EE

How to negotiate salary?

Talking about money is still an inconvenient or embarrassing topic for many. Nevertheless, these conversations usually need to be conducted more than once in a lifetime. You have to talk about salary when applying for a new job as well as asking for a salary increase. Sometimes you are asked to indicate your salary expectation in your CV or cover letter.


The following material will give you an overview of how to get out of wage negotiations as a winner, what are the golden rules of negotiating and how to find out your salary expectations.

Gather positive feedback about yourself and your past accomplishments. If you are applying, appoint a referrer who can validate your skills and experience if necessary. Demonstrate data and numbers when making proposals!

Golden rules of salary negotiations

Think carefully about what you can offer your team or company in the future. Shape your salary expectations accordingly.

Make sure it is a suitable time for negotiation. Never go for a salary proposal if the company is not doing well.

Be sure about your needs! Think about your salary expectations or recommended salary range. Carefully justify your salary request based on your experience and achievements.

Practice, practice, practice! Talk in front of a mirror or record yourself talking about your expectations and make changes if necessary. Remember that a reasonable proposal and self-confidence matter the most!

How to determine your expectations?

One of the biggest challenges in a job interview is negotiating a salary, because every candidate wants a salary that motivates them. It is important for employers to ensure that the scissors do not cut too far in terms of the candidate's expectations and company's willingness to fulfil them. One way to approach salary negotiation is to present your own minimum wage expectation or a range that you are comfortable with. On another note, you can ask your employer for a salary offer, the terms of which can be changed or negotiated if necessary.

Think about your work experience. If you are an experienced employee, you can ask for more. If you are just starting out, take this into account when determining your salary expectations.

How much to ask for?

We all want to get paid more than we currently receive. Some want a little more, the other at least half more. However, salary expectations should be feasible and not a utopian amount. If the salary expectation is too high, you may be rejected in the recruitment process and preference will be given to candidates whose expectations the employer can meet.

Check the salary information of Statistics Estonia: https://palgad.stat.ee/en. There you will find the average gross salary for your position. This gives a good indication of what is the median salary in your position.

Critically evaluate your competitiveness: Do you have skills that are highly valued in the job market? For example, do you have good language skills or are you proficient in certain programs? If you have valuable skills, be sure to consider this when determining your salary expectations.

Try to find out how intense the competition is for your desired position. If this position lacks candidates, you can ask for more. If the queue reaches the door and the competition is intense, rather ask for less than more.

Critically evaluate the field of activity of the company you are applying for. If the company is well-known and a large company that is doing well, take this into account when determining salary expectations. If the company is, for example, a non-profit organization or of social value, it is not worth noting a very high salary expectation, because the employer operates in the market for a purpose other than making a large profit.

By following the golden rules and our recommendations for setting your expectations, you can be sure that the salary negotiations will be successful!

How to prepare your CV?

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