Hello All,I need some tips on negotiating salary with IBM. Has anyone managed to do this and by how much?I have been offered 10k less than what I was hoping for so any tips and whether they will improve if I try to negotiate? I have never done this in the past but I feel with my experience and what other people are getting with similar exp its a little less.Many thanks for your help

You've missed all the important information such as current grade, grade offered, years of experience, current salary, salary offered.There's not some magical line that you can paste into an e-mail that'll equate to an increased offer.

I was after some tips and whether negotiating is a common thing as I have never negotiated salary previously.I have 15 years exp in IT and earning 50k at the moment and I haven't had a pay rise in 5 years. They have offered 60k but I was after closer to 70k.Would you negotiate?Thanks

[quote]I was after some tips and whether negotiating is a common thing as I have never negotiated salary previously.I have 15 years exp in IT and earning 50k at the moment and I haven't had a pay rise in 5 years. They have offered 60k but I was after closer to 70k.Would you negotiate?Thanks[/quote]What convinces you that you merit a 20K pay rise after failing to negotiate anything in the last 5 years? On the evidence so far, a 10K rise looks pretty good. Look at the value of the rest of the offer too - what about benefits, car or allowance, healthcare, pension etc? These all add up to significant sums and would probably account for the 10K you feel you are missing. Point here is you need to negotiate from a position of strength. Given you are at 50K and haven't had a pay rise in 5 years is nothing to do with IBM, you cannot look to them to correct what you feel has been pay falling behind worth on your part. Unless you are prepared to walk away from the offer (and the firs rise you have had in 5 years) I would be inclined to accept it. My guess is that your career has hit a flat spot, and the move, plus the rise and bens will get things moving again nicely. But a move from 50K to 70K? Very hard to justify unless your skills are really cool beans. In which case you would have been able to get pay rises consistently over the last couple of years.

I take your point.However maybe I have gained significant experience in the last 5 years and the going rate maybe more than they have offered. It should depend on the new role and not necessarily what one earns currently.

That's a fair point to make John365, but rather dependent on the notion of there being some measure of external value - which there isn't. You are simply worth what someone will pay you, there is no 'market value' or rate per se. As I say, look at the bens - that might be your negotiation ground. Accept verbally, look at the offer, then find something which comes below par and negotiate on that. As its easier to move the base than rejig bens packages you might come out a bit north of what they have offered (might). That said, its IBM, you'll be assigned to band, and should be able to move up in that rapidly.