Everything is Negotiable: Finding Hope in the Power of Negotiation
Let’s do an exercise together!
Repeat after me…
“Everything is negotiable.”
“Everything is negotiable.”
“Everything is negotiable.”
Now, I am going to pretend to be the employer. You will pretend to be the applicant looking to secure a position at my university. I will share statements that commonly come up during interviews or conversations where you are receiving an offer.
After I share a statement, I would like you to say to yourself, “everything is negotiable.” Do not worry about how you would respond to the statement. I just want you to rehearse one of the most important affirmations you should remember when negotiating.
Here we go…
Employer: This is the very best I have to offer.
You: Everything is negotiable
Employer: We have been negatively impacted by budget cuts.
You: Everything is negotiable
Employer: We typically don’t do ___ (fill in the blank) _____ here.
You: Everything is negotiable
Employer: I have never seen or experienced anyone getting ___ (fill in the blank) _____ here.
You: Everything is negotiable
Employer: I don’t think we can do that.
You: Everything is negotiable
Thank you for participating in this exercise.
One of the goals of Academe180 is to remind you that everything is negotiable no matter what.
A big part of negotiating is having a conversation about your needs and desires. Regardless of how your future employers respond or what they may say, you must be willing to have a conversation about your vision. Your needs and wants do not disappear because of a pandemic or a budget cut. You still have the power to have a conversation about what you believe you need to thrive. Your willingness to discuss your vision will help you receive an offer that best aligns with your goals.
“Everything is negotiable” is a message of hope. It is a message that resets your mind to think creatively about possibilities. It is a message to help you resist feelings of being stuck. It is a message that motivates you to brainstorm, reimagine, and exhaust all possibilities. This message reminds you not to focus on the “rules” but focus on your needs, wants, and what is necessary for you to thrive in the academy. I believe that when you have internalized this message of hope, you will end up with things your colleagues have never seen or heard of before.
Remember that when on the academic job market “Everything is Negotiable”!
