good job news plus lesson learned

"I have good news, everyone!"

My job situation has improved. In a few weeks, I'll go from contract employee to permanent, with a promotion and a raise. Here's how it happened.

Up until now, my weekend gig has been a temporary contract; I've been filling in for someone on long-term disability. At the same time, the weekend document-production operations at this law firm leave a lot to be desired. The department on the weekends is very inefficient, sometimes chaotic. The word "zoo" comes to mind.

I suggested to my supervisor that if the firm wants to hire a coordinator, I have experience and I'd be interested in the job. I also suggested that they need a weekend coordinator, whether or not that turns out to be me. All the other shifts have a coordinator, and in my opinion, one is needed on the weekend, too. I made a case for it.

Last week I was offered the position, and yesterday, on a conference call with human resources, we hammered out the details.

Here's what I'm really proud of, and what I want to pass along.

When I first spoke to my supervisor about the coordinator spot, I asked if it would include a salary increase. She acted surprised. I chalk that up to tactic. Oh my, a salary increase, no one's ever asked for one of those before!

I determined - to myself - that I would not accept the job without one. That I would be politely firm, and not back down.

On yesterday's conference call, the HR person tried to sell me on a probationary period with a salary review to follow. I told her I'm not comfortable taking on increased responsibility without a salary increase - that it doesn't sit well with me, that I would be starting the job with a bad feeling.

Then I stopped. Stopped speaking, left the ball in her court. It's hard to do. For me, it's the greatest challenge of negotiating, and the place where I feel I've erred in the past. Don't over-explain. Don't apologize. Don't do anything. Just state your case, stop speaking, and wait.

She babbled for a long time - which I took as a good sign - saying the problem would be if the job didn't work out. Although an unlikely possibility, it could happen - on either their part or mine - and then no one wants a salary decrease.

I said I would be perfectly comfortable agreeing that if either the Firm or I decide the position isn't working out (given a specified time period), then my salary and responsibilities will revert to their present status. But that the salary increase should begin when the new responsibilities begin.

They agreed.

Then we talked money. I made my request, and waited, and I got it.

I forced myself not to ummm and errrr, not to apologize, not to explain, not to backtrack. I stated my case, and I waited, and I got it.

It's taken a long time - and a lot of experience - to be able to do this!

When I think of everything that's gone into it - all the writing contracts I've negotiated, my experience with the National Writers Union, all the times I've been screwed over or ripped off - I feel really proud that I could do it.

I also understand all the times I couldn't.

When we're younger, many of us are happy to find a job in our field, or to find a job at all. We feel the employer is taking a chance on us and they hold all the cards - and that may be true.

What's more, we're not taught these skills at home. (Although you'd think I might have been, having been raised by a union representative and crack negotiator. But no.) We're not taught how to negotiate; we're not taught that an offer is a starting point. We're taught to be polite, and many of us are also taught to be compliant.

When we're less experienced, we might think negotiating sets a bad tone - that we'll seem demanding, or make a poor first impression. In reality, negotiating a good deal for yourself makes you look like a qualified professional who values her own worth and respects her position.

Of course I realize this isn't possible for everyone.

There are plenty of awful jobs and bad employers where negotiating is simply not an option. There are the civil service jobs that have pre-determined tiers and salaries. (I wish my work was handled that way - it's so much more equitable.)

I've had several bad experiences with publishers where, after working for months to pitch a story idea, I was offered a horrible contract and told to take it or leave it - in which "leave it" means my idea will be assigned to a staff writer. ("But no one else has ever had a problem with this contract!" Too bad for them I knew better, thanks to my union membership.)

In those cases, I had to decide how badly I wanted the story, and if I wanted to work with that magazine again in the future. (That was one of many reasons I stopped writing for many mainstream publications, especially ones owned by Time Warner.)

If you've been in a position to negotiate and you haven't been successful, be easy on yourself. It's really difficult and, if my experience is typical, it can take a long time to figure out.

But if you can do it, man, does it feel good!