Darrin Grella – Interview Guru

In yesterdays post we discussed that one of the seven differentiators in your career search is your product which turned out to be you.  Today we will discover the PRICE differentiator.

In all actuality this is what it is.  You know your capabilities, your worth.  From a broader perspective, our firm speaks with thousands of individuals and companies on a weekly basis and I have to say that salaries are still lower than normal (just like the housing market, or anything else for that matter).  People are taking jobs for less money with quite potentially more responsibility for the comparable job.  If someone is unemployed, best case scenario would be to land a gig for a lateral move.

So, how can PRICE be a differentiator?  In today’s market, it really can’t be completely.  Understand in your mind and pocket book that your goal is to get back to work in a place that you can see yourself enjoying.  Understand that you cannot make PRICE a true deciding factor.

Perform this work problem today so that you can be prepared on how to handle upcoming compensation conversations.

1. What is your DESIRED level of compensation?
2. What is your PREFERRED level of compensation?
3. What is your WALK-AWAY level of compensation?

Why this exercise is so important is that you have to be comfortable with these numbers.  Too many times a deal can blow up at the end because people think salary talks are a negotiation.  If you are asked the notorious nerve wrenching question of, “What level of compensation is it going to take?”  Your response will be to FIRST respond exactly by telling the employer, “Right now, that is not the most important thing to me, I am sure if it is a fit on either side, it will work itself out”

If the employer is actually serious about wanting to know, they will ask again, “What level of compensation are you at, ballpark is fine?  You can go one of two directions here. Tell them.

1. “I was making $XX, XXX at my last place of employment” – OR -

2. “My desired level of compensation is $XX,000″  follow with “but, as mentioned, I do not want compensation to stand in the way of you hiring the best possible person for the position.

This is something that needs to be practiced and prepared for.  Takeaways are that Salary is not meant to be a negotiation and be realistic when it comes to what you NEED versus what you WANT.  Tomorrow, same time, different differentiator.

Much Success.