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  • April 2014
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review

15 Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer

By: Deepak Malhotra
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:4
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Abstract

The author, a professor of negotiation at Harvard Business School, offers specific pieces of advice for job candidates: Don't underestimate the importance of likability. Help prospective employers understand why you deserve what you're requesting. Make it clear that they can get you. Understand the person across the table from you. Understand his or her constraints. Be prepared for tough questions. Focus on the questioner's intent, not on the question. Consider the whole deal. Negotiate multiple issues simultaneously, not serially. Don't negotiate just for the sake of negotiating (a pitfall for recent MBA graduates). Think through the timing of offers. Avoid, ignore, or downplay ultimatums. Remember that your interviewer isn't out to get you. Stay at the table and maintain a sense of perspective.

Citation

Malhotra, Deepak. "15 Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer." Harvard Business Review 92, no. 4 (April 2014): 117–120.
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About The Author

Deepak Malhotra

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

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  • Rocket Science By: Joshua Schwartzstein and Deepak Malhotra
  • Negotiating Peace in Colombia By: Deepak Malhotra and Cody Smith
  • Project Restart: Deciding the Future of English Football By: Nour Kteily and Deepak Malhotra
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