7 Steps to Leverage a Counteroffer for a Larger Salary

7 Steps to Leverage a Counteroffer for a Larger Salary7 Steps to Leverage a Counteroffer for a Larger SalaryPut yourself in the best position to leverage a counteroffer and win a salary negotiation - or retreat with dignity.Leveraging a competitive offer can be a tricky and potentially risky affair. Follow these steps to put yourself in the best position to leverage a competitive offer for a better deal or successfully retreat, if necessary.Dont bluffIf youre not prepared to take the counteroffer, dont try to leverage it to obtain a raise. Be prepared for either party to refuse to negotiate or rescind the offer.Act before Day 1Your best bet to leverage a competitive offer is during negotiations with a potential new employer. They are already in the process of approving a salary and a range for you.Evaluate yourselfIf youre asking a current employer to match an offer, know whether youre overcompensated in terms of salary, benefits and so on and/or overperforming.Consider the reacti onAt a current employer, the companys performance and your treatment during the past 12 months should predict how they will react. And when it comes to a potential new employer, consider your treatment during the negotiation process to get a feel for their response.State your demandsIts not about the money. List everything from working conditions to staff assignments that will make you happy in the new job.Take it off the tableBe prepared to give up some of your demands, which will please the other party and improve your bargaining power. Know what youre willing to give up and what wont abandon.Know when to quitIf you cant afford to lose the offer or youre not truly prepared to leave, be prepared to abandon the effort if the other party declines to negotiate.

8 Career Benefits of an Internship

8 Career Benefits of an Internship8 Career Benefits of an InternshipAre you a recent grad or recently unemployed job-seeker? Feeling a bit lost when it comes to the next steps in your career? Maybe youre uncertain about the specific job title or industry where youd like to stake a permanent workforce claim? These are just a few of the reasons why someone, yourself included, should consider taking a good hard look at an internship for their next position. Need more convincing? Here are 8 career benefits of an internship that you may not have thought about. Professional ConnectionsIf you havent heard it yet, let us be the first to tell you, networking is everything in the professional world. Getting friendly with and learning the names of the big players in your field can open doors now and in the future when youre hunting for that big break or c-suite level gig. Internships allow you to build connections and expand your professional Rolodex. Career SkillsIf youre switching careers or just starting out, internships can be excellent ways to help plektron up invaluable skills. Employers are often reluctant to hire someone without experience given the amount of time theyll have to invest in training. Pad your resume and your skillset with on the job training and youll become a lucrative opportunity for future employers. A Way to Apply Your SkillsWe all started out on our career paths with that wide-eyed aspiration to perform fulfilling work. Part of achieving that goal requires that you first identify just what it is that you excel at. During an internship, youll be exposed to a variety of tasks and potentially departments. Maybe youre better at organizing data or have excellent interpersonal skills. An internship will help you exercise those traits with a goal towards flushing out where you perform best. Insight into Your InterestsOn a similar note, a college education alone doesnt always leave you clued in as to what type of work makes you happy. Internships are e xcellent for identifying and testing out what type of career you find interesting. Perhaps you had an obscure desire to help people. Interning with a doctor, advocate or social worker, or in a large organization that has numerous roles such as these, will go a long ways toward keeping you engaged in your long-term career. Experience Company CultureYou may have been the best dorm president your school has ever seen, but this doesnt mean youre ready to step into the boardroom immediately after hanging up your cap and gown. During an internship, youll gain invaluable exposure to company culture. Maybe your particular choice of employer isnt as friendly and has fewer opportunities for teamwork that youd prefer? Better to find that out during your internship than further down the employment line. CompensationMany people have the Hollywood idea of unpaid interns being overworked and generally derided. In reality, internships do and should have valuable compensation methods for their part icipants. From stipends to a course credit to job recommendations, internships should be substantively valuable as well as metaphorically. New SkillsIn plus-rechnen to identifying and honing the skills you already possess, an internship is likely to grace workers with far more skills than they started the position with. The trick to maximizing this opportunity is to find a great mentor in the program. With the right guidance and leadership, a mentor can help expand your skill set to areas you may not have previously considered. A JobWhen it comes to the great benefits of an internship, weve saved the best for last. Many companies use internships as a trial program for new candidates. Perform well, keep an open mind and show talent and initiative and you may just end up being asked to come back or remain for a full-time gig. Has our break down whet your appetite? Check out Simply Hireds internship opportunities for your chance to live the intern dream.

