Page 205 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

Finalizing the small print

You get o≠ered the job, agree the salary and you receive a
contract. It’s time to move from o≠er negotiation to contract

negotiation. How do you deal with your contract of employ-
ment? Should you just sign it? Should you use a lawyer? What
are you looking for in the contract? Here are the things to look

out for in employment agreements: pay reviews, termination
process, gardening leave, restrictions.
In the first instance I would not call the person you will be
working for, or the person who interviewed you. I would call
the HR person and say, ‘Thank you very much for the employ-

ment contract, which I got yesterday. Is it possible I could pop
in for ten minutes and go through it with you, because I don’t
understand some of the points?’

Go in, sit down with the HR person, and literally turn the
pages. Go through point by point, and I mean point by point.
Ask them everything you can: ‘What does this mean? What are
the implications of that wording? What are the consequences
of that clause? How will that a≠ect me?’

Work through the perks and allowances and negotiate
better terms if you can. ‘I understand it’s a basic salary of
£50,000. Is there a company car or a car allowance? Do I get a

petrol card? What about expenses, pensions, life cover, health
insurance?’ None of these are irrelevant points. And if you are
being excluded from a particular benefit or allowance, why

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