Learn or leave the market

Ke
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in
d, h
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ev
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, t
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cu
la
te
d e
st
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at
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on
ly a
cc
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nt f
or y
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r t
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or
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al o
r p
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en
ti
al w
or
th
.
W
he
n a
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di
ng a j
ob i
nt
er
vi
ew
, t
w
o i
m
po
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rs w
ill 
 
po
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nd a
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ke
t v
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or b
et
te
r o
r w
or
se.

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The Labor Market Today. Chapter 1.
Real value
Your real value, which you should openly state to the employer,
depends on the following 
two market-based factors:
Your value to this
particular company 
An employer always wants 
your generated profit to cover 
the salary that they are 
willing to pay you. As such, 
your real value will differ from 
employer to employer. If your 
goal is to raise this value, 
you will need to convince the 
employer that the reve-
nue you are going to bring 
in will exceed the compa-
ny’s expenses on you.
How well you did in the 
interview 
Employment negotiations 
are essentially an attempt 
at haggling over financial 
terms. The potential value 
of the applicant may change 
in the process, but gener-
ally, this change will be 
between –30% and +150%.
Indeed, it is not always 
easy to accept that your 
market worth is based 
more on your ability 
to sell yourself and your 
terms of employment, 
than on your past achieve-
ments, skills, experience, 
and credentials.

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 Chapter 1. The Labor Market Today.
How do you increase 
your value
to employers?
Thankfully, using these two market factors to your benefit is easier
than you might think.
Follow these recommendations to increase your future income:
Calculate your potential
market value using any 
of the aforementioned 
approaches.
This way, you can at least 
get a starting point for your 
salary negotiation with the 
employer. Note that you will 
have to be as objective and 
fair as possible if you want 
to use this number to your 
advantage.
Remember that your 
agreed-upon salary 
represents your real value. 
This value depends on your 
ability to present yourself 
and your services, as well 
as your ability to bring value 
to the company. The entire 
interview process is a test for 
communication and persua-
sion, so your professional 
negotiation skills will come 
in handy. 

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The Labor Market Today. Chapter 1.