Negotiation
Negotiation is a key part of advocating for your value and setting yourself up for long-term success. Receiving your first job offer is an exciting milestone—but don’t let the excitement keep you from considering whether the offer truly meets your needs. You deserve a role that reflects your worth, supports your goals, and provides the resources you need to thrive. Confident, informed negotiation can help make that happen.
How to negotiate a salary
- Before you interview for a position, research salaries. See what employees with this job title are making in your area, and then identify a salary range that you would be willing to accept based on your education and experience. Some tools for salary research include:
- When you receive an offer, thank the employer and ask for a specific amount of time to consider it.
- Decide if you want to negotiate. Is the offer too low to live comfortably in your city? Do you have unique qualifications that other candidates may not have? Is the offer below the typical salary range for this position? If you said yes to any of the questions, it is in your best interest to negotiate.
- Make your case. In a professional email, outline your interest in the position and explain why your skills, qualifications, and education merit a higher starting salary.
- If your employer is not budging on monetary compensation, consider negotiating other benefits, such as insurance, flexible scheduling, vacation time, or educational opportunities, that make the salary more worthwhile. You can also inquire about commission or performance-based salary reviews.
- Obtain a written offer before formally accepting. Ensure it outlines all key elements of the agreement, including salary, start date, benefits, and location.
Additional negotiation tips
- Be firm yet polite throughout. Make it clear that you are interested in the job, but don’t apologize for negotiating.
- Don’t share your current salary. If the employer knows what you are currently being paid, it weakens your negotiation position.
- Try to delay salary talk as long as possible. This tactic gives the employer ample time to become invested in you as a candidate, which will encourage them to offer you a higher-end salary.
- Avoid throwing out a number first. Let the employer make the initial offer and negotiate from there. If you must share your desired salary, give a range to avoid undercutting or overshooting.
- It’s okay to turn down an offer. If the negotiation process proves unsuccessful, the job may not be a good fit for you. Politely reject the offer and move on.
Prepare with Interview Playbooks
View the Negotiation Curriculum from Big Interview to prepare for a successful negotiation. This curriculum is approximately one hour long.
Watch the Negotiation Curriculum
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