Here are some quick tips to help you negotiate the highest salary for your experience.

Difficulty Level: average        Time Required: 2 hours or more

1. Discover what you're worth by researching salary surveys for your occupation, experience and location.
2. Research the company to see if they're booming or hurting financially.
3. Also research yourself so you can sell your skills, talents, accomplishments, work ethics and experience.
4. Politely sidestep salary (say it's negotiable, open, competitive, etc.) until you're confident they want to hire you.
5. When it gets to the nitty-gritty, counter by asking what the salary range is, so you know the boundaries.
6. Negotiate rather than demand, while working toward a win-win situation.
7. Be eager and enthusiastic, but willing to nicely turn down an offer if you've reached a negotiation ceiling.
8. Even if you get what you want, wait to accept for a day or two to think it over.
   

1. Never lie about past salary. Reference checks might expose you.
2. Consider the value of benefits and perks, too: stock options, bonuses, telecommuting, promotion potential, etc.
3. Ask about extra benefits and perks, so it appears that you are compromising if you don't get them or trade them for a higher salary.
   

Related Features:

• Negotiating Salary
• Providing Your Salary History
• Salary Research
• Salary Surveys
• Salary Tools