Yes, it takes work to get that offer you want.

I have been in the recruiting industry for many years and over the last couple of years in the market, the biggest inquiry I get when presenting a job opportunity to a potential candidate is solely based on salary.?Believe me, I get it and I truly do support salary transparency and honesty in that area – for BOTH parties involved.?Recruiting professionals want to see you win, we want to see you get that awesome job and elevate your career, and yes - improve your life financially as well. However… what I am seeing as of late is that a large portion of candidates I reach out to want to know what the offer will be sometimes before the 1st interview even takes place or after one initial 30 minute Recruiting/HR meeting.?The salary ranges are just that – a salary range, not one finite number.?There isn’t a simple to answer to this question and when we, as an internal or external Recruiter, can’t give a specific number, some candidates don’t want to even proceed in further conversations about the job.?There are many factors that come in to play when a company puts together an offer for a candidate and the #1 factor is?- YOU.?

?As a candidate in search of a new position and strong offer, yes, you need to do the work to get a competitive offer in any job market.

• Preparing in advance for an interview by researching the company and hiring manager
• Thoroughly reviewing a job description and developing strategic and meaningful questions about the position and the company
• Preparing examples of your work/experience in advance to highlight the value you can bring to their team
• Showing enthusiasm and a genuine interest in job itself
• If you are lacking a few key desired skills, be prepared to discuss how you can shorten that learning curve

All of these things will factor in to a hiring team’s evaluation of you, and ultimately – the potential offer you receive. ?

When it comes to compensation, you are essentially exchanging your time and skills/intellectual capital for financial compensation in a job. ?If you are looking for a commitment to what you deem to be an acceptable financial offer, without even having a conversation, it doesn’t work that way.?It’s incredibly short-sighted.?The interview is your opportunity to highlight the value of your skills and what you can bring to a new employer, which equate to that offer.?One thing is certain, you won’t get the offer(s) you want by ruling out a job prospect through a short note/intro summary in an email, voicemail or LinkedIn Inmail. Recruiters and Hiring Managers are showing you that we are willing to give you our time and consideration by inviting you to a conversation about the opportunity.?Have the conversations, put in the work and that will raise your chances of getting that elevated position or salary number you want. Oh, and here is a little secret…..?salary ranges can be flexible at times if you really knock it out of the park! If you do such a great job at convincing a company that they HAVE to have you on their team, you’d be surprised at what can happen. I see it all the time.?You’ll never know if you aren’t willing to have the conversation and put in the work.?