RESOURCES

The Career Launch Readiness Assessment

The Career Leadership Collective, along with my Career Launch colleagues and I have created a tool for you to discover your level of professional readiness: the Career Launch Readiness Assessment. The recommendations from the assessment do not replace the Career Launch Method; they complement it by showing you your strengths, areas for growth, and what you can do to improve your professional readiness. Visit go.careerlaunch.academy to take your assessment.

The Career Launch Readiness Assessment contains a total of forty statements that address the essential actions and behaviors that students use to land internships and jobs. You can take the assessment up to three times. Ideally, you follow our recommendation at the beginning of the book and take the assessment right away, and then again after completing the book and the action steps within. It takes about ten minutes to complete. Each of your responses will range from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree). You will be assessed in five areas:

After completing the assessment, you will be given access to receive a PDF report with your scores in each of these five areas, along with customized recommendations about how you can improve your professional readiness in each area. These recommendations include videos to watch, articles to read, reflection questions, actions to take, and more.

Colleges: A co-branded landing page, with access for only students from your school, can be available for bulk purchases. Email [email protected] for more information.

The Five Keys to Entry-Level Compensation Negotiation

If there’s anything that students fear more than cold networking, it’s salary negotiation (or public speaking). Negotiating your compensation can make a huge difference over the course of your career, and it is well worth the temporary amount of initial discomfort. Even if you don’t get what you ask for, negotiating—the right way—is worth it because you demonstrate that you are someone who is comfortable engaging in difficult conversations, which is a sign of a future leader.

Carnegie Mellon University professor Linda Babcock talks about the difference that salary negotiation can make over the course of a long career. She says, “I tell my students that by not negotiating their job at the beginning of their career, they’re leaving anywhere between $1 million and $1.5 million on the table in lost earnings over their lifetime.” Your future salaries are based in part on your past salaries, so small differences like negotiating a starting salary of $48,000 instead of $45,000 can make a big difference over a long period of time.

Many students fear that negotiating will make them appear to be pushy, demanding, or ungrateful. It is important to be grateful for a job offer or promotion, especially during tough economic times. But let me reiterate: negotiating your salary— the right way—makes you look like a leader who takes initiative and is comfortable having difficult conversations in a professional manner. Even if you aren’t successful, you win. The fact that you are willing to engage in an uncomfortable conversation says a lot about you and your professional brand.

Facebook and Google executive Libby Leffler says, “I know when [candidates who negotiate] are in their roles for me, they’re going to negotiate whatever it might be. They’re going to work with a partner to get something done; they’re going to work with the sales team to make something happen; they’re going to be able to achieve a compromise with a cross-functional team so that we can move a project forward.” In short, negotiation can impress an employer regardless of results.

There are five keys to entry-level salary negotiation. The first two involve what not to do before getting a written offer, and the next three are about what to do once you have a written offer in hand.

1. Don’t Be the First Person to Give a Number or Range

If any recruiters or hiring managers ask about your salary requirements during the interview process, you should avoid saying a number or range. Instead, you can respond to salary-related questions during the interview process with the following response:

At this point in the process, I’m focused on finding the right fit. I’m confident that when I do, salary and compensation will not be an issue.

If you are further pressed to give a number, you can ask:

What is the standard range for this position?

If they give a number or range, you simply respond by saying:

Thanks for sharing. That won’t be an issue.

If they don’t answer your question directly, they will likely say, “The range is based on qualifications and experience.” To which you should reply:

I understand. Of everyone that has been hired for this position in the past two years, what is the lowest and highest salary and compensation someone has received?

Note that this question doesn’t work for start-ups or brand-new positions.

Here’s the logic behind this rule: If you give a number that’s below what the organization was expecting, they will likely think you’ll be happy with this amount, and thus you may be offered less than you would have been otherwise. If you give too high a number or range, they might eliminate you from the interview process because they know they won’t be able to afford you, and it doesn’t make sense for you to continue in the interview process. Therefore, it is best practice to avoid providing a number or range until you receive a formal offer in writing.

