Salary Negotiation – Can You Walk Away From That Salary Negotiation?

Salary negotiation should start by keeping your bottom line salary in mind. If that salary cannot be met, you must be comfortable walking away from the salary negotiation. To succeed in any type of salary negotiation, you must be willing to walk away. Look a little closer…

Salary negotiation can be learned. Some work with a career coach to learn how to market their skill better to organizations. This can increase your perceived value and financial standing. You sabotage your career success and financial standing by accepting a job offer you should really walk away from. How do you know when to walk away from a salary negotiation?

Look at poor Steve. His interviewer began by ridiculing items on his resume and discounting real experience. After his entire resume had been verbally chopped, Steve had to get up and leave the interview. Later, when he talked to his contact for this interview, the explanation was that this was just the interviewer’s style and that Steve might have been offered the position had he stayed. But Steve did not regret his move. In fact, several months later Steve saw the interviewer’s name in the paper. He was the subject of an investigation for the mistreatment of staff. Steve listened well to his internal mechanism or “gut” while in this interview.

Here are several situations that should give you a red flag when in salary negotiation:

Salary Negotiation Red Flag #1 – An employer that is inflexible and displays no respect.

They don’t respond to e-mails, can’t find time for a meeting, can only be available via telephone for a few minutes at a particular time or demand a quick response. They haven’t decided they WANT YOU. Walk away.

Salary Negotiation Red Flag #2 – Try as you may, they just won’t negotiate.

Often HR never gives you their best offer first unless you hear the words “This is a firm offer.” However there are more things to negotiate other than salary (at least 26 other things I walk through with my clients). No matter what option you propose whether it be a different start date, job duties, more vacation, professional training, tuition reimbursement, company car or cell phone, they won’t budge. This is probably a good indicator of how they will negotiate in the future on salary or these items. Walk away.

Salary Negotiation Red Flag #3 – An employer that is not on their best behavior during the interview process.

They may be derogatory about your work experience or your value as they were with Steve above. They might simply be nonchalant or cut off your answers before you can complete your thought. This is probably a taste of how they will address you as an employee. “Believe them when they show you who they are the first time.” They are showing you what they will be like as an employer. Walk away.

Salary Negotiation Red Flag #4 – Being unwilling to see the situation for what it truly is and continuing to go forward with unfavorable terms.

Salary negotiation should not t move you into an unfavorable situation because of fear, bills, a slow economy, or higher unemployment. Pull out of your tunnel vision and look around you. Talk to your career coach, a trusted friend or adviser. Trust your internal mechanisms and intuition. Be secure in the value you possess. If you take the job embrace the fact that this is a stop gap job and not a resting place or career!

I know what you are thinking. You could not possibly walk away from any salary negotiation in this shaky economy. Unemployment is up as well as layoffs. Obviously, during a slow economy it is easier to discount that strong negative reaction to the position or salary negotiation because you believe jobs are scarce. Stop! Try to see all of your opportunities. Do not be pressured into accepting an inferior position with an inferior salary because of fear. You continue to bring the same value to the organization in a slow economy as you would in a growing economy. There is still a market value to that worth.

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New Orleans North Shore Presents Family Friendly Living

The North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain is filled with small communities and cities that offer the best of both worlds: easy access to big city amenities and the atmosphere of small town living. This is the draw that most people feel when it comes to purchasing real estate and making those important decisions about where you will live and work.

There are few decisions you will face in life that are more important than where you will raise your family. In other words, the place you will call home. The area known as the North Shore presents many beautiful options when it comes to establishing roots and growing families.

This is also an incredible place in which to enjoy the single lifestyle with its close proximity to New Orleans, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the many attractions and events that abound throughout the region.

Do not make the mistake, however, of allowing the allure of New Orleans and the big city lifestyle to overshadow the many benefits of Mandeville, Louisiana. Real estate is one of the first things you will want to consider. Real estate is much more affordable in St. Tammany Parish as you will get much more house for your money with your Mandeville La real estate buy.

Another important consideration when it comes to real estate in Covington, Louisiana and other surrounding areas is the education that can be had for the price of a longer commute in most cases.

When you look at the big picture, Covington, Louisiana real estate has a lot to offer growing families as well as those that are just starting out. Schools are only a small token of the many family benefits that abound on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain with the lake itself being one of those attractions that most families find an enjoyable part of living there.

Hammond Louisiana real estate is another worthy consideration for those seeking to escape the hectic pace of life in the immediate vicinity of New Orleans, Metairie, or Kenner. You will face a little bit longer of a drive time, but prices for real estate are much lower than in New Orleans.

There are plenty of attractions that are well suited for families in the area as well. One huge event to take place in the Hammond area is the Louisiana Renaissance Festival held each year in the fall.

Couple events such as this with easy access to New Orleans and other North Shore communities, and Hammond is yet another winner for those seeking not only a home for their families but also a sense of community that is often absent in larger cities.

When it comes to quality of life, Mandeville Louisiana real estate is truly one of the best available options for families in or around the Crescent City. Check out the local school systems, entertainment and cultural events, and take advantage of the close proximity to all of the conveniences that cities such as New Orleans have to offer consumers, businesses, and families alike.

There are few living arrangements that offer all of these benefits tied up in the pleasant package that St. Tammany Parish presents.

8 Fatal Errors in Creating Presentation Slides

Creating good presentation slides will help your ideas to be able to be delivered with ease. A good slide is not a complicated or detailed slide, but it is a slide that is concise, simple and right on target.

Many people make mistakes when making slides. They make the slides not as a presentation tool, but as a full text to be read.

The followings are the lists of the fatal errors in creating presentation slides:

1. Too small font

Using too small font makes the audience cannot read your slide. Therefore, make sure that your slides can be read from the farthest distance of the audience who will attend your presentation. The general rule that you can use is a maximum of seven lines of text in one slide with the font size around 32 points.

2. Using capital

Capital letters are usually used for the slide title or header. However, the capital letters that are used on the entire text will make your presentation looks not professional. Using capital letters like this will be a disturbance because the letters are difficult to read and you look anger to audience.

3. Types of fonts that are too many and fancy

Using types of fonts that are too many and fancy will distract the audience attention. Use a maximum of three fonts in your presentation and be consistent in each slide. This will allow the audience to recognize the way you present the information.

4. Star Wars animation

PowerPoint presents animation functions that seem interesting, but if you use it not in place, this animation would be disturbing. This animation starts from the transition between slides and animations that appear in the text or images. Use simple animations such as Appear or Fade to keep your presentation look professional.

5. 4D theater sound effects

Have you ever listened to a presentation where every single line of text appears, then you heard the sound of applause or the barrage of bullets? Avoid using unnecessary sound effects. Just use sound only when you need it to explain something. You should remember that you are giving a presentation, not a music concert.

6. Rainbow colors

Colors are a beauty. However, when they are not used in their place, they will make the eyes tired. Do not use too many colors in one slide. Choose 3-4 main colors and use consistently in your slides.

7. Too many texts

Slide of presentation is not a paper. Do not list all the texts into your presentation. This means you tell your audience to read the text and not have to listen to you anymore because everything is written. Choose only the keywords that can be a tool and create a powerful presentation.

8. Too light or too dark background

Do not use a background that is too light or too dark. Use enough contrast so that the text can be easily readable. At the same time, you can give emphasis to a particular text. Some experts suggest a dark blue background with white text or yellow. But, you can also use a white background or other bright colors. Do not forget to test your presentation using a projector that will be used later on and make sure the colors in accordance with enough contrast.