There can never be enough said regarding the sheer exhaustion of resources, emotional investment, and practice devoted to pursuing your career in the job search. The process is grueling, your stress levels rocketing, pushing your mind to its limits across three, four, or five interviews while balancing classes, other academic responsibilities, current positions, and projects.

However, this article knows it wasn't all in vain, for your dream job finally calls you up and makes you that wonderful offer. At last, the juiciest fruit of your labor has been placed in front of you.

Unfortunately, the process doesn't end there, though most college graduates landing a full-time offer from their ideal company are willing to accept whatever amount comes down the pike. But, that's the entire point, because the next stage is needing to negotiate this offer.

Get ready to play hardball because that's exactly what your recruiter wants from you. It's daunting, and a lot of people aren't doing it, but here is all the advice you need to feel secure in your final stage of the job process.

First and foremost, you must beware that you sit on a pile of gold. Know what you're bringing to the table in terms of experience and skills to your team. Do not be afraid to repeat the wordage you utilized while you were interviewing, to "remind" your future employer why you're so amazing. Have at least three statements prepared that will clearly lay out why you are ahead of your contemporaries in your position.

An additional aspect you may not have mentioned in your interviews is how young you are and how willing you are to devote the best of your youth to this company-- push them a little bit.

Secondly, have a range of the salary you would like, but keep this information private, do not propose it to your interviewer as such because they'll just pick the lowest amount. Websites like Payscale allow you to check the expected salary for your position on a gradient of low to high.

What's better, it's also adjusted depending on location for you to accommodate living and working. 60K in Missoula, Montana is not the same as Seattle, Washington. Ebb more towards the median in the range given, for this will help make your offer realistic instead of so out-of-range that the negotiation is closed before it starts.

Lastly, expect your employer to say no. They want to seem like they're playing hard ball, and of course they want to get you in all your worth at the lowest possible price. This is a business and they're investing in you, which is to say that no employer will hire one more person than they need.

Regardless of their tax bracket, employees are expensive and companies apply the same philosophy of profit (the most gained at the lowest cost) on their employees as well as their products and services.

Everyone is afraid of rejection or seeming too greedy, in fact a whooping 18% of employees don't even negotiate their salary at all while they're employed. Don't let this be you, all because you're afraid of a "no." Of course, it's hard when you haven't begun working yet, but this employer has already shown that they're interested and willing to invest in you, and after all those interviews you should feel the same. The interest is mutual. Now stand up for what you deserve.