Negotiating skills give Nick the confidence to earn what he is worth.

When I was looking for a new career in 2006, I wasn’t at all prepared for the interview process. I wasn’t polished or articulate. I had very little confidence.

Then I went to Ray Gooch. That was one of the best decisions of my life. Everything he taught me back then still works today.

I was considering leaving my old job for a 90-day contract-to-hire position.  This really made me nervous, since there was no guarantee of a job afterwards. My wife was 8 months pregnant, and taking the job meant losing my old insurance and having to pay for cobra.

But Ray showed me exactly how to ensure that they would need me more than I would need them when that 90 days was over. I took everything Ray taught me about soft skills, about negotiation, and applied it.

When I was about 60 days in, I approached the company about their long-term plans for me, and they told me my job there could be as short as 90 days or as long as 6 months.  At this point, I knew they could not let me walk because of how valuable I had already become the company.  With Ray’s counsel, I was able to push the company into hiring me after the agreed upon 90 days.

At one point towards the end of my contract, the company indicated that they were going to low-ball me on a salary offer. So the first thing I did was go back to Ray. He walked me through the conversation I would have with the company step by step, guaranteeing that I would go in there with confidence and get exactly what I wanted.

And I did. In fact, I was able to negotiate an annual salary $7,000 higher than what they initially offered.

I’m so thankful for Ray because he made me feel confident. I can now project the value I bring to my employer, as well as highlight my accomplishments in the right way. At every point in my career since 2006, I know I have the upper hand. When I go after a new opportunity, a step up at a current employer, or hear about an entirely new industry, I know I have the upper hand. I can talk to both the hiring managers and HR with confidence. I go into interviews and know exactly what they outcome will be.

Every time I have pursued a job change, I go to Ray first. I trust him not only because he’s one of the most ethical people I know, but because what he teaches actually works. I know for certain that if I hadn’t talked to Ray about the 90-day contract, I would not have gotten that $7,000 raise—much less a full-time job offer when the contract ended! I can’t even tell you how good it felt looking toward the end of that contract and thinking, ”How would they ever live without me if they don’t hire me?” rather than, ”Oh no…what if they don’t want me when the contract ends!?”

Since 2006, I have been applying Ray’s advice on negotiating tactfully, projecting confidence, and communicating your value to employers. My salary is 2.5 more than what it once was.! And at no point did I go back to school or take college classes either.

I truly, truly believe that if I hadn’t gone to Ray to get career coaching, I never would have been able to seize the opportunities for advancement. I would not have the career—or near the salary—that I do now. Now, I have people beating my door down to interview me and hire me. At one point, I was offered a very generous hourly wage contracting on the weekends. But since Ray taught me how the salary negotiation process actually works, I asked for 50% more without batting an eye. And they didn’t either.

I’ve gone from general service industries to financial technology, and every advancement during my career journey has been a BIG step forward. Everywhere I go, I earn what I am worth. I have a value-added attitude. And just recently, I landed a 14% raise simply doing what Ray taught me.