It's time to go for it. (© Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia)

From salary to benefits to title, what are some specific guidelines to getting the best working conditions you can in the process of being hired? Distilled from Archinect's research, here's a starter-kit to negotiating with employers. 

#1: Understand your worth

In order to secure not just a job but an excellent grip on the career ladder, it’s vital during the hiring process to have a clear understanding of your own value and your own needs. Never underestimate your own worth, but also understand how your specific skills are of value to the company for which you’d like to work. If you're great at rendering, for example, but less confident with schematic drawing, don't be afraid to highlight that skill, especially if the company has several projects that could use excellent renderings. Researching salary norms for your particular position isn't a bad idea, either: it's good to have an idea of current market rates, whether you're a project manager, draftsperson, intermediate architect or even an intern. Archinect's Salary Poll is a great way to get familiar with actual reported rates in architecture practice today.

#2: Get to know the type of company you'd be working forNever underestimate your own worth

A mom and pop architecture firm isn’t likely to be able to offer you an astronomical salary, but they might be more flexible with custom personal arrangements, just as a massive corporate firm will likely offer exactly the opposite conditions. Your room for negotiation will be directly related to the type and scale of projects the firm undertakes.

#3: Don't be afraid to ask for more than they're offering

Regardless of where you’re interviewing, asking for a fair salary, or even a higher salary than what you have initially been offered, isn’t necessarily a bad move: it indicates confidence in your ability. However, stay away from ultimatums; being optimistic is one thing, but being a diva is another. Be prepared to compromise, but don’t start out at a threshold that is too low for you: there’s no point in getting a job that doesn’t meet your basic needs.

#4: Visualize your ideal career before accepting any offers

It's important to regard a position both holistically and in terms of its future career advancement. As an architect, are you more interested in making a lot of money in a corporate firm, or would you prefer to work in a smaller but more passion-project driven firm that will equip you to design more adventurous work in the future? Does the position you are fighting for have room for growth within the company, or is it more of a stepping stone to other roles, perhaps elsewhere?

There's no one "right" way to manage a company, but there are going to be better fits#5: Identify the benefits that are unique to you

In terms of your working life, are there certain special benefits that are more important to you than salary, Iike being able to always take time-off for a particular event during the year, or develop other professional projects on the side? Make sure you know the answer to these questions before you begin negotiating, and make them a part of the discussion if they're truly important to you.

#6: Negotiate a salary increase in additional dollars per month, not per year

The AIA recommends that instead of asking for a salary increase in a lump sum of dollars per year, state it in terms of additional dollars per month. If you've been offered $60,000 a year but want to make closer to $70,000, say something along the lines of, "I would like an additional $900 per month." This figure sounds less daunting than $10,000, even though once it multiplies out you'd end up making $10,800 more than the initial offer.

#7: Understand the importance (and actual meaning) of a job title

Finding a good fit in terms of your working personality will save you enormous stress in the future.You may be qualified to run an entire department, but if you fail to negotiate the right title, you might have to fight your way through way more grunt work than you deserve. As an example, the difference between being classified as an intermediate architect versus an architect can be enormous, not only in terms of what you are being paid, but how you will relate with your coworkers. When interviewing, make sure that whatever the title of the position you've applied for includes what your actual skill set is, and that the owners of that company understand what you hope to accomplish while you're there. Otherwise, you may have to ruffle feathers while on the job in order to start doing the kind of work you should be doing (and not the work that everyone tries to dump on your desk).

#8: Find out what type of management process that firm employs

Is the company you're about to work for results-oriented? Do they emphasize having a certain kind of attitude? Are they open to suggestions at meetings, or do they have a rigid top-down structure? There's no one "right" way to manage a company, but there are going to be better fits for your particular personality in terms of how major decisions about the work process are made. Are you the kind of person who responds best to being left alone in order to independently meet a deadline, or do you need more hands-on management throughout the day? You will undoubtedly get a sense of who your future employers are during your interview, but don't be afraid to discuss this process openly. Finding a good fit in terms of your working personality will save you enormous stress in the future.

#9: Get to know who you'll be working with on a day-to-day basis

The hiring process can sometimes be inadvertently misleading. The principals of a firm may interview you and give you the impression you'll be working directly with them, when in fact you'll most likely be spending the vast majority of your time working with an associate or project manager. Depending on the position you're applying for, be sure you're clear on who you will be working with, and make sure you're a good fit with that individual or individuals. Ask to meet them in the interview if they are not already present. Often, a firm will have personnel with widely differing personalities: some are far more creative than others, while certain associates may be more "by the book." Make sure your daily contacts are likely to inspire you.

Want more negotiation tips? Check out our interview with an AIA master negotiator.