Negotiating Your First Salary

The Phone Call

You have finished your grueling interview process. You know that you did great, and you are waiting for the phone call about the result. When the company that did interview you calls you make sure that you are in a quiet and non-disruptive place. If you aren't then my suggestion is to wait to see where the conversation is going. It is likely that if you are not going to get the job the person will quickly let you know within the first 5 minutes. Conversely, if you are going to be given an offer they will likely tell you the amount they are going to offer. At that point let the person know that you in a place that is a bit distracting, and you can call them back or they can call you back in a little bit.

Find a quiet place
Once you are in a quiet place, relax and get ready to start negotiating. If you were like me when I graduated college you might not have had an extensive internship or co-op opportunity. If that is the case then ask the person some of work that you would likely be involved with. From the response you could then give some reasons as to way you think that the offer is a bit low. Highlight similar experiences that you have had- For example the first job I applied for out of college was an ASIC design position. It turned out they used the exact same tool set (Mentor Graphics) that I used in college in my VLSI class. I used that to my advantage.

Do your homework
Figure out the cost of living and the average salary in the area. My marker is to look at home prices to understand what an average sized home would cost in the area you are taking the job at. If the offer won't even cover the mortgage of a small home then you can explain this situation. I would also recommend looking at apartment prices too.

Feel Confident
In the end remember that you should always negotiate the offer that is given to your. It might take a few times of the person giving you the offer to talk to their manager, but in the end if you take the job you will know that you are getting a salary that you deserve based on your experience.