STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Negotiate Your Way to the Best Employment Package

Don't settle for less but know your professional worth and market limits.

As a more experienced candidate, you have a lot to offer a potential employer, but it's fairly easy to overlook and at times even misplace your total value when negotiating a new employment package. We're not solely speaking in terms of your compensation but let's take closer look at the lot of what a new employer may offer when deciding to bring you on board as a new hire and the areas where you may have the most room to negotiate your best overall package.
Know the market. Are corporations in your industry aggressively hiring? If so, you may have more negotiation power on your side. If this is not the case within your industry, maybe jobs do not come available as often, the employer will have more power during negotiations and will be in a position to offer fewer benefits overall. But don't get discouraged! There are still areas where you don't have to settle for less.
Start date. There may be room in negotiating your actual start date. It is a standard and fairly common practice to give your current employer two weeks of notice before ending a position, but you may have room to push back your start date with your new employer as well. It's not very likely your new employer will allow you to start sooner than initially planned, but you may be able to negotiate a later start date. When doing this, indicate to your new employer that they may also start your salary later than planned. In doing this, you will have an opportunity to take a break between jobs and will also be saving your new employer money in the long term.
Office location: If your new employer has multiple offices throughout the region, it may be possible to request a transfer to an office that is located closer in proximity to shorten your daily commute or if the corporate HQ office is located only a few miles from away from the initial placement location, this may also be an option. The key is, however, to inquire about your location prior to your start date. It’s a bit more difficult to change locations once you have started.
Starting position. Since you are now a mid-level career professional, there are a few areas you are better able to negotiate as opposed to if you were an entry-level hire. For instance, if you change positions and are offered a lower level or lateral position, you should request a shorter review and evaluation cycle, think more like six months instead of an annual review. You should still accept the offer but ask your employer to review your work accomplishments and productivity within the six months with a possible promotion during this time as opposed to waiting a year or longer.
Whatever your negotiations area, always get your employer's response and acceptance to your terms in writing, even if it is simply via email. Keep in mind you may not get everything you ask for but it never hurts to ask.

For more information about finding great career opportunities with companies that value diversity, check out OppsPlace.

BET National News - Keep up to date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

(Photo: Tetra Images/Getty Images)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.