3 Salary Negotiation Scripts You Can Use for Any Job

Ask any job seeker or employee about salary negotiations and one of the most popular responses is, “I would negotiate but I don’t know what to say.” Having the right words to say, or write, during a salary negotiation is vital. Communication can make or break discussions and impact your ability to get paid fairly.

First things first, determine your current worth in the job market. Use Know Your Worth to receive a custom salary estimate based on your title, company, location and experience. Once you have the information, it’s time to advocate for yourself.

Josh Doody, author of Fearless Salary Negotiation, knows how challenging it can be to learn to financially advocate for oneself. He took his first job without negotiating his salary. Once he got hip to the dance, he doubled that salary.

We teamed with Doody to equip job seekers and employees with the knowledge they need to tackle tricky salary negotiation conversations.

Situation #1: Prying During the Prescreen

How should you respond when you’re asked about salary right off the bat? You want to demonstrate that you’re enthusiastic and cooperative, but you don’t want to tip your hand. Doody explains: “It’s a salary negotiation tactic disguised as a gatekeeper-type interview question.”

Suggested Script:

Recruiter: What’s your current salary?

You: “I’m not really comfortable sharing that information. I would prefer to focus on the value I can add to this company and not what I’m paid at my current job.”

If the interview team doesn’t know your salary, they can’t use it as their starting point. Doody writes, “that’s probably going to mean a higher initial offer for you.”

Recruiter: What’s your expected salary?

You: “I want this move to be a big step forward for me in terms of both responsibility and compensation.”

Doody points out, “sharing your current salary or your expected salary is not in your best interest. . . They’re interviewing you because you’re a qualified candidate, and they need a qualified candidate. . . They would also like to get a good deal. They’re not going to stop interviewing you just because you don’t make it easier for them to get a good deal on you.”

If they pass because you won’t acquiesce, that’s a red flag. Doody says, “then they’re extremely motivated to get a bargain… That’s bad news for you even if you get the job.”

One last thing: resist the temptation to try reading the interviewer’s mind. If you underestimate what they’re willing to pay, you’re leaving money on the table. If the real answer is that they would compensate someone like you up to $75,000 dollars, and you guess they would pay a salary of only $65,000, you very literally may have just cost yourself $10,000.

If you overestimate and tell them your salary expectation is $85,000, you may set off red flags that cause them to rethink the interview process altogether. This is pretty rare, but you could disqualify yourself by being “too expensive” for them. If your expected salary is well above their budgeted pay range, they may just move on to other candidates with lower salary expectations.

The bottom line is you probably aren’t going to guess what their salary structure looks like, and if you try to guess you may cost yourself a lot of money.

Situation #2: Savvy Counter Offering

After you’ve secured an offer, Doody recommends using this formula:

“The counter offer calculator accounts for four factors—the base salary of your job offer, your minimum acceptable salary (“walk away” number), how badly the company needs you to accept the job offer, and how badly you need the job.”

Use “firm and neutral” language like this:

Suggested Script

“Tom offered $50,000 and I would be more comfortable if we could settle on $56,000. I feel that amount reflects the importance and expectations of the position for ACME Corp’s business, and my qualifications and experience as they relate to this particular position.”

Or, if you had a competing offer:

“Thank you so much for the offer. As I mentioned during my interview process, I am speaking with a couple of other companies. If you’re able to move the pay to [insert your number], I’d be eager to accept.”

Doody explains that email is the perfect medium for this message. This way, the hiring manager can share it in a format that clearly makes your case to each person with whom it’s shared. Your case won’t get the same treatment if it’s restated recollections of a conversation.

The hiring manager will likely come back with a figure between your base salary and your counter offer. For Doody, the distance between these figures represents your “salary negotiation window.” He recommends compartmentalizing this window into increments. In the example above, the window is $6,000, so he recommends devising a response for each possible offer. If, for example, the offer is $55,000 or above, Doody says it’s a taker.

“If the company comes back with $53,000, then you say ‘If you can do $54,000, I’m on board!’ If they stick with $53,000, then you would say, ‘I understand the best you can do is $53,000 and you can’t come up to $54,000. If you can do $53,000 and offer an extra week of paid vacation each year, then I’m on board.’”

