How to discuss salary when college students look for jobs!

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Li Li went to an established company for an interview. After acknowledging her basic situation, the examiner asked her about her salary. Li Li believes that working for this company is an affirmation of herself; she has no high demands and is satisfied with a salary equal to that of the company’s other employees. However, the chief examiner argued that the monthly salary is a measure of an employee’s self-assessment, and one must have a clear understanding of it without avoiding it. If you haven’t thought it through well, you can go back and reconsider. After returning to school, Li Li thought it over repeatedly but still couldn’t determine the standard. It is undeniable that during job interviews, due to the lack of work experience, graduates either find it difficult to state their salary expectations to employers, speak hesitantly and unclearly, or even do not know how to discuss salary at all. So, how should college students discuss salary during interviews? 　　One should be good at asking questions; there are certain techniques to discussing salary when applying for a job. The first step is to find out what range of salary the other party is willing to offer. The key here is to know how to ask questions effectively, encouraging the other party to talk more so that one can gather sufficient information. After several rounds of interviews, the interviewer will ask the candidate, “Do you have any other questions?” ”The applicant can ask, \"Large companies like yours have their own salary systems – could you please give a brief introduction to them?\" ”The interviewer will generally give a brief introduction; if it’s not very detailed, you can ask, “What is your company’s salary level in comparison to other companies in the same industry?” What other bonuses, benefits, and training opportunities are there in addition to salary? What is the wage increase after the probation period? ”For issues like these, by checking the other party’s responses against market conditions, you will have a clear idea. The second step is to determine your desired salary based on the information above. If you’re still not sure about the salary you’re aiming for, you can also ask the other party: “I have a question – based on my current experience, educational background, and what you know about my qualifications from the interview, what level can I expect to reach within the company’s salary structure?” ”The other party will then reveal to you the salary level they intend to offer. Using tactical approaches to secure a higher salary: If you’re not satisfied with the salary offered by the company, you can try to negotiate for a higher amount in a constructive and collaborative manner. For example, you might say, “I believe the most important thing in a job is working happily together; salary is secondary. My current monthly salary is ×× yuan. If I switch jobs, I hope to see some improvement in my earnings. If it doesn’t cause too much trouble for you, could we consider increasing my salary a bit?” ”At this point, it’s necessary to see if the other party’s attitude can be softened; if so, you can then present further reasons why you deserve a higher price. If the other party is firm in their stance, you can try to negotiate a shorter trial period by saying something like, “I’m quite confident in my abilities. Could we possibly start earning the full salary from the beginning, or reduce the 3-month trial period to 1 month?” ” Strive for additional “salaries”. Many companies offer bonuses, benefits, and other forms of extra compensation in addition to the regular salary, and candidates should be bold in asking for these. Applicants should pay attention to body language and know when to stop; they shouldn’t make excessive demands. Otherwise, if the other party makes an exception for them, they will have higher expectations when evaluating those applicants once they join, and they might even agree to something only to fail to keep their promise. As a precaution, it is best for applicants to ask the employer to specify details such as salary, probation period, and working hours on the acceptance letter, thereby avoiding future disputes arising from lack of written confirmation. In short, a good salary requires having influence, but by doing more research and keeping an eye on relevant information, so as to have a general idea of the typical salary for that position before the interview, you can avoid setting demands that are either too high or too low and unrealistic, which could result in losing the job. Also, when it comes to negotiating salary, the key is to fully demonstrate your capabilities. If the company recognizes your skills, then as long as the salary you ask for isn’t excessively high, you’ll be successful in most cases. An expert on salaries: Teacher Qiao from Success Career Counseling Center says that a person’s salary is closely related to their abilities, responsibilities, performance, and contributions. If you set a salary that is too high before the employer has an understanding of these aspects, it will be difficult for them to accept it ； If you set the price too low, it’s you who will suffer the losses. Therefore, you need to know a few things: unless the employer has made it very clear that they want to hire you, do not discuss salary ； Never blindly propose a specific salary amount that you hope to receive ； Try to find out from the conversation whether the salary offered by the employer is fixed or subject to negotiation ； Try to find out about the industry’s salary and benefits as well as job openings before the interview. During the negotiation process, if the employer asks you to set a salary, you can give them a range of figures. If he insists that you give a specific amount, ask him how much he is willing to pay and then consider whether you can accept it. The ideal salary amount should be one that is acceptable to both the employer and the job seeker, with the latter showing a certain degree of flexibility. Once the salary and benefits are agreed upon, it is advisable to ask the employer to write down an agreement or contract, as some employers may forget the promises they made after the interview. Currently, large companies have well-developed compensation systems. The fact that the interviewer is willing to discuss salary matters with you is already an indication of recognition of your work capabilities; you can confidently put forward your own demands, while taking into account the actual circumstances. Setting overly high requirements can lead to resentment, while setting them too low shows a lack of confidence; it is necessary to be practical. For specific standards, you can refer to colleagues in the same industry or consult the managers at talent markets and ask them for guidance. As long as it’s not too extreme, the company will negotiate with you.