How drama can accelerate your leadership growth

How drama can accelerate your leadership growthHow drama can accelerate your leadership growthMany people believe workplace issues are distinct from personal issues. However, if you pay attention to your family dynamics, youll see many parallels. Both family dynamics and workplace dynamics offer many of the same opportunities for personal and leadership growth.For example, I traveled to Boston a few weeks ago to attend a convention. I called my mother several hours after landing and getting settled in. I expected her to be happy and grateful to hear from me. Instead, I got chewed out.Why did you wait so long to call? she asked.You see, she had heard about Southwests engine blowing out a window and almost sucking a woman out of the plane. Naturally, my worrywart mother assumed the woman sucked out of the plane was me.In the past, I have avoided these kind of family phone calls while on trips. It seems that, when Im gone, theres always a fire to put out or some concern that must be han dled now.As a consultant, I also see avoidance used as a workplace coping mechanism. Bosses avoid difficult performance conversations, executives avoid talking about upcoming changes, and employees avoid giving schwimmbad news to their managers. However, avoidance and withholding often makes the situation much worse than if we would just address the issues at hand and keep everyone updated.In short, both family systems and workplace cultures experience a fair amount of avoidable drama. We falsely assume that the real problem is drama when, in fact, the problem is the avoidance of addressing the drama square on. We see the elephant, but no one is willing to acknowledge it.Why we avoid has less to do with character and mora to do with awareness and courage. We are unaware that, at the root, we are simply afraid of all the emotions that will surface - theirs and ours.We are afraid of our own gemeindewiese. We dont want to have regrets. Or we may be afraid of hurting their feelings or seeing their surprising reaction. In the end, the root issue is fear of feeling our own emotions.As a result, we learn how to cope by using avoidance or taking on the other persons issues so that their worries become our problems. I call this rescuing in Stop Workplace Drama.In my own personal growth, Im working on letting others feel what they feel without having to change them to make myself feel better, or without reacting to their personal drama.I reassured Mom that I was fine. I didnt take the bait. I didnt engage in the drama. I was glad that I was able to stand in peace rather than avoid the conversation just so I could have peace.What good came out of the situation is that I saw some leadership lessons just waiting to be shared.The leadership lessonsDrama is a part of life at home and at work and requires us to grow personally.Avoidance is a coping mechanism where we disengage when we use the irresponsible language of blame and excuse-making.The root problem is not drama, bu t the fear of strong emotions. We fear our own anger and other peoples emotional reactions.Sometimes we are the ones others avoid. When we as leaders lead with worry, negativity and doubt, our employees learn to avoid sharing important information.Growth requires the courage to engage in a conversation even though you already know how it is going to play out. The key is to not take on someone elses emotional issues.It takes two to play games unless youre playing solitaire.If you are in the midst of some type of drama dynamics, here are some questions to considerWhen have I lead a conversation with a scolding?When have I started a dialogue from doubt and worry?What can I do to break the dysfunctional patterns?What kind of results are my conversations driving?Marlene Chism is a consultant, international speaker and the author of Stop Workplace Drama (Wiley 2011), No-Drama Leadership (Bibliomotion 2015) and 7 Ways to Stop Drama in Your Healthcare Practice (Greenbranch 2018). Download T he Bottom Line How Executive Conversations Drive Results. Connect with Chism via LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and at MarleneChism.com.This article first appeared on SmartBrief. If you enjoyed this article, sign up for SmartBriefs free e-mail on leadership and communication, among SmartBriefs more than 200 industry-focused newsletters.