Negotiating a permanent job
Things to find out before you go:
- Look up the dept. on the WEB. What are the research interests of others in
the department, particularly those you are likely to meet with? How can your
skills help them? You will not be hired if it appears that your research goals are
irrelevant to everyone there.
- What are your goals in terms of teaching and research? How do
these goals match those of the dept.? You must be able to articulate a vision.
What would the dept. gain by hiring you?
- Prepare and practice a job talk which highlights the research
goals and skills that would be of particular interest to this dept..
- Look at the course calendar. What does the dept. teach? How
will you fit in?
- What is the market salary? Ask a friend who was recently hired
be another comparable department.
- Make a list of issues: e.g. the list below. Rank order this in
terms of importance for you. Don't be greedy and put everything in category 1. Rank the
same list in terms of what you may guess is the rank order of your potential employer.
- Apply for several positions at the same time. Getting more
than one offer gives you a big advantage when negotiating.
List of possible issues:
You may want this job badly and be willing to accept it under any
conditions. However in any negotiation, there are issues that are best settled early.
Moreover a thoughtful discussion of your real needs may help you land the job because it will
demonstrate that you have planned ahead.
- Salary
- Start up equipment. Be reasonable but thorough. It is important both to you and to your
potential employer, that you get what you really need and become productive quickly.
- Lab space (how much and where)
- Teaching topics, load, TA's
- Secretarial and technical support
Things to ask when you're there:
- Go through each item on you list. Find out which issues are negotiable your potential
employer. You may find that things that are important for you are very negotiable with
them and vice versa. The best negotiations are those in which everyone wins.
- Be creative. Generate potential solutions.
- Get everything in writing. To facilitate this, write a letter,
when you return, with your understanding of what has been agreed
to.
Copyright © 1995
Tutis Vilis
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
University of Western Ontario
London Ontario Canada |
Created 28 Sept 1995
Last updated
November 20, 2011
Comments
welcome: tutis.vilis@schulich.uwo.ca |