Once you have received an offer from an employer, especially one that you have been pursuing for months it is so easy to get excited! Please review your written offer letter once you receive it, and guess what you CAN negotiate your salary, sign on bonus, relocation expenses, etc. – even for your very first job!
Employers most often expect incoming full time candidates to negotiate, beginning with the base salary. Most employers offer salaries that are mid to low within a range, which means they have wiggle room to increase base salary or some other aspect of the offer letter.
Negotiating offers confirms that you will bring value to their organization and to their team.
Resources
- Glassdoor – Provides insider salary information for specific companies, as well as useful budgeting tools to help you estimate your living expenses and salary needs.
- Salary.com – Salary information with search by over 60 career categories and by location. Also provides information about compensation, salary/benefits negotiation, and an advice column.
- PayScale.com – An industry leader often cited in the news thanks to it’s access to industry data. Applicants can do salary research, find resources, and get career news and advice.
- CareerOneStop – Sponsored by the US Dept. of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. Learn about typical wages and employment trends across occupations and industries.
- First Destination Survey Results – Employment and salary information on recent UC Berkeley graduates, from the Career Center’s annual survey.