Negotiation may be scary, but you should always keep the conversation on a positive note: "I really enjoy working here and find my projects very challenging. In the last year, I’ve been feeling that the scope of my work has expanded quite a bit. I believe my roles and responsibilities.."

If your boss (or the hiring manager) really, really won’t budge? