Prepare your material before meeting your recruiter. Spend time reading through your material to gain confidence and also be sure that you can answer questions with confidence. Sometimes when we don’t know the answer we tend to get frustrated and that’s when the recruiter hits hard and forces you into a deal that you did not intend to take. This will earn you respect and you don’t come off looking like a rookie. Do not go off a list of jobs and just call without analyzing the job first.

Read the job description and do not even bother to call if you know what they’re asking is not up to your skill level. A lot of times when we do this, we end up taking less money because we have some skills that we are not proficient with; it’s better to take note of the jobs and put a hierarchy of who you need to call first.

Have you heard of the phrase “start with the end in mind “? I can’t reiterate how important it is to know what is important to you when seeking a job: finances, location, setting,weather, length of contract, etc. If you don’t have a clue what your needs are, then you’re not ready to move on from your current position. 

You have a reason for seeking this job: you want the best income. Do it positively, in a nurturing way. Remember, these are not your friends, they have a job to do as well, they need to go up in hierarchy of their jobs, families to take care of. Therefore there can never be any hard feelings. Set goals towards how you want to go about negotiating, your “musts” and “wants” that frame your negotiating tactics.

Go over your list of requirements, how to answer the back and forth, what to give, what to take, have the facts ready and information that you intend to bring to the negotiating table. This organization helps you fill in gaps when faced with difficult and unexpected questions, helping your thoughts flow smoothly and trust me you will earn the respect from your recruiter. Once upon a time a recruiter asked me how much I was asking for and I told them. Their response was “tell me why you think you deserve this much”. I wasn’t taken aback and I answered them systematically what procedures I could do including the bread and butter cases, and that my skill level was high and up to date. Other strong points include availability for long shifts, weekend availability, holiday availability, proficiency in blocks, OB, cardiac, pediatric, autonomy, even the ability to take calls.

For your negotiation to be successful, keep a win-win position in mind. If you’re unprepared for your interview, or even unsure, not having what your end goal is, the recruiter will eat you alive, especially if they’re seasoned. This is the perfect opportunity for the recruiter to take over and swing this in their favor. In the end, you’ll be forced into concession because you are confused on your needs/demands and end up getting a lesser package deal.

checklist:

• Whats your end-goal
• What is the primary goal/outcome
• What is the next immediate goal
• What must you have/want
• What are the deterrents for your success
• What are the specific hindrances to your success
• How can i get rid of my stumbling blocks
• What are the steps to making my negotiating interview flow seamlessly

Be specific with your needs and track the interview to make sure you’re going to achieve your goal.

It is crucial that you suggest a few concessions at the beginning of the negotiating phase. Make sure you have this down and clear, your recruiter will feel positive about things right in the beginning. This could be forgoing a meal stipend or toll reimbursement. Do not give up the big things that matter to you. You could also offer to forgo a completion bonus, especially if the job lasts more than 13 weeks. Why? Because this gives you flexibility to search for the next assignment/contract with ample time.

Sometimes we make initial contact and feel positive about the job location and setting. Then follows silence from the recruiter. It is important to note that once you have approached this person for a job, you can request a change of a recruiter in the beginning phase if he/she is not available to you. Do this in a tactical manner because the other person may be a friend to the initial contact or supervisor. In any case, follow up with a phone call , leave a message and find out if they’re on leave or still work for the company. Maybe they’re willing to work with you at a later date. If for whatever reason they remain elusive, find out how you are going to make yourself stand out among thousands of applicants. Bottom line is, you need to do everything about this job to make sure you leave knowing it was not your fault that it did not work for you. I advise my clients to be creative at the beginning of negotiation: offer to bring along a peer to work for this recruiter. There is always a higher probability that you will receive a higher offer if you bring more business to the recruiter as opposed to asking for a higher offer and not offering much in return.

Sometimes even after making a follow up call, the recruiter is elusive. Find another recruiter that has the same contract. A lot of times when these recruiters disappear is because they oversold the offer and when they talked to the client, the client was not offering such a high pay. This is the time to move on from this offer and take a note of this recruiter so you do not have to deal with him in the future. 

In a negotiation, it is important to separate your personal emotions, ideas, or any bias. Put your emotions or negative emotions in check. If, during negotiations you feel that the other party is insensitive to your needs, take some time away from this and resume once you have a clearer mind. This will give them time to process how they have interacted with you this far. 

As we go through this process, know that the other party has a goal in mind too. They want to get this deal done and move on to the next prospect. They don’t have a lot of time to put to one candidate and wish to put less effort in getting the deal done. They also want a relationship with  you for future offers. So be clear and precise.

