Tips on Negotiating

Negotiating is a crucial and stressful part of interviewing. Here are a few suggestions that will help the negotiations go smoothly.

• Look at the big picture. Don’t get stuck on the “small” things.
• Remember that negotiating is giving and taking. You will not get everything you want.
• It is you that has established the relationship with the client. It is you they want to hire. It is important that you or your recruiter do all the negotiating with them, not a third party.
• Rank what’s important for you to have in a contract. Don’t lose a great job because something less important is not met in the contract.
• When using an attorney to review your contract, make sure they are a “Physician Contract” attorney. The majority of their practice should be dedicated to this area. This is important because physician contracts are unique to any other contracts.
• Discuss all your concerns at one time. Don’t discuss concerns one at a time as this can become cumbersome and frustrating to your potential employer. Get all your concerns on the table at one time and work through them together.
• Clients are anxious to get an answer. They typically give 10-14 days for you to review their offer and get any questions or concerns addressed. This is usually ample time to make a decision.