Job Hunter Newsletter

The Money Response Technique

Disclaimer: please note that all of the links were active as of the newsletter publication, but some may become inactive over time.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

• Job Search Tip of the Week - "The Money Response Technique"
• Help Spread The Word!
• Job Search Links
• Free Job Search Book

Contents

- Job Search Tip of the Week, by Brian Krueger, author of "College Grad Job Hunter," the #1 book for entry level job search:

"The Money Response Technique"

If you are asked the "money question" early in the interview (as it often is), the best response is: "What would a person with my background and qualifications typically earn in this position with your company?" The best response if asked late in the interview process is: "I am ready to consider your very best offer." This is one time you do not want to be specific. If you give specifics, you lose--you will be either too low or too high, costing yourself thousands of dollars or possibly even keeping yourself from getting the job.

That said, if you continue to be pressed by the interviewer for a commitment to specific numbers, do not put them off with more than one "end run" response. First, make sure you have done your homework on the expected salary range for your field. Many salary surveys are skewed toward the high end (possibly because only the best-paid graduates responded, while those with average or low pay did not want to admit what they were earning), so take them with a large dose of conservative adjustment. The best surveys are from those who graduated within the last year in your major from your school. You can possibly locate such information through your Career Center, Alumni Office, or your personal network of contacts. Understand the differential by college. A business grad from Stanford is going to be earning a lot more than a business grad from Podunk U. Know the "going rate" for your major, your school, and the field that you are considering entering. And make sure you know it before you get propositioned with the money question. For further information on current salaries, visit the salary section at our web site: www.CollegeGrad.com/salaries.

Armed with this salary information, ask the interviewer: "What is the general salary range for new hires in this position?" If the entire range is acceptable, respond with: "That would be within my expected starting range, depending on the entire salary and benefits package." If only the top end of the range is acceptable, respond with: "I have been discussing the upper end of the range with the other companies that are currently interested in me." If the range is below your expected starting salary range (be careful!), respond with: "The other companies I am currently speaking with are considering me at a salary somewhat higher than that range. Of course, money is only one element and I will be evaluating the overall package." Do your best not to get pinned to specific numbers, but if they do mention a number and ask if it would be acceptable to you, respond by saying: "I would encourage you to make the formal offer. What is most important is the opportunity to work for you and your company. I am confident that your offer will be competitive." Remember, don't do any negotiating until you have a formal offer in hand. When that finally happens, go straight to the Successful Job Offer Negotiation section at our Web site (www.CollegeGrad.com/offer) for guidance on shaping it into the best offer.

Next newsletter: "The Lockdown Technique"

Contents

- Help Spread The Word!

Do you know of someone who can benefit from the information in this newsletter? Simply forward this e-mail to them and tell them to subscribe at http://www.CollegeGrad.com/newsletter. Thanks for spreading the good word!

Contents

Job Search Links:

• Searching job postings:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/jobs
• Setting up a job alert:
  http://jobs.collegegrad.com/JS/Form/SearchForm.asp?alert=y
• Post your resume:
  http://jobs.collegegrad.com/JS/Form/SignUpForm.asp
• Update your posted resume:
  http://jobs.collegegrad.com/JS/Form/LoginForm.asp
• Creating your resume:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/resumes
• Quickstart resume templates:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/resumes/quickstart
• Creating your cover letter:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/coverletters
• Career information/exploration:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/careers
• Employer research:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/employers
• Top Entry Level Employers:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/topemployers
• Interviewing techniques:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/intv
• Salary info--how much are you worth?
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/salaries
• Job offer negotiation:
  http://www.CollegeGrad.com/offer

Contents

- Job Search Book Online

There are at least two other entry level Web sites that offer books on job searching, proclaming that they will tell you everything you need to know about entry level job search.

However, there is a very important point about these books they don't mention up front: they cost money.

At CollegeGrad.com, we give you two things they don't:

1. The #1 entry level job search book ("College Grad Job Hunter").
2. It's free.

It's that simple. So don't buy the hype. Read the real information you need for FREE:

http://www.CollegeGrad.com/book

Don't ever pay for books or reports or resources of lower quality when you can access the very best quality information for free.

P.S. Yes, you can buy "College Grad Job Hunter" in hardcopy format as well at Amazon.com for $15 (actually, 30% off that price), but the online version is better. Why? Because the version at Amazon.com (the 2003 edition) is being continually updated at CollegeGrad.com. So the most current version of the book is actually the online, free version.

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