Job search
Salary & negotiation
The stage most prep skips. Here's how to research, anchor, counter, and close — then practise real comp-conversation scenarios and get graded on your framing.
Practise negotiation scenarios →1 · Do the research first
- ›Triangulate a range from levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Blind, and peers in your network.
- ›Adjust for level, location, and company size/stage — a range, not a single number.
- ›Set a target near the top and a floor you won't go below (your walk-away / BATNA).
2 · Let them go first
- ›When asked your expectations early, try to learn their budgeted range first.
- ›If pressed, give a researched range whose bottom you'd still accept.
- ›Deflect the 'current salary' question — redirect to your target for this role.
3 · Anchor and justify
- ›Anchor high but reasonable — the first credible number frames the conversation.
- ›Justify with value and evidence (impact, scope, market), not just what you want.
- ›Stay collaborative: you're solving a problem together, not fighting.
4 · Counter the offer
- ›Reaffirm your enthusiasm, then state a specific counter with a reason.
- ›“Based on X and the market for this level, I was targeting $Y — can we get there?”
- ›If base is capped, widen to total comp (below).
5 · Negotiate beyond base
- ›Levers: sign-on bonus, equity/RSUs, bonus target, early comp review, PTO, remote/flex, start date, title/level, learning budget, relocation.
- ›Prioritise by what matters to you and what's cheap for them to grant.
- ›Ask for specific amounts (“a $15k sign-on”), not a vague “more”.
6 · Handle pressure & pushback
- ›Exploding offer? Stay calm, ask why the timeline is tight, request reasonable time.
- ›“That's the max budget” → acknowledge, then pivot to non-base levers.
- ›Keep every exchange courteous and in writing where it matters.
Common mistakes
- ✕Naming a single number before you've researched or heard their range.
- ✕Anchoring the new offer to an old (possibly low) salary.
- ✕Accepting on the spot because of artificial urgency.
- ✕Negotiating only base and ignoring sign-on, equity, and perks.
- ✕Making it adversarial instead of collaborative.
Ready to rehearse? Get graded on your framing, anchoring, and counters.
Start practising →