By Lora Brawley, http://www.allaboutnannycare.com/
Negotiating a New Job
Don’t wait to negotiate your salary and benefit package until you are offered a job. The most common mistake nannies make is waiting to negotiate until after they have been offered the job.
From the very first contact, you’re planting the seeds that will become your job description and compensation package. You cannot be agreeable to everything during the interview if you want to set reasonable boundaries on the job. You cannot be “open” or “flexible” regarding salary and benefits during the interview if you want to earn a good salary or receive generous benefits on the job.
Be honest about what you need during the interview process. The best time to find out if a family cannot meet your needs is before you start working for them.
Also, keep these tips in mind when searching for a new job:
1. Don’t interview for jobs that aren’t offering what you’re looking for. Not only does it waste your time but it drains you of confidence, making you less able to effectively negotiate with employers that have real potential.
2. State your salary as a range, rather than a set number.
3. If you are asking for a substantially higher salary in your new job than you’re currently making, don’t reveal your current salary. If you’re worth it, you’re worth it, regardless of what you’re earning now.
Lora Brawley, http://www.allaboutnannycare.com/ Email: Lora@allaboutnannycare.com Office: 253 517-8025 Toll Free:866-Nanny Jobs
Do you have any advice for nannies negotiating a new job? Click "comments" below to respond.
Tomorrow: Negotiating Within Your Current Job and Negotiating a Raise or Increase in Benefits.
4 comments:
I am nearly 40 years old but still am uncomfortable negotiating job salary and perks. Very hard to talk about topics with the parents that hire me. The most helpful thing was when this newsletter be the best nanny newsletter put a negotiation chart in the newsletter. I used it during my interview with the job I am at now and it is the best job ever. I gave the sheet to the parents when we were talking about the job. We just went down the list.
Overtime rate = yes, time and half
Cell phone provided = no
Car for personal use = yes
Travel rate = $18 per hour
and so on...
Very helpful I recommend using the negotiation chart at the start of a job.
Meredith, Cambridge, MA
Every other person, article, web site, agency has told me the opposite of this article: "Do not bring up money until the employers do." But, I have found what Lora is saying above to be true! It is the right advice!
In another profession it might be best to wait to bring up salary but when it comes to nanny jobs I totally agree to tell parents up front your salary requirements to make sure the family can afford you before interivewing. Why waste time interviewing for parents that can't even afford you?
I have nearly 18 years nanny experience, college degree, great refertences, so I want the top salary range. When I am using a nanny web site it works best if I tell the parent from the start what I need to make because there are more jobs than not that can not afford me.
Another point I want to bring up is using only the most selective agencies. Once you have the expereince and references don't bother applying with the typical nanny agency, they do not have families with them that can afford top salary nannies.
Lisa Sutter, Princeton NJ
Good advice to know if the parents are offering the right salary range before interviewing. I did that although I was always told not to do that. To save time and energy know before the interview what's the general offer. I think using web sites is a mistake since they NEVER offer enough for the A+ caregiver.
I think it is wise to ask upfront what salary is being offered. Great idea.
Marisa
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