How to Better Price Yourself?

When searching for a new job or being interviewed for a vacant position, people tend to be shy about bringing up the issue of the salary. However, we are living in a business world and talking about money is no longer a “taboo”, it is a right. So, as they say in the management and human resources field: “Price yourself as a house”. This means that you should price yourself based on the need of the company for your services and the quality of the services you know you can offer.



This factor has nothing to do with your previous salary; it is related to the pain you shall save the company when recruiting you. For a Company to seek to hire, it must have a gap and must be suffering from that gap and paying money, and sometimes a lot more than the salary they would give you. Thus, it is in your best interest to benefit from this need.

To set your expected “salary” think about the market need for your services, ask around what is the salary given to people with your expertise and knowledge and then price yourself.

Don’t allow the recruiting company to know your previous salary, as they would have leverage over you. On the other hand, set a target salary for yourself, salaries that you would feel satisfied about, and give the recruiting company a salary range that you would accept to negotiate about.

To do so, listen to your intuition and then think twice about the number that crossed your mind. Then, think in a more reasonable way; think about the living cost you need to provide and how many projects can ensure this decent living for you. Then, get a second opinion from someone you trust and who works in the domain or has an ample experience in negotiations. Finally, remember that pricing isn’t permanent! You can raise your fees or decrease them at a later stage, if need be.

Don’t fear to raise the issue of the salary, and if the recruiter doesn’t mention it, do it yourself before wasting your time and their time in unnecessary interviews that would be left in vain, if you have different budget expectations. Forget the old saying: “Whoever gives a number first loses” and have enough courage to raise the issue yourself.

 

The Business Lobby Team