Negotiate your salary effectively.

A lot of people don’t ask their employers what their salary will be, and just assume they will pay you a fair wage. However, more often than not, you will end up receiving a salary much lower than you expected. Therefore, negotiation your salary is a crucial part of the job-hunting process.

1. Only discuss salary at the end of the interview process if they have definitely said they want you.
   If your interviewer asks you about salary earlier on, say that until both you and the interviewer have decided that you are the right person for the job, you feel discussing salary is premature. Alternatively, ask for clarification on the exact details of the job first. If you are pressed to answer, give your employer the range in which your desired salary falls.

2. Negotiate a salary within the range of what the employer is willing to pay you.
   Don’t ask for too little or too much. You may want to do some research on typical salaries for your field and in that organization. Websites like www.salaryexpert.com will help with that. The salary range you expect should overlap with the salary range your employer expects - although your range should end with a higher amount than theirs.

3. Never be the first one to mention a salary figure.
   If asked to mention a figure, counter with, “Well, you created this position, so you must have some figure in mind, and I’d be interested in first hearing what that figure is.”

4. Discuss benefits as well.
   This includes health benefits, vacation time, retirement programs, etc.