They Don't Teach Corporate in College by Alexandra Levit Read Free Book Online

come back to bite you.
    After the employer makes an offer, remember to ask about other benefits that might add weight, such as stock options, bonuses, and vacation time. If you’re happy with the total package, communicate that to the employer, and ask him if you can have 24 hours to consider it. Next, politely ask for the offer in writing. If you feel you need to negotiate for a higher salary, tread carefully. Gordon advocates the following techniques:
    Reinforce how much you want to work for the company.
    Put a human face on the situation.
    Mention that other opportunities will pay your desired salary.
    For example, you might say, “I’m really excited about this position and I think I’m a great fit for the company, but I don’t think I could afford to take less than my minimum of $50,000. I have several other opportunities that are in my range, but I’d really prefer to work for you. Is there any way we could work this out?”
    Remember that salary ranges are rarely fixed, and once the interviewer has decided she wants to hire you, she will usually meet your request for more money. However, occasionally you might find that great career moves comewith a lower price tag. You might be wise to accept an offer that is less money initially, yet pays greater dividends in terms of growth and experience.
Should You Relocate?
    When deciding whether or not to accept an offer, relocation may come up as an important issue. Careful consideration of the following three questions will aid your thought process.
1. Would you move there anyway?
    If this job didn’t exist, is the area in question a place you’d ever want to go? Think about what your regular daily routine will be like in the new location. Do the pace of life and the amenities appeal to you? How about the people, the culture, the weather, and the traffic? Remember that a job is only one aspect of your life, and even work that you enjoy won’t be enough to overcome the distress of being stuck in a locale that’s not a good fit.
2. How much will it cost you?
    Your new organization may or may not pay relocation costs (moving company, temporary housing, and so on), but a more important issue is whether you can afford to live in the new city. How does your proposed salary compare with the cost of living? For example, $75,000 goes a lot further in Columbus, Ohio, than it does in Chicago, Illinois. Ideally, you should be able to pay your monthly expenses while saving a decent amount for retirement. In this day and age, living paycheck to paycheck is simply not sustainable.
3. What are your long-term opportunities in this new organization and city?
    Relocating is serious business, and it’s not something you want to do repeatedly in a matter of a few years. So before taking the plunge, you want to be sure that your new position offers strong professional development and the probability of advancement. In the event that things don’t work out the way you hope, will you be able to secure gainful employment in your industry and at your level? No matter how great your new company is, you don’t want toput all of your eggs in one basket, and your career prospects will simply not be the same in a rural or declining area as they are in a major metropolitan area.
Should You Work for Free?
    At the start of your career, you might be considering taking an internship or volunteer position to break ground in a new industry, or working for free so that you can develop relationships with clients who may eventually pay you.
    If this is your situation, you should be aware that unpaid internships have come under legal fire recently, with the U.S. courts ruling that media giants Fox Searchlight Pictures and Hearst Corp broke the law by not compensating their interns financially.
    According to the U.S. Department of Labor, for an unpaid internship at a for-profit employer to be lawful, it should pass a six-point test. Among the requirements, the