Those with experience in the medical field who are looking for jobs usually have the upper hand when it comes to negotiating their terms.
When you get a job offer, the person extending it usually expects that they’ll have to make a few adjustments. You can use this to tweak the position in your favor.
Not everything is negotiable, though. Be careful not to hold out on one aspect only to lose a lot of other good perks. With these 7 rules, you can negotiate your job offer like a pro!
1. Know What Your Hard Limits Are
Walk into the negotiation having a clear picture of what you will and will not accept. The point is not to have everything go your way. It’s to find a solution that is mutually acceptable by both parties.
Everyone has something they consider essential to their minimum needs. It might be a baseline salary, the hours they must work, or perks like vacation and health insurance.
Take the drafted contract to a lawyer or review it yourself to get familiar with what factors are included in the position. Know your hard expectations and don’t settle for less, but also be willing to compromise on other terms to get your must-haves.
Remember, it’s in your employer’s best interests to keep you happy. But a satisfactory working environment goes both ways.
2. Get Real With the Salary Benchmarks
Your best friend across the country in Big City America might be pulling in six figures a year in the medical field, but that doesn’t mean you will.
The salary benchmarks in every industry depend on multiple variables. In healthcare, these can be things like:
- Your specialization
- Whether you work in a hospital, private clinic, or somewhere else
- How long you have been practicing
- The county/city the job is located in
- Whether you are a partner, employee, or independent contractor
If you’re holding out for big city money in a small town, you might never find a job. Look at the salary benchmarks in the surrounding counties, too. It might be worth an extra hour drive each day to work where the pay is significantly higher.
3. Don’t Downsize Your Value
We’re taught from a young age that modesty is important, and it is. When it comes to negotiating your job offer, though, you want to showcase your value in as bright a light as possible.
This does not mean that you should exaggerate your qualifications. However, you shouldn’t discount them, either.
Come to the negotiating table prepared to let the other party know exactly what you bring to their office. What do you offer that other physicians don’t? What awards, certificates, training, or knowledge do you possess that makes you valuable?
Don’t expect them to automatically know your worth. You may have to remind them yourself. If the terms of the contract are good enough, be willing to do this professionally.
4. Protect Your Perks
Salary is often the main thing negotiated in a job offer, but the perks are important, too!
Employee benefits can help reduce the sting of not making quite as much as you wanted. Look for perks like:
- Bonuses
- Holiday pay (and a list of which holidays count)
- Health, dental, and life insurance
- Access to a company car or gas mileage stipends
- Sick day compensation
The right benefits can tempt people to stick around a job more than a regular salary does.
5. Negotiate With Integrity
Before you walk into the office, make sure you’re calm and prepared. Things might not go your way, but they might!
Regardless of how the negotiation goes down, be professional and polite. Your reputation is completely up to you. The way you treat others speaks volumes and can be an unexpected ally or problem in the future.
This job might not be meant to be for you. However, your integrity and behavior will follow you. You never know how the way you act in the negotiation room will play a part in future jobs.
And if you get your way because you threw a temper tantrum, that reputation will bleed into how your colleagues and manager see you in your job.
6. Know When the Meeting is Over
Is there really anything worse than an awkward ending to a meeting?
Once you know that things are rolling in your favor and you feel confident that you are going to take the job, you can sign the revised contract. Or, if you’ve already been denied the hard limits, why continue trying to negotiate the rest?
If the employer can’t match your requests, there is likely a reason. They want you there, but can’t afford to hire you. If that’s the case, you can politely withdraw your job application or deny the offer.
Let them know you hope they find someone else and they can call you if they reconsider. Then go about your day and let them keep looking.
7. Get Any Changes in Writing
Every element of the job offer that gets negotiated needs to be done so in writing before you leave the room. Take notes as you go through the meeting. Then use those notes to revise the drafted contract.
If you aren’t signing an updated document right then, get a copy of the temporary changes. When it’s time to sign the permanent contract, review the negotiated terms and be sure they are included.
Conclusion
In any successful negotiation, both parties must be willing to come to a win/win resolution. For that to happen, you have to know the rules and abide by them.
Between doing your due diligence so you know what you’re getting into and keeping a level head, you can walk away with a solid job offer or move forward with your search.
