In job search process, salary negotiation is often seen as a sensitive and tricky topic. Many job seekers, especially fresh graduates, might be afraid to ask for more for fear of losing the job offer, or they lack the experience to negotiate effectively. However, mastering salary negotiation skills not only helps you secure a better compensation package but also demonstrates your professional maturity and confidence.

The Core Mindset of Salary Negotiation: Confidence and Preparation

Salary negotiation is not a confrontation; it's a constructive business conversation. Your goal is to reach a win-win agreement with the employer, where your salary reflects your market value and also fits within the company's budget. To achieve this, you need to have the following mindset:

• See yourself as an asset: You are not "asking" for a job; you are offering your unique skills and value to the company. Your salary is a reasonable return for the contributions you will bring.

• Be fully prepared: Knowledge is power. Before negotiating, you must conduct in-depth market research.

5 Practical Steps for Salary Negotiation

1. In-Depth Market Research: Know Your Worth

• Industry Salary Levels: Use job portals like JobStreet, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor to find the salary range that matches your position, experience, and location.

• Company's Salary Culture: Understand the target company's size, industry standing, and salary structure. Multinational corporations and local companies may have very different compensation strategies.

• Personal Value Assessment: Clearly list your hard skills (e.g., programming languages, project management), soft skills (e.g., communication, leadership), and past achievements (e.g., "helped the company save X% in costs"). These are your bargaining chips.

  
  

2. Wait for the Employer to Make the First Offer Early in the interview, the interviewer might ask about your salary expectations. An ideal strategy is to politely redirect the question back to them, for example: "I'm primarily interested in this role for its growth potential and challenges. Based on my experience and your job requirements, what is the budgeted salary range for this position?" This allows you to understand their baseline and provides a foundation for your negotiation.

   
   

3. Provide a Salary Range, Not a Specific Number If you have to state a number first, give a reasonable salary range, for example, "My salary expectation is in the range of RM5,000 to RM6,000." The benefits of doing this are:

• Flexibility: It leaves room for negotiation and prevents you from missing an opportunity by quoting a number that's too high or too low.

• Shows Confidence: It demonstrates that you have a clear understanding of your value but are also willing to be flexible.

  
  

4. The Art of Negotiation: It's More Than Just Salary If the salary cannot meet your expectations, don't give up immediately. The negotiation can be expanded to include broader benefits and perks, such as:

• Annual and performance bonuses

• Number of annual leave days

• Medical insurance benefits

• Company training and professional certification sponsorship

• Flexible working hours or a hybrid work model




5. Get the Final Agreement in Writing Once you have a verbal agreement with the employer, it is crucial to ask for a written offer letter. Carefully review all the details in the offer letter, including salary, benefits, start date, and job title. This is a vital step to protect your own rights and interests.

Conclusion

Salary negotiation is an integral part of the job search process. By being well-prepared, confident, and employing flexible negotiation strategies, you can not only secure a fairer compensation package but also demonstrate your professional business acumen to your future employer, laying a solid foundation for your career.