Negotiating a job package is never easy. You’re trying to get the best deal out of the job you’re about to get without seeming desperate or just all in for the money. Notwithstanding, you should try to get the most benefits as possible from the offer. You shouldn’t be shy to request for what you think you’re worth whilst also considering the type of firm you’re about to work for.

I know you don’t want to come across as that employee who is working just because of the benefits attached but let’s be realistic. Most times, we change jobs because we want better pay and better conditions of working. Even if you don’t want to seem desperate for the money, it is important that you try to get the most pay that you’ll be comfortable working with over a long period of time. You don’t want to receive a salary that would constantly demotivate you from working.

So you are not comfortable with the job contract that has been presented to you and you want to ask for more but you have no idea how to go about it, here are a few tips to assist you.

• Explain why you deserve what you’re asking for. Before you ask your prospective employers (or current employers, if you’re negotiating a pay rise) to change the terms of the contract they’ve sent to you, asking them for better pay, there must have been a self-evaluation you have done. Present that self-evaluation to them. Help them see why you deserve what you’re requesting for. Employers are particular about the value you can bring to them and they usually highlight a pay that corresponds to that value. The higher the value you seem to be able to give them, the higher your pay check would most likely be.
• Be understanding. Whatever negotiation you’re about to do, look through the perspective of the employer as well. Sometimes, your prospective boss might be willing to get you onboard their team but reluctant to pay you as high as you’re requesting maybe because, there are no other people currently earning such large amounts and they are not willing to risk bringing you onboard and causing an uproar among their employees. It would be a reasonable thing for you to check from their own lens and see how flexible they can be and understand why they might be reluctant to pay you what you’re requesting.
• Consider the whole job package not just the money. Many times, many people get so fixated on the take home pay that a job offer has to give and disregard that a job package is way more than that. Focus your negotiation on not just monetary aspect of the deal but the total value you can get from the deal. This could come in form of negotiating for more flexible hours, opportunities for training, extra benefits like vacation, support for further studies and so on. Negotiate for your convenience and negotiate all together not in bits.

While these tips might be useful in getting you the most out of that job offer, remember it largely depends on how much that prospective employer likes you. Likeability is a big plus. If the boss likes you, they’ll do whatever they can to get you onboard, even if it means fulfilling your most ridiculous wishes.