It is very hard to practice empathy when negotiating a deal. This is a must do. The recruiter is trying to get the job done without too much pain on their part or suffering. They have their own families and jobs to keep/protect. When you show them respect, you will get this done seamlessly. But remember, get your ideas organized before the first contact.

Whenever there is an interpersonal conflict, take a timeout. A conflict can overheat and boil to a point of no return and probably cost you a great gig. Take the time off to have a different perspective on how to approach the subject. The next time you make contact, start with personal things like favorite vacation spots to break the ice. Do not go into this with anger or full of steam, nothing will get accomplished and the recruiter may wish to move on  from you. 

Be an active listener and take notes. Use professional language, never bully. Do not respond to their bullying. Keep calm and keep your eye on the offer; after all, you’ll not be working with them. They’re just the middleman. Ignore them when you sense they’re talking down on you. You will own them by ignoring their insecurities. Do not talk anyone down, instead, find a way to sell yourself in the best light and get the deal done. Junior recruiters do a lot of talking to confuse you into taking a sour deal; instead, stay calm and reiterate your experience and time. 

Do not do a scheduled interview in a car or noisy place; you need a quiet place with pen and paper to jot things down and make sure your voice is heard. 

My favorite is THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IS PREPARATION!

The flow of negotiation is also important. Your flexibility will serve you at an advantage during the negotiation process. Keep an open mind about your negotiation points, so you don’t have to easily give up any important goals and compromise on what you’re willing to give up. 

Make some small tweaks to refine the deal. You can ask for a concession in exchange for a benefit. For example, you can offer to pay for your own tolls as a concession. This will not break your bank. You should ALWAYS walk out with a great feeling about the deal that you made. 

When you approach a recruiter, the first thing you should do beforehand is to research the client I.e the hospital. Prepare and practice for your interview and have alternative offers in mind. Be sure you know what concessions you’re comfortable asking for and the ones you make. Start with the least important to the more important ones. Use the following sequence of events.

1. I) make concessions from

Least important to the most important ones. Actually this is a great way to satisfy your recruiter and you don’t even have to part with a big part of your asking package.

Ii) make sure if you present more than one concession, they all have emphasis so your recruiter doesn’t know which ones are more important to you. 

Iii) for every concession you make, get something in return, ALWAYS. 

Iv) make sure to provide reasons for the concession that you give and take. I have to be honest here: you will earn respect when you don’t ask for something just to see if it’s available to you. 

Whatever style you choose, you can choose to be the first one to offer a concession or wait for the recruiter to make the first move until you establish your own style. 

Regardless of what deal you intend to make, make sure you know your recruiter. What is their role in the organization? I get annoyed when I get an email for a job offer then when I reach out, they email me back and tell me a recruiter will be in touch. More often than not, these offers never materialize because they always offer 40% less than market average. If anyone wants to offer you a job, then they don’t need to send another person to place you in a pool of candidates and offer the bare minimum. When these crooks respond to me in that manner, I email back “no thanks” because there is no way i am going to get anything out of the deal.

Research the recruiting agency to compare them to other agencies. Go to the website and see what services they offer. How do they do business with their candidates? 

Talk to current providers to see how well they like the recruiting agency. A part of doing this is networking with peers who have dealt with the agency and getting feedback on the services and attitude and how well taken care of your peers are. 

It is always important to know if the recruiter is mostly available for any questions that you may have. 

In the back of your mind, make sure you ascertain why the recruiter is investing their time in you.

Utilize available resources such as linked in, social media, google search to see your recruiter’s position in the company. Some junior recruiters offer a lot of promises that add up to nothing. Experienced recruiters do not do that. That’s who I go for. Know their education, training, position in the agency, and their accomplishments. If accomplishments are not listed, ask them how many individual clients they have. This is important in predicting their actions and being prepared to counteract their actions/offer. I also ask the deals they negotiate and in that way get to know what their negotiating style is. 

Do not be caught pants down! This is of utmost importance. During the negotiation phase, you may realize that your recruiter does not understand what you’re seeking. They might not understand your target dates and do not respond on time. You are afraid that you might be out of work because your deal is not coming in on time. What preparation should you have so you do not go jobless temporarily? This is where your ALTERNATIVES  are important. You should have plan B, C, D. 

Plan B might be a temporary gig to fill time and allow the negotiations to get back on track, plan C might be an entirely new recruiter, Plan D might be taking some time off. 

I love getting the talks back in track by telling my recruiter that I have another gig that might mean I have to postpone their contract for a few months since I am not able to get my target date with them. Always have credentialing in a surgery center or somewhere where you can pick up work temporarily without a full time commitment. Alternatives actually give you so much power from your plan A because now they know they are not the first option and that they can be replaced. DO NOT BEG FOR A JOB. you will end up getting an inferior wage.

