Thinking of taking a new job offer from that hot startup carte blanche, sight unseen? Looks like you’re not alone, then, according to a new survey by CareerBuilder. And, well, if you’d like to just walk away from more money that could have been yours if you had the confidence to at least ask for it or raise the discussion, that’s your prerogative. But I’m willing to bet it probably isn’t.
According to the findings, people who are more experienced are more likely to negotiate — 55 percent of workers age 35 or older will usually give some pushback on a first offer, compared to the 45 percent of folks aged 18 to 34.
I mean, it makes sense. When you’re just out of college, you’re more likely just to be grateful you’re getting a job offer and that’s pretty great for you. But as you get a little older, well, you realize that not all jobs are forever and that companies are investing in you personally by hiring you. If they value you, they’ll give a little more. It’s just basic negotiating tactics: They want to give as little money as possible, and you want as much as possible. It’s just how the dance is done.
The survey also says that in instances where more money isn’t doable, employers are more likely to counter by offering a more flexible schedule, more vacation time, letting people telecommute at least once a week or to pay for their mobile devices.
You can read more over at CareerBuilder, but the gist is that there aren’t major changes going on in the economy. The figures don’t indicate the scales are tipping significantly one way or another, so things are steady as she goes for better or worse.
David Wolinsky is a freelance writer and a lifelong Chicagoan. In addition to currently serving as IFC’s comedy, film, and TV blogger, he's also a comedy-writing instructor for Second City and an adjunct professor in DePaul’s College of Computing and Digital Media. (He also co-runs a blog behind the DePaul class, DIY Game Dev.) He was the Chicago city editor for The Onion A.V. Club where he provided in-depth daily coverage of this city's bustling arts/entertainment scene for half a decade. His first career aspirations were to be a game-show host.
