Posted on: Monday, August 9, 2004

How much are you worth paying?

By Romina Garber
Knight Ridder News Service

You're in an interview for your dream job and the manager hits you with a zinger: What salary do you want to make?

Rosemary Haefner, senior career advisor and vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder.com, says there's always discomfort when this question comes up, whether the applicant is just entering the work force or has been in it for 20 years. "There's just no good answer," she said.

(CareerBuilder.com is partly owned by Gannett Inc., owner of The Honolulu Advertiser.)

As the summer begins to wrap up, many recent graduates are transitioning from internships into their first regular full-time job. Applicants don't want to price themselves out of the market or be forced to accept a lowball figure.

"You're negotiating your value more than your salary. They are more willing to pay someone more if you show them your value in the interview," said Heather Burke-Sheridan from Florida Atlantic University's career development services.

Her three-step procedure for approaching the salary question calls for one to research, stall and take into account all the benefits the company provides.

First thing when going on a job interview is to do your research, Burke-Sheridan said. "You need to know the local labor market statistics for that occupation, and you need to research the company by going on their Web site and seeing what they offer their employees," she said.

Labor market statistics can be found at college career offices. Online resources such as Jobstar.org and salaryexpert.com also compile this sort of data. Salary-Expert uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics to obtain information.

"It gives you a pay range for your job, the average salary in your location, the national average and the cost of rent in your city," said Jim Brennan, company product manager.