Step-by-Step Guide to Negotiating a Great Salary

Here's a secret: Employers rarely make their best offer first, and those who negotiate generally earn much more than those who don't. And a well-thought-out negotiation makes you look like a stronger candidate -- and employee.
 
"We found that those people who attempted to negotiate their salary in a constructive way are perceived as more favorable than those who didn't negotiate at all, because they were demonstrating the skills the company wanted to hire them for," says Robin Pinkley, coauthor of Get Paid What You're Worth and an associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business.

You can start laying the groundwork for your salary negotiation even before the first interview. Here's a step-by-step guide:...