1. Don’t settle or avoid negotiation. Negotiating a salary that reflects your value is essential for two reasons. First, lower wages hurt your finances in the long run. You will receive smaller raises and a smaller long-term pension. All medical device professionals should be prepared to negotiate their starting salary offer, but some avoid negotiation to avoid feeling uncomfortable.
Just remember, if you take a salary that you feel is below you, you will come to resent your employer and you will not like your job. To help with the initial discomfort, research the company’s average salaries. This information can help you feel more comfortable negotiating your salary, as you will know more about what your employer already pays.
2. Timing is everything. Don’t reveal how much you would accept or make a salary offer too soon. The sooner you volunteer your lowest acceptable salary, the less bargaining power you will have later on. At the opposite extreme, don’t ask about wages and benefits too quickly. The longer you wait, the more you are perceived as interested in the position than in the money. Once you are chosen for the position, you can ask about specific benefits.
3. Avoid making war on the counter offer. Choose your battles carefully, as companies don’t appreciate having their entire compensation packages under attack from new hires. If the company is a perfect fit but the salary is not what you want, focus on the salary specifically. If the company is unwilling to negotiate salary on its own, negotiate more vacation time or relocation assistance. Especially in the sale of medical devices, a compensation package is much more than base salary, so choose one or two areas to focus on in the counter offer process if salary is not very important to you.