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job search strategies << back to Job Search Strategies 1. About Job Searches 2. The Right Job Search Attitude 3. Know Your Needs 4. Evaluating An Offer 5. Networking 6. Resumes 7. Non-Profit Salaries 8. About Volunteer and Service Programs > evaluating an offer Congratulations! You just got a job offer! There may be a few things to consider before you shout a euphoric "Yes, I'll come!" to your new employer. The time immediately after receiving a job offer and before you've accepted it is the best time to negotiate the components of your job. It is worth considering the following: It is important to know when to negotiate and when not to. Negotiation can be difficult, particularly if you have never done it before, and it involves some risk. You don't want your prospective employer to have a negative impression of you even before your first day of work. On the other hand, you need to feel confident that this work will not only reward your values and your interests in social change, but will allow you to meet your personal needs. (back to top) What can be negotiated?
(back to top) Salary While there are many potential points of negotiation, salary is usually the primary issue. Keep in mind that any discussion of salary can be sensitive -- tread carefully through any salary negotiations. Many employers have a fairly tight (although not airtight) salary range at the entry level. If you are able to show extraordinary educational or work experience, you may be able to increase their offer. The differences in salary are always be smaller at the entry level than at higher level positions. To better establish the acceptable range for the position, ask what the hiring range and pay range is for the position. Find out when employees are evaluated for their performance AND for salary increases. Is there a standard raise each year? When was the last raise? Are there cost of living increases in pay? Also, consider taxes. For those of you who have held numerous jobs you have probably experienced the deflated feeling of looking at your take-home pay after state and federal taxes have been removed. When you are estimating your salary needs, keep in mind that a substantial portion will go to taxes before you see your paycheck. (back to top) Thinking About Benefits Salary is not the only thing you should pay attention to when considering a job offer. There are a range of other benefits that you should consider and that can be a part of the overall job compensation package. The benefits offered by non-profits vary widely depending upon the size and structure of the organization. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the organization, the wider the range of benefits they will offer. Since salaries in the non-profit sector are often lower than in other sectors, it is important to understand the range of other ways in which your talents might be rewarded. Some may be important for you today, some might be more important for your future. Don't be discouraged if you get a job that doesn't offer you all of the benefits described here -- few do. Organizations with great benefits may be awful places to work and places without benefits may be great. (back to top) Overall Benefits Policy One initial thing you should investigate is how benefits are determined by your prospective employer. Is there a personnel handbook or policy you could read? Has it been updated recently? Is there a personnel committee? How often do benefits for individual employees get reviewed? Do all staff get the same benefits or are benefits negotiated? Are the benefits bought by the organization or are they pooled through a federation (increasingly common for small non-profits)? Find out if there are any monthly or per-pay-period costs for the overall benefits plan, who is covered (does it only cover you or does it also cover other family members and future family members), when each component actually begins (some will begin the first day of work, some after 30 days, and some after one year), and whether any of the benefits are taxable. If the benefits are provided cafeteria-style (where you can pick and choose which you will enroll in), find out if you can add additional benefits at a later date and what restrictions would be involved. (back to top) Health Care Medical benefits are extremely important, even though you may be young and healthy. Most employers who offer full-time work will offer some type of medical benefits. Many part-time jobs do not. If for some reason your employment situation does not offer health benefits consider getting an individual plan that you pay for yourself or extending your coverage through your parents health coverage (this depends on your age, your student status and other factors). Consider:
Retirement Plans The most common retirement plan is the Section 401(k). This plan allows employees to take a piece of their salary and put it into a trust fund for their retirement. This money is removed before taxes, and therefore, sometimes allows employees to fall into a lower tax bracket. The money is put into a trust, and cannot be taken out until you reach retirement age (or you will be charged a penalty). The money is invested in funds and stocks while in the account, and may include a contribution given by the employer. (back to top) Education Assistance Education assistance programs involve an employer paying the expenses for an employee's education. This can range from a single workshop to a college course to a full degree program. Usually only larger organizations offer an formal plan, although smaller places are often willing to negotiate time away from work for educational purposes, even if they won't help pay the cost. A related area is professional development. As an entry-level job seeker, you have much to learn about the field that you are entering. Find out about opportunities to attend conferences or national meetings. Even the smallest non-profits see the value of networking, and expressing interest in these opportunities at the outset will make it clear that you are interested in learning. (back to top) Vacation Consider how many vacation days are allowed in your first year, when they begin accumulating, when they may be used, how many days are allowed in future years, and the maximum number of days. Does the vacation time compensate for low salary? For instance, a low paying job may give 4-5 weeks vacation. How much vacation time can you take at once? How many paid holidays does the staff get? (back to top) Leave Sick, personal and family leave time can be crucial. With the new Family and Medical Leave Act, more employers are providing additional leave time for employees to care for their families. Are there limits put on personal and sick days or are they lumped into a common pool? Can you accrue leave days year to year? (back to top) Flex Time Maybe the employer can't be flexible about pay, but can they be flexible about time? Could you reduce the number of hours in the job? Could you work alternate hours that would allow you to pursue other opportunities? What about job sharing, compressed work weeks (e.g., working 10 hours a day for 4 days) and telecommuting? (back to top) Compensation Time While few non-profit employers offer over-time pay, many do offer comp time. Comp time means that for every extra hour you work over time, you can take some time off. This may be a formal system that requires you to keep careful records or it may mean that you have the flexibility to come in late or leave early. (back to top) Dependent Care Child care and elder care are becoming more prevalent parts of benefits packages. If these issues effect your life, find out about what the employer offers either in terms of payment or in terms of referrals. (back to top) Insurance Some employers offer life insurance and short- and long-term disability. Disability coverage provides, by law, disability income, rehabilitation benefits and payments for certain injuries an employee sustains during employment. Payments are usually a portion of the employee's salary and are payable for a specific time. (back to top) Relocation Expenses If taking a new job requires that you move, will your employer help pay? Some employers calculate their contribution to moving expenses as a percentage of your salary; others offer a flat contribution. (back to top) Job Resources Are there resources (equipment, office space, personnel, budgets, policies) that would make your work life easier? Are there things that you need to do a good job? Some employers are willing to make adjustments or investments to accommodate your work needs. Consider if there are any pieces of information you need about your work environment and the resources that will be at your disposal to evaluate the job offer properly. Sources: Aryana Soebagjo, Benefits: What They Are and What They Mean, CareerCity; The Employee Benefits Dictionary (BNA Books); The Human Resources Yearbook 1995-1996 (Prentice-Hall), College Grad Job Hunter, Quantum Leap Publishing; Negotiating Your First Academic Job Offer by Margaret L. Newhouse 1995, Harvard University; Explorations, Brown University Career Services. (back to top) << back to Job Search Strategies |
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