Hopefully you've come to this post after reading my first post: Recent graduates, you can negotiate your salary too. And hopefully, if you're reading this, you've determined what your salary range is for a potential job offer. If you've made it that far, let's dive into how to negotiate the salary.

Years after I landed my first journalism job, my mentor shared some advice that I couldn't use. Now, I'm sharing it with you. If you're a recent graduate who has been offered a job, please know that you don't have to take whatever salary they offer initially. You can - and should - negotiate your salary just like veteran journalists. It will take some bravery to speak up and ask for more, but it'll be worth it when your first paycheck hits your bank account. Let's spend the rest of this post breaking down how to negotiate your salary.

The journalism industry is filled with advocacy organizations from the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists to the Online News Association and even the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. Every year, these organizations host national or region conferences that are open to working journalists and other media professionals. These are events that recent journalism graduates should strongly consider attending and here's why.

Any college student who is serious about getting a journalism job should have already visited the most popular job sites like - journalismjobs.com or mediabistro.com - just to name a few. For students graduating soon or recent graduates, there are a few key words or phrases in the job ads that you should look for. Those phrases include: "entry level," "immediate opening," and "recent graduates encouraged." So let's break down what those phrases mean.

A few days ago, my mentor sent me a Facebook message because he wanted to tell me a story. He was at a job fair a few days ago where he met a young man who had recently graduated from journalism school. This graduate wants to work as a reporter in the New York City area. Unfortunately, this graduate has none of the necessary skills to make that dream happen. He has no multimedia skills, no networking skills, no idea how to freelance, and no idea how to even pitch stories to publications.