Five Steps for Successful Salary Negotiation

Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing

People wallow a lot in the world of work. You don't have to look far to hear people grumbling that they don't get paid as well as they should or that their employer skimps on benefits like vacation time, a 401(k) or bonuses.

Too often, people have these frustrations because they accepted their initial job offer and didn't attempt to negotiate a better one. Although negotiating can be a very rewarding part of the job search process, many people don't bother doing it because they think the first offer is acceptable, don't want to rock the boat or assume revisions to an offer are unrealistic given the state of economy.

According to Gail Geary, author of 'Your Next Career,' job seekers who shy away from negotiations miss out on a rare and great opportunity to improve how they'll be compensated for their work.