Author: Lavie Margolin, Career Coach
In any negotiation situation, you want to create a win-win, whereby both parties walk away happy. A client that I worked with, unfortunately, created the opposite situation. In helping facilitate a connection for him with a large corporation, we discussed jobs related to his field of training but paid an admittedly low salary for the industry. The salary was made clear to the job seeker in advance of his resume being submitted. Might there have been some room to negotiate at the end? Possibly within a ten to fifteen percent range. This person went through several rounds of interviews and then demanded over double what the employer was willing to pay. He created no room for negotiation and dug his heels in. Instead of considering room for advancement and the ability to gain skills in his recent field of training, he decided to focus on a certain salary range that was unattainable. Of course, he was not offered the position.
What may not be apparent is the importance of protecting one’s network in this situation. If he turned down the job in the right way, he may have built a positive impression with the company and if the ‘right’ job became available, he may have received consideration. Perhaps the recruitment/management team at this company will move on and they will cross paths again with this candidate. What will they remember about this person? If you used a network contact to help connect you with the interview, the person may be more hesitant to connect you with someone else they know if things were not handled correctly the last time.
About the Author: Lavie Margolin is a New York-based Career Coach and the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. To learn more, go to Lavie’s website, Lion Cub Job Search:www.Lioncubjobsearch.com