How to Negotiate a Low Salary Offer

You are invited to interview for a job you would absolutely love, and, to your delight, it goes swimmingly. Toward the end, the interviewer offers you the position — along with a less-than-satisfactory salary. What do you do? Most job seekers are hesitant about negotiating their salaries, but accepting a low salary offer without negotiating may lead to severe income setbacks and regret over the course of a career. Job seekers must tackle this issue as early as the initial job offer, with a few strategies in mind. Here are three dos and three don’ts when receiving a salary offer that is lower than you would have liked. Salary Negotiation — 3 Dos 1. Be Prepared Know your worth and practice explaining it accurately and succinctly. Always know your market value through research — this changes regularly so make sure you stay updated. Get a sense of what the company and its competitors pay by researching sites such as Payscale and Glassdoor. As Live Careers points out, look into the economic, geographic, and company-specific factors that might affect a given offer.