| Rhoda Smackum Career By Design 301-362-1671 http://www.careerbydesign.org Meet Your Coach |
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Experts say a consistent pattern of earning less than we deserve, officially known as underearning, is a habit that hurts women in general and Black women in particular. African-American women earn 68 cents for every dollar that men earn. Even with a college education, women only earn about 80 percent of what men make after their first year out of college, according to a study by the American Association of University Women Education Foundation. To help you get the income you deserve, consider these five tips:
1. Do your homework. Gather information about the salary range and benefits for your targeted job, industry and geographic area. This will make your expectations and negotiation credible and realistic. Resources: salary.com, payscale.com, jobstar.org, careerjournal.com.
2. Emphasize your accomplishments to promote your worth to the company.
3. Have a discussion outlined before the negotiation and practice it with another individual.
4. Make a list of benefits you need and want before the negotiation.
5. Leave a negotiation on amicable terms. New opportunities may arise in the future at this company, even if no agreement is reached for the current position.
I strongly urge you to practice. Find a friend or coach who will role-play the employer. Have the person probe for your present salary and your expectations, then finally extend an offer to you. You counter with a researched response. Rehearse them. The goal is to make the process more comfortable and natural. Key principle: value first, price second.
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