Don’t shy away from negotiating. Women statistically have more difficulty navigating this conversation. Whether the reason is that they lack experience or do not want to seem too pushy, women often end up settling rather than having the discussion to reach an agreement. It is generally easier to see someone else having this conversation — so put yourself in their shoes and think about whether you would advise a friend to take the offer. Stay positive and confident. 

You don’t have to already have the job to start negotiating. That is a misconception. According to Human Resource director Lisa Morris, the verbal offer is the best time to have that conversation.  Your potential employers will want to know if you are unhappy with the compensation and, if they are serious about the offer, will try to adjust until you both agree. If the subject has already been discussed but you still aren’t confident, look for alternatives such as a scheduled pay raise, defined benefits, or leave time. No job offer will be perfect.

Work with the facts and show your worth. When conferring about salary, don’t focus on the numbers but have a specific value in mind. Presenting facts encourages the employer to counter their original offer with a higher value. With the right conversation, you may reach a figure close to the one you had planned. Define your personal worth. If the job offer has been extended, skills you possess are in demand. Be concise and polite to show that you will make a great member of their team. Make sure to present yourself in a way that does not make you appear arrogant.

Don’t accept their offer right off the bat. If you do, you might take away the opportunity for negotiating. The phrase “selling yourself short” applies. Accepting the first number thrown your direction may decrease your value. Use phrases like, “I really appreciate the offer at $42,000, but I was expecting $45,000 based on my previous experience.” This will start the conversation on a positive note but let the employer know where you stand. 

Be prepared for rejection. While you are offered the position, chances are it is a “take it or leave it” situation. From the employer’s point of view, there are many factors that weigh in when making an offer with a precise value. Rarity of skill, economy, level of position, and several other things must be taken into consideration. Ultimately, the price offered may be the only one available in this situation.

After all is said and done, your acceptable pay rate is your decision. While this is a topic to approach with subtly, it is not impossible. The choice to navigate the conversation about your salary is not in the hands of your employer. 

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com

If you are truly interested in the position and can really see yourself working for this particular company, it is worth your time to attempt to negotiate a take it or leave it job offer.  You have nothing to lose and perhaps everything to gain by asserting yourself and essentially presenting a counter offer to your prospective employer. 

Generally speaking, most engineering firms or construction companies looking to fill executive level positions make their decision from the pool of applicants they invited back for a second interview.  If you learned something about the position or the company in the first interview that is not necessarily a good fit for you, be prepared in the second interview to present your case as to why you deserve that better salary or that extra week of vacation.  Tell them how your unique skill set can be an asset to their construction or engineering firm.  Let them know you want to work for them, be positive and enthusiastic in your demeanor.  If they are fair, they will at least listen to you and give your statements some thoughtful consideration.

After the second interview, if you receive a phone call offering you the position, then you can discuss whether they have accepted your request for a larger salary, more time off, etc.  Hopefully, they are eager enough to hire you to make some adjustments in their offer.  If they decline to make any accommodations for the modifications you asked for, ask them for 24-48 hours to think over their offer. 

At this point, it is truly up to you whether or not you want to accept their position as is, or if you want to continue in your job search.  You could accept their job offer as presented to you, in the hopes that after working with the company they could see you truly deserve the extra benefit you originally asked for.  On the other hand, perhaps it is better for you to move on and continue to look elsewhere for employment.  Sooner or later, an opportunity will present itself again and with any luck, it will be just the right match between you and your new employer.

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com

Plan Strategically

Strategic planning is among the most important elements of project management. It helps you and everyone involved to know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. When planning out a project, you’ll have to identify deliverables – establish project milestones, determine required labor as well as equipment. Planning strategically will go a long way in maximizing efficiency.

Establish a Flow of Communication

Effective communication is essential for successful project completion. In fact, 59 percent of the US workers believe that communication is their team’s major obstacle to success. Therefore, as a PM you’ll need to establish a flow of communication with the stakeholders and suppliers as well as other team members on the ground. Good and bad news alike will need to circulate in a timely manner. Failure to do so will lead to delays, misunderstandings and other problems in the long run.

The contract documents, including the drawings, progress records, request for information (RFI), and change order forms establish the basis for all communication in any project. Thus, it’s vital that any direct communication that’s not stated in these documents be acknowledged, documented and reported via the right channels; this flow of communication will make preparation and implementation smoother.

For large and more complicated projects, tools such as Collaborative Work Management (CWM) will come in handy. Such tools will dramatically improve communication by syncing attachments, comments, news, budgets, and calendars and enhance real-time scheduling of changes. As a result, it will allow you more time to coordinate work at the site and direct your efforts towards success.

Form a Habit of Monitoring Progress and Making Adjustments

Managing a project requires integrated effort and more attention. A good PM should be an essential part of the project, working closely and figuratively alongside others. You’ll have to carefully analyze daily progress reports as well as keep an eye on schedule and budget. Many are the times you will need to actually see an issue in person before you can resolve it. In case the set timelines start to slip, you’ll need to identify the possible root cause and discuss ways to bring the project back on track.

In conclusion, the key to a successful project completion is being firm but flexible. Always ensure you’re looking ahead to understand the risks involved in the project and try to mitigate them before they become big problems.

If you are looking for a career as a project manager, Webuild Staffing is here to help. That’s what we do best every day – find exceptional professonals, exceptional jobs!

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com