Negotiation Strategies

If you're unprepared, unsure, or without a clear end goal, the recruiter will eat you alive - especially if they're seasoned. That's their opening. You'll concede because you're confused about your own needs and you'll walk out with a lesser package.

Suggest a few small concessions early. Set the tone that you're a reasonable negotiator. You can offer to skip a meal stipend or toll reimbursement. Do not give up the things that matter. You can also offer to forgo a completion bonus on contracts longer than 13 weeks - it gives you flexibility to line up your next contract with time to spare.

In a negotiation, park your personal feelings, ideas, and biases. Keep negative emotion in check. If the other party is being insensitive, step away and resume once you have a clearer mind. That pause also gives them time to reflect on how they've talked to you.

The other side has goals too. They want to close the deal and move to the next candidate. They don't want to spend forever on one person, and they want a relationship with you for future contracts. Be clear and precise.

Empathy is hard during a negotiation. Do it anyway. The recruiter is trying to close without pain, protect their job, feed their family. Respect earns respect - and gets you through faster. But keep your ideas organized before the first contact.

Take notes. Use professional language. Never bully - never respond to bullying. Keep your eye on the offer, not on their personality. You'll not be working withthem; they're the middleman. Ignore posturing. Junior recruiters do a lot of talking to confuse you into taking a sour deal - stay calm, restate your experience.

Flexibility is an advantage. Keep an open mind so you don't easily give up important goals. Make small tweaks to refine the deal. Ask for concessions in exchange for benefits - paying your own tolls in return for a stronger hourly rate, for example. You should always walk out feeling great about the deal you made.

Sometimes the recruiter doesn't understand what you're asking for, or drags their feet past your target start date. You start to worry about a gap in work. This is exactly when your alternatives become your leverage. You need a Plan B, C, and D.

• Plan B: a temporary gig to bridge the gap while negotiations get back on track.
• Plan C: an entirely new recruiter.
• Plan D: take some time off.

Keep credentialing at a surgery center or somewhere you can pick up work without a full-time commitment. Alternatives give you power over your Plan A because now they know they can be replaced. Do not beg for a job. You'll end up with an inferior wage.

Failing to land Plan A is a feature, not a bug - it becomes an opportunity. Resist the urge to beg. Know your worth. Don't feel rushed. Like professional basketball: play all 48 minutes and don't watch the clock, focus on your best production. Distraction equals failure.