Decide which benefits, like vacation time or flexible working hours, are most important so that you can apply them to bolster the deal. Rank those benefits in your mind and use those in your bargaining.

1. Extra vacation time 2. Work from home 3. Signing bonus

If they do not accept your second-priority benefit, you move on to your third-priority benefit. Regardless of whether they accept your final response, then you’re finished; don’t get nit-picky or greedy. You have maximized your base salary and maximized your benefits as well.

Situation #3: Raises & Promotions

Doody explains: “Your primary reason for requesting a raise is that the salary you’re being paid doesn’t reflect your current value to the company. That salary was set sometime in the past, so your argument is that you are more valuable now than you were.” You have a fair justification. Now you need the right plan.

Start by mentioning, via email, to your manager that you’d like to discuss compensation in your next private meeting. After that conversation, Doody advises preparing a strategically constructed, easily sharable salary increase letter.

Suggested Email Script:

“As we discussed, it has been [amount of time] since [my last significant salary adjustment OR since I was hired], and I would like to revisit my salary now that I’m contributing much more to the company. I’ve been researching salaries for [job title] in [industry] industry, and it looks like the mid-point is around [mid-point from your research]. So I would like to request a raise to [target salary].”

The letter should also highlight your accomplishments and accolades. Doody notes that if your proposal isn’t accepted on the first try, you can work with your manager to create an action plan.

“I would love to work with you to put together a clear action plan and timeline so we can continue this discussion and monitor my progress as I work toward my goal.”

Always remember, your talent is precious, and you deserve to be compensated for it. Learning to foster conversations about compensation is a vital skill that yields rewards.

A version of this post originally appeared on Glassdoor’s blog.

Simile and Metaphor—What’s the Difference?

While both similes and metaphors are used to make comparisons, the difference between similes and metaphors comes down to a word. Similes use the words like or as to compare things—“Life is like a box of chocolates.” In contrast, metaphors directly state a comparison—“Love is a battlefield.”

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Here are some examples of similes and metaphors:

Life is like a box of chocolates. (Simile) My life is an open book. (Metaphor) That baby is as cute as a button!(Simile) Baby, you’re a firework.(Metaphor)

Simile vs. Metaphor Quiz

Both similes and metaphors add color and depth to language. Share your favorite similes and metaphors in the comments!

What is a Gerund Phrase?

A gerund phrase is a phrase consisting of a gerund and any modifiers or objects associated with it. A gerund is a noun made from a verb root plus ing (a present participle). A whole gerund phrase functions in a sentence just like a noun, and can act as a subject, an object, or a predicate nominative.

If you look up the definition of gerund (pronounced JER-und), you will find that it means “an English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing”; that is, a present participle used as a noun.

Traveling is a good way to expand your worldview.

My passion is reading.

My doctor suggests running to improve my health.

In all three of these examples, words ending with -ing are acting as nouns. Traveling is the subject of the first sentence. In the second sentence, reading is a predicate nominative, a word (or group of words) that completes a linking verb and renames the subject. The verb is, a form of the linking verb to be, is followed by reading, which renames the subject my passion. In the third sentence, the gerund running is acting as the object of the verb suggests.

How Do Gerund Phrases Work? They Act Like a Noun

Gerunds can appear alone or band together with other words to form a gerund phrase. Collectively, this phrase behaves like a single noun.

Running is a favorite activity of mine.

Running with scissors is a favorite activity of mine.

Both the gerund and the gerund phrase above function as subject nouns and take the third-person singular verb is. We could substitute a non-gerund noun such as chess to mentally confirm its function.

Chess is a favorite activity of mine.

Not Acting Like a Noun? It’s a Participle Phrase

Gerund phrases can easily be confused with participle phrases. It is possible, for example, to encounter the gerund phrase we used above in a context where it is not acting like a noun. When used as a modifier—that is, as an adjective or adverb—it is now a participle phrase.

Running with scissors, Tim charged after the cat.

Here, running with scissors modifies the verb charged. It gives us further information about how Tim charged.

Gerund Phrases as Objects

Just as nouns sometimes function as objects in a sentence, so can gerund phrases.

Tim enjoys running with scissors.

In this sentence, the gerund phrase running with scissors is the direct object of the verb enjoys. We could easily replace it with a simpler object noun to confirm that it really is an object.

