Hi everyone, it's Andy LaCivita, founder of Milewalk and the Milewalk Academy, and award-winning
author of The Hiring Prophecies, here with this week's episode of Tips for Working Life.
We are going to talk about the biggest mistake that people make when they're negotiating
their salary, and actually it's not just a mistake, it's a whole collection of mistakes
that they make all the way throughout the interviewing process.
So I've noticed it's probably 'tis the season.
It's towards the end of the year now.
People are doing some year end planning.
They're doing some forecasting for next year.
They're looking at their jobs.
They're looking at their happiness.
They're looking at what they want to accomplish in their goals in the upcoming year.
All of that contributes, not to mention on the employer side, we're entering into a new
year.
New year, new inspirations, new budgets, lots of hiring, so it's a mobile time of year.
I've noticed that as we watch what people are commenting on, and reading, and the downloads,
and the distributions, and the shares of a lot of the things that I posted a little bit
earlier, a couple of months ago, or within the last few months around cover letters,
around salary negotiation guides, a lot of the very, very critical and important exercises
that go along with changing jobs while people are grabbing them like crazy.
So I wanted to spend a little more time this week, and give you something of a greatest
hits, but really maybe reference some of those things that I did earlier.
Also, hammer home some point that I continually see people making mistakes.
You probably noticed from the title of the article or the post that this is about your
salary negotiation, starting with your cover letter, and not the job offer.
That is really true.
That is my fancy way of saying ... This expression I know you've heard, but you really need to
begin with the end in mind.
What most people do is they try to do a great job during the interviewing process.
They get the job offer, and now it's negotiation time, and nothing can be further from the
truth.
We're going to talk about two really big, big things in aggregate that I want just the
mindset, I want you to have, so that you're well positioning yourself.
There's some very, very tactical ways to create cover letters.
I'm going to give you three of those today.
I'm also going to give you a one page guide to negotiate your salary, and point you to
some more detail where you can learn more about the specifics at the end of the process.
Really, you will make your life a lot easier if you position yourself well at the beginning.
So think about this.
When you're going in for or you're trying to get an interview, or you're going in for
an interview, imagine if instead of just trying to do a good job in the interviewing process,
you really thought, or you really understood that every letter you sent, every breath you
took, every keystroke you made in an email, every thank you note that you wrote to any
of the interviewers, the smile on your face, your posture, the things you did, the things
you didn't do all the way throughout the process, that's negotiating your salary.
Every single step you take, the attitude you display, the posturing, your physical presence
or not, your attitude, everything, every breath you take contributes to your ability to negotiate
your salary.
So what I don't understand is people don't really want to take the time to be thoughtful
at every step of the way, and when they get to the end, their leverage is a lot lower
or less than if they otherwise would have continued to build up their bank of credibility,
intrigue in hiring you, everything.
The likeability, just all of your interaction with the people that you encounter in every
step you take.
I really want you to remember that.
That's number one.
Number two, this is really a remark I want to make to a lot of those passive candidates.
You know who you are.
You're the tire kickers out there.
Something flew on your desk, or your phone rang, or you got an email, or a text from
a friend, or a recruiter, or a company that wants you to come in because they liked your
profile, and they got your name from so and so.
You weren't really looking.
All of the sudden now, you find yourself taking the steps towards going into the interviewing
process.
A lot of times, and I cannot believe this, your attitude is, "Well, I didn't ask for
this, so I'll hear you out, but I'm really not looking."
I have to tell you, when you do that, it really does not matter how you got to that first
interview, or that first communication that you were going to have with a potential employer,
your attitude should be up here.
If you're not even sure whether or not you're interested in the job, the role, or the company,
be interested in the opportunity to explore it.
When you come in with this laissez-faire attitude, with your figurative feet on the desk, sitting
there and giving me the old, "Tell me why I should come work here," you're starting
in a hole.
Then by the time you figure out, "Hey, I really think I might want to work here.
This sounds great," you're already behind.
I just really, really want everybody to think about every step along the way.
No matter what angle you get into this process from, where you start, whether you were begging
for a job, or begging for an interview, or calling around town, or whether something
fell into your lap, it makes no difference.
From the moment you start your communication with a prospective employer until the time
you finish it that's negotiating your salary.
Now in this post, in the notes at the bottom, I've got links to three different cover letters
that you can use.
I've also got a one page guide to negotiating your salary.
I've got a video on that.
You can get all the detail you want.
Take a look at some of those.
It's a little four pack from me.
I also just want to wish you a lot of luck.
I know there's a lot of activity going on right now.
We're seeing it on our end with our clients or the hiring companies that are recruiting.
I'm getting a lot of calls from relationships that I've established over the years of people
wanting to test the markets.
So if you're one of those people out there, and you want to grab these things, please
do it.
Keep in mind that every step you take sells you in some way, shape, or form.
If you like this episode, please share it whether you're watching it on my blog, or
on YouTube, or on iTunes, any which way.
Please share it and definitely grab the downloads.
We'll see you next week.