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Every recruiter will ask about your salary expectations when you first start interviewing. Do not give them a number. Instead, ask for the range they’re budgeted for the role.
Bonus points: If you’re junior/mid, time all your interviews so you get offers around the same time. If you’re senior, get some press before you start meeting folks.
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Go into the interview ready not just to answer questions but to ask some of your own. You will use this as ammunition to negotiate later. Here are a few examples of what you should ask:
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Most experienced recruiters will ask you again to put up a number for your salary.
What recruiters say: “If you give me your number, I will make it happen for you.”
What they mean: “I’ll get you something lower, but kinda close to what you asked for.”
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At FAANG-size companies (i.e. over 5K employees), compensation is heavily formulaic, often with a “compensation committee” who sets your salary. Your recruiter gets a number to go with and every time you negotiate they have to go back to that committee to ask for a re-evaluation.
Unfortunately, this may hurt your chances of getting more on your offer later. Most companies will consider “new information,” like another offer, to reopen a negotiation. Don’t forget, an offer to stay from your existing company also counts!
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Your initial offer speaks volumes, if you know how to interpret the data.
Initial offer comes in low: The team may have felt that you have a lot of “room for growth.” Ask the interviewer to share feedback in order to fix any misconceptions before you ever negotiate.
Middle of the road: It likely means you don’t have a strong advocate on the interview loop. Do not negotiate until you match with a team and you have a manager batting for you.
Initial offer comes in top-of-band: There was likely a discussion about giving you a higher level.
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You may be dealing with the founder directly. It’s very likely there is no range for the role, as smaller companies have much less access to salary data. The goal at the initial offer conversation is to understand three things:
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The next step is to upsell your worth before you come back with any kind of counteroffer. This is especially important if you’re going for a senior role.
Ask for follow-up meetings with decision makers. If everyone wants you, you’ll be calling the shots later.
Come prepared with three things, tailored to who you’re meeting:
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Ask yourself these questions:
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Not all offers are made equal — in fact, they are intentionally confusing. It seems obvious that you should look at the comp, but that’s not everything:
TL;DR: Getting paid more up-front doesn’t always mean you’ll make the most overall. Plan carefully.
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It can be awkward to ask for more money, but trust me, everyone expects you to do it.
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“I need a competing offer.” Just being able to say you’re speaking to other companies is sufficient — you can quote the expected salaries for other roles if needed.
“I need to provide copies of my other offers.” You can always say, you signed an NDA before every interview.
“I should send the recruiter an email with my ask and justification.” Negotiating via email definitely leads to a worse outcome. If you want a meaningful/large increase is to have the conversation over the phone.
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“If I find a number online, I can quote it as a reason to get more.” Nothing boils a recruiter’s blood more than “It says X on Glassdoor.” Have arguments prepared that are specific to your situation.
“The best way to get more is to reiterate how qualified I am.” You already got interviewed and everyone’s read your resume. Use the information you collected during the interview to build additional arguments.
“I need to be aggressive and threaten to walk if they don’t match.” If you want big moves, you need to collaborate with your recruiter, not make them an enemy.
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