International affairs is a vast field! Salaries vary considerably for for-profit, non-profit, and government work.听Know your value in the current workplace; do your research.听
80% of the work of negotiation happens before you get in the room!听
Increasingly ranges are posted on positions (which we love!), but they may be wide.听
Talk to friends, do research online.听
Know your worth; be thoughtful about where you stack up.听
Also consider the job market鈥檚 supply of qualified candidates.听
For federal government, GS pay scales for different areas of the country are available online. .听
BA degree graduates with no experience start at GS-5.听MA degree graduates with no experience start at GS-7.听A candidate is generally unable to request a higher GS level but the 10 steps within each GS level provide room for negotiating salary above an initial offer.听
Resources to find salary ranges for specific jobs:
听
听
听
calculator via Glassdoor
听
听
You can also ask relevant connections you know in the field.听
When doing this step, make sure to lead with a positive tone.
Example:
鈥淔irst, I want to say I鈥檓 very excited about the role. I want to be here; this is the job that I want.鈥澨
If you deserve to be at the top, name why: your attributes, experiences, promotion progression, current salary, etc.听Frame it in terms of the value you鈥檒l bring to the position and employer.听
Example:
鈥淚n terms of my own research regarding this role at this employer and others, what I鈥檝e actually seen is a range of $55K-$65K. Given my experience and the success I鈥檝e had in other roles that I believe I鈥檒l bring here, I think I deserve to be at the higher end of that range.鈥
When approaching salary negotiation, never use an adversarial tone.
Example:
鈥淚 really like your organization, it has what I need, and I want to make sure I can be here for the long term. Can we talk about another 5%?鈥澨
Other types of compensation may include benefits such as paid time off, tuition reimbursement, professional development support, signing bonus, title change, work from home agreements, stock options, etc.
General Example:
鈥淥ne of the things we haven't talked about yet is other modes of compensation, such as [insert specific topics of interest here]...Would it be appropriate to talk about some of those now?鈥
Example for Tuition Reimbursement:
鈥淚鈥檓 a lifelong learner, and passionate about growing in this role and bringing learnings back to the company. Do you offer tuition reimbursement or assistance?鈥澨
You could consider asking for an ongoing review cycle to keep the door open for future negotiations.听
Example:
鈥淭he one other thing I want to ask is what would be the review cycle for my performance in terms of evaluating my candidacy for promotion or a raise. If it鈥檚 usually a year, could we instead do a review cycle after 6 months to discuss salary again based on my performance?鈥澨
Only you can decide if the offer is too low. If it is, then be prepared to keep looking; it may be the best move for you now.
Do not bring up salary in the interview. Typically, serious salary negotiation conversations happen after the interview process, once an offer has been made.鈥
Still, know the range that is appropriate for the role and that you鈥檙e comfortable with, going into the interview.鈥疘f they ask you about salary, you can say something like, 鈥淭he range of X-Y that you posted on the job description is consistent with my research and I would be comfortable with something in that range. (If not posted: A range of X-Y is what I鈥檓 finding in my research is appropriate for this role, which I would be comfortable with.) I anticipate we鈥檒l discuss salary more specifically during an offer conversation, if determined I鈥檓 the best fit for this role.鈥澨
Whether by email or a call, first thank the employer and reaffirm your enthusiasm about the role. Ask if it鈥檚 possible to arrange an offer conversation to discuss more details.听
Check out our . Set up time to practice the conversation with an SIS Career advisor, mentor, or friend.
When you have one firm offer, a straightforward approach works best:听听
Contact the other employers with whom you interviewed and tell them you have a firm offer. Ask them for a status report.听听
Tell them your timeline and wait. If they are going to make you a firm offer, they will contact you within that time limit.听
Sometimes, you are not their first choice and they will say so. Either way, you will know where you stand.听听听
When multiple solid offers stand:鈥
Create a pros and cons chart for each job.鈥
Then decide which one you want, and negotiate politely and with confidence for the best terms they can offer, making them aware they are bidding against another employer for your services.鈥
Example: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e my top choice, but I want to be honest with you 鈥 I have two other offers, but if we can work this to a fair number, I think we can sign this and get this done.鈥濃