2. Never Negotiate Before You Have a Written Offer

As a job candidate, you don’t have any leverage or power until you receive a written offer. The employer has all the power, because there likely are many applicants for a limited number of positions. You don’t want to take the risk that something you say during negotiation could prevent you from receiving a written offer.

Many employers will strategically provide a verbal offer and ask the candidate to commit verbally on the spot, before providing a written offer. One of the reasons they do this is because once you verbally commit, it’s difficult for you to ask for a higher salary or more benefits.

If you have a call or meeting where you receive a verbal offer, you should avoid committing on the spot even if you are sure you’ll accept the job. It is best practice to ask for the offer in writing. You also shouldn’t try to negotiate salary when you receive a verbal offer. Even at this point, you still have very little power or leverage.

You want to say something like:

Thank you, this sounds great. I’m really excited about joining the team. My [professor/family/mentors] have told me it’s best practice to review an offer letter in writing and sleep on it before signing. I imagine that you will be sending the offer in writing soon, is that correct?

In this way, you express your enthusiasm about the position while giving yourself a chance to review the offer and set up a follow-up conversation to inquire about the compensation package.

Once you have the offer in writing, move on to number 3.

3. Set Up a Live Meeting with the Hiring Manager

At some organizations, you may get a written offer from a recruiter or someone other than the person who is going to be your supervisor. If this is the case, you want to ask for a meeting with your soon-to-be supervisor, not the recruiter. Even if the offer is emailed to you by the recruiter or human resources professional, you should follow up with the person to whom you’ll be reporting.

In your email to your supervisor, say something like:

Hi, [Name],

Thank you for the offer. I’m really excited about joining the team. I have a few questions that I would like to discuss with you.

Would you be able to chat within the next few days?

Regards,
[Your Name]

Just as with a career conversation, you want a video chat or in-person meeting, not a phone call, if possible. Definitely do not try to negotiate over email.

4. Ask “Do you have any flexibility?”

During your meeting, you should not ask your compensation question first. Instead, start by expressing gratitude for the offer and asking genuine questions about the job role, organization, or work environment.

After asking a few of these other questions, you can bring up the topic of compensation. I recommend using the question:

Do you have any flexibility in regards to salary?

In my experience as a job seeker and as a hiring manager, this is the most simple and professional way to engage in salary negotiation. There is no chance that you will have your offer rescinded if you ask the question in this manner.

There are a few common responses you will receive to this question. The first possibility is that the person will say no. If this happens, you can either sign the offer letter as is or ask if they have flexibility on any other aspects of compensation, such as health care, tuition reimbursement, a gym membership, a transportation stipend, a signing bonus, stock options, moving expenses, and the like.

The more likely possibility is that they answer something like, “Possibly. What do you have in mind?” Be prepared for this question. You should do your research before the conversation to know what salary increase you have in mind. This figure should be based on your research from a credible website and supported by saying how you will add value to the role.

As an example, you might say:

Based on my research of comparable positions and the value I believe I will add to the team, I think a base salary of [$55,000] would be appropriate. Can you make that number work?

This ending question is direct, gets right to the point, and maximizes your chance of getting a favorable response. You don’t want to be wishy-washy or long-winded. You also might be asked about the comparable positions, so you need to be able to cite your source(s).

And if you receive a no, you can accept the offer as is, knowing that you just gained some respect and positive brand image in the process. Remember, leaders and future leaders are people who know how to handle difficult conversations professionally.

5. Ask About Years Two and Three

Regardless of the answer you receive to your question about compensation flexibility, there’s another question I advise you to ask:

Assuming I do an outstanding job in this role, what is the opportunity for my compensation to increase at the end of my first year and second year?

The other person’s answer to this question will allow you know what to expect for your earning potential. This will give you peace of mind and insight into your short-term earnings opportunity.

Your question also can be the first step in one more negotiation strategy. If you feel like your soon-to-be supervisor wants to help you but can’t do anything about increasing the initial job offer, you can then say something like:

Okay, that is great to know. Thank you for sharing. Can I ask another question?

