were taught it’s not nice to talk about money. And yes, money isn’t everything, but it’s important job candidates know their worth. The ailing economy and record number of job losses have many new hires happy to even land a job offer, but there are tactful and effective ways to ask for a higher salary. CareerBuilder.com offers the following tips for landing a higher starting salary. (Reuters)

Know Your Worth What special skills and experience do you bring to the table? It’s important you know your competitive value and the pay range for the type of job you want. Doing your research makes it easier to determine where you fall within the range based on your expertise.

Delay Talking Numbers for as Long as Possible It's easy to be judged if you divulge salary requirements too soon. By giving a number that is too high or too low, you could disqualify yourself for a position. Providing your bottom line early on could also limit your ability to negotiate a higher salary down the line. If a job posting asks for your salary requirements upon application, its best to just say you are flexible or expect to earn market value or competitive compensation.

Don't Inflate Your Current Earnings Honesty is always the best policy. Companies can easily find out your real salary by background checks and W2 forms. It’s best to just be clear about your current salary, and explain why you are worth more.

Don’t Accept or Negotiate an Offer on the Spot Experts suggest not jumping to accept a figure at the time it’s offered. Give yourself enough time to think it through and make sure to assess the entire compensation package. The best thing to do is thank the employer, reaffirm your interest for the position at the company and let them know you need some time to make a decision.

Don't be Afraid to Ask for More As long as you are cordial, you have nothing to lose by asking for a higher salary. Many hiring managers start low to give themselves negotiating room, and in some cases, they have the ability to raise an offer by 10% to 20%.

Don’t Go too Far You don't want the employer to regret offering you the position. If an employer stops responding to your counter offers, that’s generally a sign to either accept or refuse the proposal.