Tim enjoys racquetball.

(That would be a much better idea, Tim.)

We could also use this gerund phrase as an indirect object.

Tim attributes his high blood pressure to running with scissors.

Like many indirect objects, the gerund phrase running with scissors is introduced with the preposition to.

Dangling Gerunds

You may have heard of dangling participles; dangling gerunds are quite similar. Dangling gerunds are somewhat less frequent, but they can crop up when gerunds or gerund phrases are acting as objects of a preposition such as before, after, by, or with.

By running with scissors, Tim’s cat suffered some battle scars.

The gerund phrase is said to be dangling here, because it is mismatched with the subject that follows, creating an illogical scenario. The writer of a such a sentence no doubt intended to convey that when Tim ran with scissors, his cat was injured. But as the sentence reads, it is the (atypically scary) cat who ran with scissors.

The best thing to do with a sentence that contains a dangler is to rewrite it to give the sentence its proper subject. There may be a number of ways to do that correctly.

By running with scissors, Tim gave his cat some battle scars.

Tim wounded his cat when he ran with scissors.

Tim’s penchant for running with scissors has left some battle scars on his cat.

You can read more about the hazards of danglers in our blog about dangling participles.

Stop Making Contraction Mistakes Now. Here’s How.

 

Contractions. Everyone has messed up a contraction at one time or another. Sometimes these errors happen because a writer misunderstands the purpose of contractions, but most of the time they’re simply typos. Whatever the reason for your mistakes, we’ve got you covered.

If you don’t quite know the rules for contractions, you can brush up with our handbook.

If typos are your problem, try our free browser extension for help catching those keyboard slips (plus many other  types of writing errors). Add Grammarly to your browser.

7 Truly Horrifying Grammar Rules

Places with strict and unforgiving rules make great settings for spooky stories. Think about all the books and movies set against the backdrop of a strict school, a rigid convent, or an oppressive family home. The unyielding rules contribute to an atmosphere that invites creepiness. The same is true for grammar—when rules are enforced arbitrarily, sometimes horror ensues. Especially when it’s Halloween and the moon is full.

1 The Initial Conjunction Oh, the repression that is being unable to start a sentence with “and,” “but,” or “so”! Of the many horrifying rules that don’t make sense, this one takes the cake. You don’t have to be afraid of starting a sentence with a conjunction as long as it makes sense and you don’t start every sentence with one. 2 The Terminal Preposition All things must come to an end. But when your sentence comes to an end, and it just so happens to end with a preposition, do you have to rearrange it? Would you craft one jack-o’-lantern after another because somehow their eyes always seem too big? Well, maybe you would, but with sentences, it’s perfectly okay to leave the terminal preposition be. In fact, sometimes you don’t have a choice, as the alternative would be much worse.

3 The Plural Apostrophe That Should Not Be There’s nothing inherently scary about acronyms and initialisms. There aren’t any in particular associated with Halloween. But let’s say that you prefer watching TV to reading a book on Halloween and that you’re using a DVR to record that scary movie marathon. If you had more than one TV and DVR, how would you write the plural? You’d just add an s, giving you TVs and DVRs. That’s the favored practice these days, but not so long ago some styles guides did advise using an apostrophe to pluralize acronyms. In fact, The New York Times still does it, but only when the abbreviation contains periods (M.D.’s.) or when pluralizing a single letter (dot the i’s and cross the t’s).

4 Who Is It? It Is I! Here’s a quick test to help you make sure the person knocking at your door is not something scary disguised as a person: when they knock and you ask who it is, if they say “it is I,” they are either a nineteenth-century monster or a relentless grammar pedant. While the use of “I” instead of “me” in this case is technically grammatically sound, using “me” is so much more common that saying “it is I” sounds awkward and unnatural.

5 The Generic “He” Scary monsters don’t have to be male. Sure, Dracula is, and werewolves often are, but there are also bad witches and all kinds of monsters you can’t refer to as “he.” It was once standard to use “he” as a generic pronoun for people and monsters of unspecified gender. We’ve moved on from those times, however, and we’ve adopted “he or she” or “they” as the generic pronouns.

