The Huffington Post did an article following a recent college graduate for her first job offer. Women do approach the negotiation component of jobs differently then men. I could do a whole blog on the differences so for the sake of brevity, I'll focus on some highlights for you to consider.
When it comes to salary negotiations, there are many studies that indicate that men are paid more than women for the same job. Harvard and Carnegie Mellon published a paper in 2007 which discussed some reasons why women don't ask for more money (I would like to add that I think this goes for overall negotiating as well). For me, I find negotiating for flexibility is more important than money for women with other personal obligations (e.g. working moms, single moms, women taking care of parents, etc.), though the salary should be competitive as it relates to your previous jobs and/or positions.
University of Colorado also has a forum where they discuss negotiation styles that might be of interest. While I don't know much about this entity, I think keeping up with this site might be helpful for those interested in learning the whys for how we negotiate (or not).
So how does negotiating influence Changing Career Tacks? In every way!
Before you go on an interview consider the below questions:
1. What are your personal priorities? (For me, its being there for my husband and children first, and the job second.)
2. What is the lowest pay you're willing to accept (and add 5-10% to that number -- this is to allow for them to counter your offer)? You should, however, have a ballpark based on a preliminary screening call with the recruiter or HR manager who contacted you for an interview. If they are reluctant to tell you, stay alert, this is an indicator of their character as a company. You should be looking for transparency (as much as possible) during your initial contact with a potential employer.
3) What are other ways which the organization can meet your quality of life perimeters? (e.g. flexible schedule, part-time, part-time to full-time, a family friend culture, flexible boss). Now I have to caveat this with a Bible verse. If you ask for this flexibility, honor that by doing your best if you are rewarded with independence and trusted with that job flexibility. Do so with integrity but also with an eye to balancing your responsibilities at home as well. (I have to admit, I struggle to not be immersed with work when I work from home at the expense of my kids and my husband, so I avoid working from home as much as possible.) Know your limits and be honest about what you can handle.
These are just some of the questions that you should consider if you're looking for a job that will be a good fit for you wherever that is in your life. These are really issues of quality of life. I've been there, where I've changed jobs because of more money or title changes. Instead of seeking for satisfaction with just the job, consider something outside of your work for that (gasp!). Maybe a relationship with God, a spouse, children, etc.
It took me 4 sectors and 8 different positions to realize that careers will evolve but it needs to be done strategically so each step gets you closer to being content with where you are in life. Each step you take in yours should be to achieve a higher and higher level quality of life. For me, it was flexibility to meet my #1 goal, serving God; my #2 goal, serving my husband; my #3 goal, serving my kids; and my #4 goal,
everything else (e.g. jobs, friends, activities).
Ecclesiastes 9:10
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going."
I sleep better now than before. I'm less unsure of where my life is going than ever before. When you negotiate for terms of your contract/job offer, remember...this is your life we're talking about. Knowing what you need to meet personal obligations will go a long way to helping you ask for those features when you're negotiating the terms of your next job.
Happy negotiating!
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