Failing to get your Plan A is a feature. This perceived failure becomes an opportunity. Resist begging and know your worth. Do not give in to distraction. Do not feel rushed to accept an offer. Remember, just like a game of professional basketball, if you play all the way to 48 minutes and extra time, down to the last whistle, you cannot worry about the clock, BUT YOUR BEST PRODUCTION. Distractions equal failure. 

Getting the best deal is not supposed to be easy; it is hard. You might not get close to what you’re looking for from this recruiter, move on. There is far more work out there. You have ENERGY as an asset. Use it and your results are always going to be positive. Look for weak points during negotiations, because these become your superpower. Whenever a deal falls through, work twice as hard to get the next one. 

 LLC

Limited Liability Company or LLC

A corporate structure whereby the members of the company cannot be held personally liable for the company’s debts or liabilities.

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is an entity created by state statute. Depending on elections made by the LLC and the number of members, the IRS will treat an LLC either as a corporation, partnership, or as part of the owner’s tax return (a disregarded entity). A domestic LLC with at least two members is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes unless it files Form 8832 and elects to be treated as a corporation. For income tax purposes, an LLC with only one member is treated as an entity disregarded as separate from its owner, unless it files Form 8832 and elects to be treated as a corporation. However, for purposes of employment tax and certain excise taxes, an LLC with only one member is still considered a separate entity (IRS notes).

Filing

If the LLC is a partnership, normal partnership tax rules will apply to the LLC and it should file a Form 1065, U.S. Return of Partnership Income. Each owner should show their pro-rata share of partnership income, credits and deductions on Schedule K-1 (1065), Partner’s Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc PDF .

Generally, members of LLCs filing Partnership Returns pay self-employment tax on their share of partnership earnings.

1. a) If the LLC is a corporation, normal corporate tax rules will apply to the LLC and it should file a Form 1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return.
2. b) The 1120 is the C corporation income tax return, and there are no flow-through items to a 1040 or 1040-SR from a C corporation return.
3. c) However, if a qualifying LLC elected to be an S Corporation, it should file a Form 1120-S, U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation and S corporation laws apply to the LLC.
4. d) Each owner reports their pro-rata share of corporate income, credits and deductions on Schedule K-1 (Form 1120-S), Shareholder’s Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc PDF. (IRS notes)

S CORP

 S corporations are corporations that elect to pass corporate income, losses, deductions, and credits through to their shareholders for federal tax purposes. Shareholders of S corporations report the flow-through of income and losses on their personal tax returns and are assessed tax at their individual income tax rates. This allows S corporations to avoid double taxation on the corporate income. S corporations are responsible for tax on certain built-in gains and passive income at the entity level.

To qualify for S corporation status, the corporation must meet the following requirements:

• Be a domestic corporation
• Have only allowable shareholders
  • May be individuals, certain trusts, and estates and
  • May not be partnerships, corporations or non-resident alien shareholders
• Have no more than 100 shareholders
• Have only one class of stock
• Not be an ineligible corporation (i.e. certain financial institutions, insurance companies, and domestic international sales corporations).

For information on S corporations, see the Instructions for Form 1120-S.

In order to become an S corporation, the corporation must submit Form 2553, Election by a Small Business Corporation signed by all the shareholders. See the Instructions for Form 2553 PDF for all required information and to determine where to file the form (IRS notes)

Filing requirements: (IRS notes)

C CORP

 Corporation

A legal entity that is separate and distinct from its owners.

 The following businesses formed after 1996 are taxed as corporations.

• A business formed under a federal or state law that refers to it as a corporation, body corporate, or body politic.
• A business formed under a state law that refers to it as a joint-stock company or joint-stock association.
• An insurance company.
• Certain banks.
• A business wholly owned by a state or local government.
• A business specifically required to be taxed as a corporation by the Internal Revenue Code (for example, certain publicly traded partnerships).
• Certain foreign businesses.

• Any other business that elects to be taxed as a corporation.

 In forming a corporation, prospective shareholders exchange money, property, or both, for the corporation’s capital stock.

A corporation generally takes the same deductions as a sole proprietorship to figure its taxable income. A corporation can also take special deductions. For federal income tax purposes, a C corporation is recognized as a separate taxpaying entity. A corporation conducts business, realizes net income or loss, pays taxes and distributes profits to shareholders.

The profit of a corporation is taxed to the corporation when earned, and then is taxed to the shareholders when distributed as dividends. This creates a double tax. The corporation does not get a tax deduction when it distributes dividends to shareholders. Shareholders cannot deduct any loss of the corporation.