6 To Whom It May Concern… Some things just refuse to accept that it’s their time to go. Like zombies, ghosts, and vampires, “whom” likes to come out from time to time and wreak havoc on unsuspecting victims who think there’s nothing wrong with saying “to who.” And there was a time when “whom” was the only correct form to use when referring to the object of a verb. However, using “who” has become so widespread that “whom” may be on its way out.

7 No Splitting When Infinitives Are Involved While splitting your group of friends might be helpful if you want to cover more Halloween parties, splitting an infinitive will do you no good. At least, that’s what some misinformed pedants would say. In practice, however, splitting an infinitive is sometimes the better-sounding choice, and it often makes more sense. So don’t be afraid to split—a rule to live by when it comes to both infinitives and scary noises in the middle of the night.

Use These Four Tips to Improve Your Writing Fast

Guest post by Meryl K. Evans

The valet pulled up in my car. I thanked him, tipped him and entered my car. I noticed both turn signals were blinking. What’s up? It took me a minute to realize the valet had turned on the hazard lights. I didn’t even remember if I had ever used them in this car.

I touched every switch, button and stick searching for the toggle. Sure, I could dig for the instruction manual in the glove compartment, but I didn’t want to hold up the folks behind me. So I asked a nearby valet for help. Click. She pushed the button with the hazard icon above the touchscreen display. Color me embarrassed.

Despite this, I told my husband what happened. He said many people don’t know where to find the hazard light switch because there was no standard location for it. Well, I won’t forget next time.

If I read anything I wrote from five years ago, I flinch. I’m a better writer than I was five years ago. And I hope I’m better five years from now. Doing lots of reading and writing helped me grow as a writer.

Unlike with the hazard lights, I’ll pick up an instruction manual for writing to learn a few tricks. This would be any book on writing. The first memorable one I read was William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” Within 15 pages, I learned these four tips, which boosted my writing.

Why limit to four tips? Many articles provide a long list of tips. It’s so overwhelming that you don’t bother trying any. Keep it simple. Four is doable. And you can use them right now. Learn a handful of writing tricks at a time. Know them and nurture them. They’ll become a habit.

Trade Five Dollar Words for Cheap Ones

The first advice is to simplify. Zinsser covers it in one sentence: “Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that’s already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what — these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence.”

One sentence taught me to swap fancy words for simple ones, cut words ending in -ly and don’t be passive aggressive. Why opt for the snooty “utilize” when you can use the effortless “use?” And who needs the mind-numbing “numerous” when the four-lettered “many” works? Here, the Thesaurus is your friend.

Cut Very Unnecessary Words

Why not get to the point by cutting the underlined words? I blame the search engine optimization. People say online content needs to be more than 1,000 words for SEO’s sake. They believe long content earns more love from search engines.

Anxious to reach the word count goal, writers add a bunch of words especially qualifiers and adverbs, throw in statistics and amend sentences to plug in key phrases until it fits.

Do we need “very” to underscore how much we need to drop needless words? We’ve used “very,” “so” and “really” so often that these words have lost power.

Split Long Sentences to Create Two Shorter Ones for a Crisper Read

Granted, the quote from Zinsser runs long. But it packs a punch. If he had replaced commas with periods, how would it affect the sentence?

I’ve edited articles where an entire paragraph contained one sentence. For these, I convert the long sentence into two or three sentences. This breaks multiple thoughts into a single thought for each. It improves readability and clarity.

Omit Redundant Words

Take a look at this list and see how you can make them better.

• Add a new.
• In order to.
• Overused cliché.
• Past history.
• Period of time.
• Plan ahead.
• Straight to the point.
• Tall skyscraper.
• Thanks in advance.

I applied these tips to my writing as quickly as I learned where to find the hazard lights button. Next time I crack the car’s user manual, I’ll glean two or three tips. Those will join these three plus the many others I’ve discovered since I started driving my car. In a year or two, the new knowledge will help me improve this article.

Keep reading and keep writing. The bettering will follow. Oh, and be sure to find your hazard lights now before you need to know how.

Share your writing tip in the comments.

About the Author

Meryl K. Evans, Content Maven, writes a variety of content and helps her clients with their content marketing needs. A native Texan, Meryl lives a heartbeat north of Dallas in Plano, Texas with her husband and three kiddos. Y’all can visit her online home at www.meryl.net.