The truth is most professionals teach you strategies to employ during a job interview, not after. The result: unlike experienced hands, first-time job seekers fail to notice certain ruses companies employ to make an offer look "great".

Like many others, 23-year-old Ranbir Singh, too, realised his mistake late. He went for the highest cost-to-company (CTC) package. Singh, then a last-semester MBA student from a Hyderabad-based business school, had no choice but to rue his decision.

It is that time of the year again when corporates actively hunt for talent on campuses. So it is time to be on your guard. You had better scrutinise all offers before accepting the best one, and the bottom line is: higher CTC doesn't always mean higher pay.

Things to remember

Retention and performance bonus: If the retention bonus is huge (say 10-15% of the CTC) and will be paid only after 2-3 years, you need to consider what you could have done with that money. A Rs 2.5 lakh retention bonus coming to you after two years will add more than Rs 10,000 to the monthly CTC. But after two years, the value of that Rs 10,000 will be barely Rs 8,500 (considering 8% inflation). Says E Balaji, CEO at Ma Foi Management Consultants: "It is important to understand that there are deferred payments such as these that cannot be part of your take-home (salary)."

As regards performance bonus, don't forget that it doesn't depend on your performance, but that of the company. "There are years when you may not get the performance bonus. But in some years you may get more than 100%," says Kris Lakshmikanth, managing director at The Headhunters India, an HR consultancy firm. Also, one must remember that all kinds of bonus are taxable.

Variable take-home: Depending on the industry and your job profile, the variable component of the salary will vary from 10-15% to as high as 50%. Bargain for keeping it as low as possible.

Insurance and medical facilities: Most employers provide health insurance cover to employees and their dependents. Some also provide life insurance free of cost. The premium amounts paid for such insurance by the company on your behalf can be part of your total salary. Many companies also have in-house facilities offering "free" medical care to employees. A per-employee cost for such facilities may also be included in your CTC pay package. Your CTC ends up looking fatter.

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