As a fresher you are at a disadvantage here. There are already lakhs of freshers desperate to get a job and the employers know it. If it is a non-IT job it is even worse. It is all about supply and demand. More freshers and lesser jobs.
The companies usually have a set salary package for freshers, they rarely veer from this number. If you are not ready to agree to their salary offer, they will just find someone else!
If they are desperate to hire you because they can’t find a fresher with skills they need at short notice, or they need to finish the project on time, then you have leverage and can try to negotiate for a higher salary than what is normally offered.
That is why it is important to ask questions and find out the circumstances. I had written about gleaning information from the recruiter while scheduling the interview and also during the interview. The more you know the better position you are in to maximize the chances of getting a job and a better than market or at market salary as icing on the cake.
You can get in touch with friends or other freshers online from LinkedIn or Facebook fresher groups to find out what is the current salary trend for a fresher in your field or for the type of job you are after.
Once you have a range you can go from there to negotiate the salary once you have an offer on the table.
I personally quote a salary when the recruiter contacts me to find out my availability and schedule an interview.
Sometimes when the job opening sounds interesting on paper but I am not sure if it really is in reality, I usually don’t give them a number. I tell them I want to know more at the interview and then quote a salary. I either tell them I am not sure what the market rate is for my skills and would like time to find out, meanwhile I want to interview. I also sometimes tell them I am flexible with the salary requirement if I find the job interesting and would like to know more. I don’t like wasting a promising opportunity over salary. For example, I was contacted by a company which was very close to my
house, I immediately dropped my usual salary demand by 1 lakh, because of the convenience of not commuting in the dreaded Bengaluru traffic! I try to maintain a balance of job satisfaction based on responsibilities, commute distance and salary. Salary is not always the deal breaker for me.
But as a fresher it is good to start off your career with a good salary, so that it can rise to higher limits faster as you change jobs in future. If you have leverage in salary negotiations, go all out by all means. Don’t be shy too, be greedy. We are taught not to be greedy, but this is a business deal! You are getting paid in exchange for your valuable time and skills, the more you ask the better. Remember self-esteem from the earlier chapter? Yep you got plenty of that now and bargain hard if you have a chance. Don’t be uncomfortable to ask for a number you think is worth your time and skills.
Of course it all depends on the situation and who has the upper hand.
If you don’t get a salary you wanted, don’t stress too hard about it. Don’t be bothered about your idiot cousin or the annoying neighbor who got a better salary and employer than you. Your first job is to get a job. Once you have that, start building the right connections, keep updating your skills and you shall climb the corporate ladder faster than your peers and seniors too! And with that you shall have an envious salary as well! Experience comes first and good salary will follow.
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