Negotiating your salary

Some of the jobs you see advertised will describe the salary as ‘negotiable’ rather than stating a specific figure . In these cases, the employer is prepared to be flexible with the salary they offer in order to attract the best candidate for the role. These adverts will often describe the salary as one of the following:

Dependent upon experience TBC (To be confirmed) Negotiable Competitive Ranging from £__ to £__

Any of the above statements will mean that you are likely to have to negotiate your salary. This may initially appear daunting, but a few guidelines can help get the salary you deserve.

Do your research

A key first step is to find out more about the salaries offered for a similar role in the sector you are applying for. This will give you a good idea of what type of salary you should be expecting and where to begin your negotiation.

The Prospects website has in-depth analysis of individual job roles which includes the latest starting salaries. You can also find a more broad salary data for jobs and sectors in their ‘How much can I earn’ section.

Your university’s Careers Service will also have plenty of up to date information on salaries. Looking through advertisements for similar roles and talking to contacts and friends will also help your research.

Negotiating with an employer

Once you are happy that you have established the market rate for the role you are ready to start the negotiation process. Telling the employer, ‘My research indicates graduate entrants earn between £X and £Y for a similar role’ is a  good way to begin.

Remember, you probably won’t agree on the first figure you put forward and it’s likely that you will negotiate down from this point. However, bear in mind that you have the knowledge, skills and attributes that the employer has decided they want. This gives you a position of strength from which to negotiate.

Be flexible

Being flexible over the salary offered and considering the overall package available is equally important. A company may not be able to meet your salary expectations but may instead be able to offer additional benefits. These could be a pay rise following a probation period, extra training courses or opportunities for further study.

Although salary is a key factor, a job is also about improving your knowledge, skills and personal development.

Negotiation and SMEs

SMEs can be more flexible than larger companies when it comes to negotiating a salary. They will not necessarily have a set graduate starting salary and will be prepared to pay for the person who can take their business forward. It is also likely that you will be interviewed by one of the company’s key decision makers who can authorise your new salary.