(Pause and let them reply)

Would you be willing provide me with a job review after six months, and if you determine that I’m doing an outstanding job, can I earn the year-two compensation increase after six months?

By asking this question, you are giving yourself a chance (six months) to prove your value to the organization, and they may be willing to increase your salary more quickly. Even if you get a no, you will have a better idea about what kind of increases you can expect if you excel in the role.

Take the story of one of my students, Torben, from 2018. Another student, Marina, had an almost identical story in 2021.

Torben received a verbal job offer from the number one company on his top ten list. Following my advice, he asked for the written offer letter during the verbal offer. Once he received the offer via email, he reviewed it, and then emailed the supervisor and was able to set up a meeting. He started by asking noncompensation questions, and the conversation was going well. Then he asked his soon-to-be supervisor if there was flexibility in the salary. The response was that there was no possibility to increase the starting salary, and Torben was told what he had been told throughout the interview process—that everyone in the same position, in the same geographic area, earned the same amount.

He proceeded to ask about the opportunity for compensation increases at the end of his first year and his second year. He was thrilled to hear the answers.

Torben thanked the manager and signed the offer.

Six days later, he was surprised to receive a new offer letter in his email inbox. The letter was exactly the same as the one he had signed, but the starting salary was $3,000 higher! The supervisor either had the authority to make the increase or had put in a good word for Torben with their supervisor or with human resources. Either way, Torben’s effort had paid off—even after hearing an initial no.

Think about all the positives that Torben generated because he was willing to ask about salary and compensation flexibility. Financially, he received an immediate increase in pay and put himself in position to earn more income throughout his career. In terms of mindset, he now had clarity about his short-term earning potential. And from a personal brand viewpoint, he was now more respected and more likely to be seen as a future leader. Not bad for a couple hours of effort.

Torben said, “I was extremely nervous about negotiating with a company I really wanted to work for. I had an offer from my number one company. But as I thought about all the tips I learned, I realize that nothing I planned to say would put my job offer at risk. As long as I followed the suggestions, there was virtually no downside and a lot of upside.”

Motivational Quote Library

In my classes, I give my students printouts of inspiring quotations on card stock paper. My students often tell me they hold on to these quotes years later and hang them on their wall for inspiration. I’ve included some of my favorite quotes throughout this book, and I hope you have found some of them to be motivating and useful.

In the spirit of inspiring you to take action in your career and life, my team and I have created a set of phone and computer screen backgrounds for you to download. Go to www.launchyourcareerbook.com/quotes to access your free backgrounds.

Examples:

Career Launch Certifications: Career Counselors, Coaches, Student Affairs Professionals, and Faculty

This book, and the Launch Your Career Workbook, can provide a common language and methodology to make your interactions with students more effective and impactful. If you’d like a deep dive into the best practices for implementing the Career Launch Method, check out our certification programs.

Career Launch Certified Counselor, Coach, Student Affairs Professional

Career Launch Certified Faculty

To learn more, visit www.careerlaunch.academy/certifications and review the testimonials on the next page. If you have any questions, you can email [email protected].

Stephen Torres, Industry Fellow & Faculty, University of California, Berkeley

“I am proud to be one of the first Career Launch certified faculty recipients. As an educator, the certification allowed me to go deep into the best practices for in-class delivery and course/ assignment design to maximize student effectiveness and output.”

Denise Mora, Career Resource Center Coordinator, North Orange County Continuing Education

“As the career resource coordinator for our school, I am so glad to be Career Launch certified. I have witnessed how instrumental Career Launch’s programming has been to our students. Many of them have landed jobs in the field of their choice, some have been able to enter a graduate program, and all have had an opportunity to build agency, social capital, career development skills, and explore career options.”

Tori Bussey-Neal, M.Ed., Success Coach, UC San Diego

“Career Launch has destigmatized the concept of intentional, proactive networking and has helped my students feel much more confident in their abilities to conduct a holistic internship and job search.”