International affairs is a vast field! Salaries vary considerably for for-profit, non-profit, and government work. Know your value in the current workplace; do your research.
80% of the work of negotiation happens before you get in the room!
Increasingly ranges are posted on positions (which we love!), but they may be wide.
Talk to friends, do research online.
Know your worth; be thoughtful about where you stack up.
Also consider the job market’s supply of qualified candidates.
For federal government, GS pay scales for different areas of the country are available online. See latest for the DMV.
BA degree graduates with no experience start at GS-5. MA degree graduates with no experience start at GS-7. A candidate is generally unable to request a higher GS level but the 10 steps within each GS level provide room for negotiating salary above an initial offer.
Resources to find salary ranges for specific jobs:
Know Your Worth calculator via Glassdoor
You can also ask relevant connections you know in the field.
When doing this step, make sure to lead with a positive tone.
Example:
“First, I want to say I’m very excited about the role. I want to be here; this is the job that I want.”
If you deserve to be at the top, name why: your attributes, experiences, promotion progression, current salary, etc. Frame it in terms of the value you’ll bring to the position and employer.
Example:
“In terms of my own research regarding this role at this employer and others, what I’ve actually seen is a range of $55K-$65K. Given my experience and the success I’ve had in other roles that I believe I’ll bring here, I think I deserve to be at the higher end of that range.”
When approaching salary negotiation, never use an adversarial tone.
Example:
“I really like your organization, it has what I need, and I want to make sure I can be here for the long term. Can we talk about another 5%?”
Other types of compensation may include benefits such as paid time off, tuition reimbursement, professional development support, signing bonus, title change, work from home agreements, stock options, etc.
General Example:
“One of the things we haven't talked about yet is other modes of compensation, such as [insert specific topics of interest here]...Would it be appropriate to talk about some of those now?”
Example for Tuition Reimbursement:
“I’m a lifelong learner, and passionate about growing in this role and bringing learnings back to the company. Do you offer tuition reimbursement or assistance?”
You could consider asking for an ongoing review cycle to keep the door open for future negotiations.
Example:
“The one other thing I want to ask is what would be the review cycle for my performance in terms of evaluating my candidacy for promotion or a raise. If it’s usually a year, could we instead do a review cycle after 6 months to discuss salary again based on my performance?”
Only you can decide if the offer is too low. If it is, then be prepared to keep looking; it may be the best move for you now.
Do not bring up salary in the interview. Typically, serious salary negotiation conversations happen after the interview process, once an offer has been made.
Still, know the range that is appropriate for the role and that you’re comfortable with, going into the interview. If they ask you about salary, you can say something like, “The range of X-Y that you posted on the job description is consistent with my research and I would be comfortable with something in that range. (If not posted: A range of X-Y is what I’m finding in my research is appropriate for this role, which I would be comfortable with.) I anticipate we’ll discuss salary more specifically during an offer conversation, if determined I’m the best fit for this role.”
Whether by email or a call, first thank the employer and reaffirm your enthusiasm about the role. Ask if it’s possible to arrange an offer conversation to discuss more details.
Check out our Salary Negotiation Practice Guide. Set up time to practice the conversation with an SIS Career advisor, mentor, or friend.
When you have one firm offer, a straightforward approach works best:
Contact the other employers with whom you interviewed and tell them you have a firm offer. Ask them for a status report.
Tell them your timeline and wait. If they are going to make you a firm offer, they will contact you within that time limit.
Sometimes, you are not their first choice and they will say so. Either way, you will know where you stand.
When multiple solid offers stand:
Create a pros and cons chart for each job.
Then decide which one you want, and negotiate politely and with confidence for the best terms they can offer, making them aware they are bidding against another employer for your services.
Example: “You’re my top choice, but I want to be honest with you — I have two other offers, but if we can work this to a fair number, I think we can sign this and get this done.”