Q & A Table of Contents
Professional Negotiator Career Opportunities
From: College Student New York State
Question: I am quite interested in becoming a professional negotiator, and am writing to request information about your field. I am prepared to enter law or business school, however I'm hoping to gain some negotiation experience before I make such a commitment. I've completed a Harvard Negotiation Project Seminar, and had extensive leadership experience in college. I would greatly appreciate any information you may have regarding such opportunities.
Response: One could be simplistic and say that everyone is a negotiator. A more specific response to your question is to say there is not really a profession of negotiator. Lawyers and diplomats are the folks most likely to use negotiation skills as representatives of clients or constituents. Politicians and lobbyists also have to negotiate on behalf of the people or interests they represent.
Most reputable business schools require all students to take a course in negotiation. Some law schools do as well, but mostly the course is an elective rather than a requirement. That may have to do with the reality that many business school graduates would never have a clue they need to negotiate within the 'narrow confines' they perceive as set out in their job description.
One can study negotiation, but, frankly, the best way to learn it is to do it. That's why quality negotiation skills training programs utilize role plays as a teaching tool. But it is recognizing and analyzing negotiation in real life: with friends, family, merchants, team members, work colleagues, clients, etc. where you begin to develop the skills that can mark you as a good negotiator. In my mind, a good negotiator is someone with whom others want to negotiate on more than one occasion; someone who treats virtually every negotiation as an episode in an ongoing relationship.
So: opportunities to hang out your shingle as a professional negotiator: virtually nil. Opportunities to focus your energies on negotiation in politics, law, diplomacy, lobbying -- those are all professions where the skill is crucial. Moreover, it is a fundamental skill in human relationships -- but that is life, not a profession..
Good luck and good negotiating, Steve.
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