50 | LOOKING FOR A JOB | JOB INTERVIEW AND SALARY NEGOTIATION Prepare for your first salary negotiation As a new graduate, your biggest focus will probably be on landing that first job and getting started on your career. But did you know that you can and should negotiate your first salary? Experience shows that there’s plenty of room for negotiation – you just have to get out of your comfort zone. As a newcomer to the labour market, it’s quite normal to have a lot of questions relating to salary negotiation. Below we’ll answer some of the questions that many new graduates have before their first salary negotiation. Why should I negotiate my salary as a new graduate? Negotiating your salary as a new graduate can be daunting. But your first salary negotiation is very important. It sets the course of your salary for the rest of your employment. In our experience, having to negotiate a significant increase in your salary later on at an annual salary negotiation is difficult, unless you move up the career ladder or change your job. Legal adviser at IDA, Kamilla Mortensen, says: »We hear from many new graduates that they are often just happy and proud to get their first job, and rightly so. But you shouldn’t let your enthusiasm negatively affect your first salary and terms and conditions in general. We also hear that some new graduates think it’s difficult to ask for a proper salary because they’re afraid to come across as demanding, but there’s no reason to feel this way.« Being prepared for a salary talk shows that you have the courage to negotiate, have opinions and that you stand up for yourself. These are usually valued competences in any employee. »And it’s important to remember that you will not get the salary you deserve but the salary you negotiate. The employer may have an interest
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