Negotiation strategy varies so much by situation, it's hard to give blanket advice. A few things come to mind:
- Be honest and forthright. Let them know what you need, and how flexible you can be. The company will, in turn, be honest and direct with you about their abilities (financial and otherwise) and perforamnce expectations.
- Go into any negotiation with your ideals in mind. Know how much you MUST get paid in order to pay rent; Know how much they are likely to want to pay you. You can meet in the middle from there.
- Be ready to fight for respect. You have a right to information, like a schedule a week in advance (even if you're not union, you still have a life), etc. By pushing for information, you are protecting yourself and ultimately helping the production along by plannig ahead. It's not always easy to do, though. Remember - you're not being pushy, you're being professional.
- Trust your instincts. If the hiring manager seems really nasty, overly demanding, inconsiderate, or disrespectful, you should seriously consider whether this is a company you want to work for. While it's good to remain optimistic, sometimes you need to be realistic about what you might be getting yourself into. If it feels bad, it might not be worth spending the next month+ of your life in misery.
I would also recommend reading any general business book about salary negotiations (like "The Smart Woman's Guide to Interviewing and Salary Negotiation" or "Get Paid What You're Worth"). While they're mostly about interviewing for office jobs, the advice about how to handle your across-the-desk negotiation certainly applies to any job!
