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Salary negotiation: How to ask for a raise at work

Jessica Pierce, founder and CEO of Career Connectors, said the first step to negotiating a job offer or raise, is to know the market salary for your position.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Have you seen some new faces at work lately? There’s a good chance there could be more on the way as nearly half of employees say they’re on the job hunt, or are looking. That’s according to a recent survey from WTW.

Career experts said this is a candidate market with more jobs than people to fill them, and it’s the best time to look for different and new opportunities. One of the most important tips is to have professional support while searching. 

Industries in high demand in Arizona are IT, manufacturing, healthcare, finance and insurance services, according to career connectors.

Along with career changes, comes negotiating a salary and that can be tricky.

Whether a candidate is out looking for a new job or preparing for a review at their current employer, it’s important to keep a list of all of their accomplishments. Employees should also update their supervisors about their wins throughout the year. 

Career connectors said Phoenix is one of the most networked towns in the country. Keep the phrase, "who do you know?" at top of mind. 

Jessica Pierce, founder and CEO of Career Connectors, said the first step to negotiating a job offer or raise, is to come in prepared. That means knowing the market salary for your position by scanning websites like salary.com.

Pierce encouraged all candidates to open the salary discussion. And during those talks, know all of the facts to support work-history, and don’t get emotional. 

She added it’s important to start with a request rather than a demand.

“Which is basically saying hey, do you have any wiggle room here," Pierce said. "Do you have any opportunities for an increase instead of demanding something. Demanding, either you’re going to give me a raise or I’m going to leave. That just doesn’t work and it doesn’t leave a good taste in anyone’s mouth when someone negotiates like that.”

Pierce said 90 percent of women don’t negotiate an offer, when compared to men, who are much more likely to ask.

During International Women’s month, she said it's an especially important time for women to realize they need to take a stand and get comfortable with negotiating.

If there is not much negotiating room for salary, job seekers can inquire about other wins.

“Is there wiggle room on the salary? What about vacation time? Are there opportunities to add another week of vacation? I like to be home when my kids get home from school, could I work a flex schedule," Pierce said. "There’s a whole bunch of opportunities you can ask for but women specifically need to negotiate because it’s not happening generally.”

When the new gig comes along, it's important to leave the soon to be previous employer on a good note. Give a two-week notice and show up for the exit interview. Co-worker and supervisors paths could cross again in the future.

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