Now they're talking money. So, it's blue skies ahead and you can sail in from here, right? Maybe not.

During the interview, your prospective employer may discuss salary expectations. Be careful. If the discussion turns to salary expectations early in the interview the employer may be simply trying to filter you out. If the discussion turns to salary late in the interview it's a good sign. This shows that the employer is definitely interested in you and what you have to offer.

Do not initiate a discussion of salary during your interview and, if raised by the employer, you should never commit to a number. In fact, you should avoid discussion of a salary figure until there is a written offer from the employer. You'll want to make sure you completely understand the role of the department you'll be working in, the job expectations and the company policies (overtime, bonuses, sick days etc.) before committing to a salary.

To avoid committing to a salary figure that may be higher, or lower, than the employer was planning to pay, use the following to defer discussion:

• "I would expect competitive compensation for my education, experience and skill set that I would bring to the job. I would be happy to consider any reasonable offer."
• "I understand that you pay competitively and I am open to discuss a reasonable offer."
• "This position appears to be exactly what I am interested in doing. However, I am more interested in doing a good job for you here than I am in the size of your initial offer."

Your Market Value
Before going into the interview you should have a good idea of how much someone with your education, skills and experience should be paid in your particular geographical region.

This information can be obtained from:

• Other people in your field of work.
• Union representatives, if the workplace is unionized.
• The personnel department, if it is a large company.
• Newspaper Want Ads.
• Salary survey sites on the Internet
• Professional associations or publications in your field.

When You Receive an Offer:
Always ask for time to consider an offer, usually only one to two days. During this time, decide whether this job is the right fit for you by considering:

• the corporate culture and working environment
• the long term potential of the company, its products and services - do they have staying power?
• opportunities for professional development
• flex time, overtime and weekend policies
• the benefits package, including health, disability, dental insurance etc.
• vacation time
• other perks such as bonuses, profit sharing, employee stock ownership, club or professional memberships, tuition reimbursement and parking or transit reimbursement

Usually an employer who has made an offer has given it a lot of thought and feels you are the right person for the job. Therefore, if there are any further compensations or benefits that you think would be reasonable, now is the time to present them.

Once you receive an offer you should notify any other potential employers from whom you are waiting to hear. You may then find that you have several jobs offers to choose from!

If the offer is much less than you had been hoping for, you can::

• Indicate that you were hoping for a higher compensation package and therefore would like additional time to consider the offer. (This will give the employer a chance to possibly offer more.)
• Ask for value-add benefits such as paid training and upgrading, convenient work hours, free parking, longer vacations, etc.
• Ask for more frequent salary reviews.

Deciding between Two Offers
Deciding to take a job is a big decision and is more difficult if you find yourself in a position with two offers. This situation becomes even more complicated if you have received one offer but are in the final stages of interviewing with another potential employer. Here are some suggestions to deal with staggered job offers:

• Ask the employer making the offer for more time to consider the offer. (No longer than one week.)
• Base your decision on the facts. You have only received one offer so decide if you would accept or decline the offer on its own merit. Remember, the other job prospect is not a job offer.
• Once you have made your decision you should stick to it - even if the second company comes through with an employment offer. Opting for the second offer and repealing the first could severely damage your reputation.

If you find yourself with two employment offers at the same time, carefully weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each offer to determine which one best fits your career objectives.

Accepting an Offer
Verbally accept, but ask for a written copy of the job offer with all the terms of the agreement spelled out.