From coming up with your ideal salary range to convincing yourself you’re worth the top of it, prepping for negotiations can easily feel overwhelming and intimidating. That’s why I created this worksheet—it’s your no-sweat tool to help you organize your thoughts, practice your phrasing and boost your confidence before you make that ask.
What’s inside the worksheet? The 6 steps you need to take before you go into your next salary negotiations.
Step #1: Research the average salary range for the role
Use tools like GlassDoor.com to learn about what people are being paid for a specific title and in a particular city.
Ask around. Knowledge is power. The more you know about what people in comparable roles are making, the more confidence you’ll have in knowing what’s realistic and what’s possible.
Consider the size and scale of the company. These factors may impact pay as a company working on a national scale may offer more than one that does local work. However, nothing is set.
Step #2: Decide what your salary range is
Based on your research in #1 above, isolate a $10-15k range for yourself.
The bottom of your range should not be lower than the lowest number you’ve discovered in your research. It should also be greater than what you are currently earning. Finally, it should be an amount that you would not be sad about earning.
The top of your range should be within reason of what you’ve discovered in your research. A simple way to identify your high, is by adding $10-15k to whatever you’ve chosen for your low.
Step #3: Choose a number to offer in case the hiring manager insists that you share one
It’s best not to throw out the first number. This is about not showing your cards. However, if you must disclose a number because the hiring manager is requiring your salary requirement, be prepared with one.
This number should be your high.
When you share it, make sure you say that you are willing to negotiate so that in case they cannot pay you that amount, they know you should still be in the running. You will not knock yourself out of the running by giving a reasonable, yet high number.
Want to know steps 4-6? Click below to access the full worksheet. It’s the closest thing to having me hold your hand through negotiations. You deserve to feel ready.