The best way to make even the most confident of professionals to fidget with discomfort is to broach the subject of salary negotiation. The inevitable ingredient of every interview or annual performance review, talking about money and compensation makes everyone concerned uncomfortable. With one party trying to keep costs as low as possible and the other hoping to talk their way to a hefty paycheck, indecision and disappointments creep into the meeting one way or another. However as a jobseeker you would know your needs better and be more aware of the reasons why you think you have to be given the salary that you're asking. But how do you go about achieving that without the usual blunders? Simple, just make sure that you don't go about repeating the following five most common mistakes that has time and again ruined opportunities for jobseekers hoping to get a good pay hike.

Caught off guard

Nothing irritates an employer more than a jobseeker who has no answers. Most often than not employers get to meet jobseekers who have nothing to say as soon as they're asked what their salary expectations are. A regular phenomenon though, it would be wiser to avoid this scenario since it can also show you as a less confident person in terms of not knowing what you are worth.

Hence making sure that you have the facts in hand before the actual meeting with your prospective employer would be the best course of action. With the myriad options available to find out what is being offered for your position in the market, getting to know what your skills are worth can be achieved quite effortlessly if you start gathering information well ahead of time.

And after you manage to get that make sure that you practice delivering a firm answer. The best way to do it would be to stand in front of the mirror and talk looking at yourself in the eye. If you feel that what you're being paid at the current job is not enough then practice saying that too in a positive way. Let's say for instance you need a better hike then just say that you feel that the earnings that you're looking at would reflect your key skills and experience better than what you're being offered now.

Assuming Results

Saying what you think an employer would like to hear other than voicing your true opinion, can never really help your case. If you are not willing to go flexible with the pay then say it rather than making an employer believe that you are willing to step back your pay in the hope of being compensated for your dependability. No employer would chase a candidate just because they are willing to accept a lesser pay since genuine interest in the job will certainly be more obvious if that's the case. If you ever feel that a particular opportunity does not match your compensation expectations then do not purse it, since you will only be wasting your time hoping for a revision

Furthermore it would also be foolish to play the other more common ploy played at all interviews - saying that you have another better offer in hand. In today's competitive environment finding someone else with your own key skills is not necessarily an impossibility. And the sooner you accept that fact the better would be your prospects.

There will always be someone else ready to take your place. So if you wish to get an offer for the salary that you are expecting then say what you want rather than showcasing yourself as a person who chases offers only based on salary and nothing else. Because everyone knows that at the end of the day it is the job and the opportunities that it offers that should entice you and not just the salary.

Not Tailoring Expectations

Be it a bad market, a new career move or a new industry, adapting to changes and altering your salary expectations beforehand will eliminate surprises later. Because if you're moving to a new industry, or moving from a smaller to a larger company or from corporate to a proprietary firm, the compensations offered is bound to be smaller. Thus being prepared and staying informed of what and how much to expect before you even go for the interview will certainly do away with the shock of having to settle for a lesser pay.

Especially since smaller pay does bring with other benefits that cannot be overlooked. So when you've decided to pursue a smaller yet satisfying opportunity doing a prior check of what to expect and how much will be offered will undoubtedly keep you posted for what's in store and what to expect.

Being Uncertain

When you've been made the offer and it's time to accept it be sure that that is what you want. Usually when the final offer is being made you would have already crossed the salary discussion part, so it shouldn't be difficult to accept what has been decided upon. However if you had not really negotiated the compensation package and wish to think things over before you accept then go ahead and say that. Never accept and end up having misgivings after everything is over, since that will not help you when you're just starting off with the company. If you want to take time say it but make sure that you sound positive and do not have your prospective employer thinking that you're really not that into the job or the organization.

Delaying Response

If you've decided to accept an offer for employment then go ahead and do it as soon as possible. Dilly-dallying cannot get you anywhere. Moreover it will only irritate your prospective employer more since they cannot put everything on hold till a short-listed candidate responds. A lot of jobseekers imagine that if the company wants you badly then they will chase you and offer to increase compensation to have you on board. Wrong - no organization needs anyone that badly. If you wish to look responsible, then be prepared, stay informed and when asked for a response be prompt.

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