What area of your life is a Blockbuster?

Blockbuster is kind of the whipping boy of business schools these days. We all have a good chuckle at the thought that the CEO of Blockbuster laughed the Netflix founder out of their HQ's a decade ago. We feel a little bit better about ourselves upon hearing how they filed for Bankruptcy with their tail between their legs. Seriously though, who wants to drive to a retail location in hopes of renting a movie that might not even be there? Then have to drive back again the next day to return it; and if we forget, pay a fine? Sounds archaic and completely ridiculous doesn't it? Well we did it. All the time. And Blockbuster thrived. Until we didn't.

"How did they ignore the writing on the wall for so long?"

It's nice to feel like we know better, that type of thing would never happen to me. Right? But wait. It has happened to me before. It happens to us all the time. We all like to surround ourselves with familiar and safe things, the things we are good at and understand. Often to the detriment of our own growth and personal innovation.

What area of your life is your Blockbuster? Maybe you work at a company that is desperately clinging to the unraveling threads of a rapidly declining industry. Maybe you're still trying to sell option ARM mortgages (just kidding), maybe you're a typewriter mechanic. Perhaps you're clinging to an old skill set that's not in demand anymore. I don't know, it's not important. The point is, it's not too late to change course and be a Netflix, not a Blockbuster.

Salary negotiations: it's smart to ask

The thing about careers in today's world is everybody is always searching. Even if you absolutely love your job and want to stay there forever, chances are good that's not going to happen. Companies are becoming more frank these days about the employee-employer relationship. Chances are good the suit you're wearing is going to outlast your current position. This isn't really a bad thing, it's just the way things are.

So what does this mean for you?

The savvy professional is pretty much in a state of search all the time, even when they're happy in their current position, they know it's smart to keep their options open, stay networked, and stay competitive. This means you're going to be interviewing more, and you're going to find yourself in a salary negotiation more. This is not a negotiation to take lightly, as the outcome can influence your future earnings in subsequent positions.

Here's a handful of tips I've acquired from negotiation experts, career coaches, and top professionals to keep in mind when preparing for a salary negotiation:

1) You're always negotiating, so don't disclose too much, and keep your cards close.
From the moment you begin interacting with a potential new employer, anything you say can and will be used against you when negotiating salary. You never know how a flip comment or too much personal information might be interpreted. So just err on the side of caution, and keep your details to yourself.

2) Avoid discussing salary too early
An employer might want to know immediately what you made at your past job or what salary you're expecting to make sure they can afford you. You should be able to determine the caliber of employee, skill level they are seeking and whether or not they can pay you what you're worth based off the qualifications they are looking for and the duties of the position. So don't have this discussion until there's an offer and they're ready to move forward. This will make sure that you both are getting the fairest deal possible. Try saying something like: "the salary I'd expect from this position would be determined by what my duties and responsibilities will be."

3) Do your research!
Resources such as glassdoor.com and salary.com are great places to get an idea of what similar positions, industries and companies are paying their employees to determine whether what you're asking for is on target, too high, or too low. It's amazing how much people (women especially) underestimate what you are worth is.

4) What's your reservation point?
Your new employer wants you on the lower end of what they have determined to be a fair salary range. Do you know what your range is? If you don't know what the minimum you're willing to accept for the position is, there's not a lot stopping the final negotiated salary from going below that point.

5) What concessions are you willing to make?
There are other ways to make a new position worth signing for besides the salary. Consider trading off the dollars if you need to by determining what other things that are important to you. Additional vacation time, higher commission percentages, performance bonuses, stock and flexible working arrangements are great ways to sweeten the pot.

More tips on salary negotiation from Strategy+Business
More tips on salary negotiation from Askmen.com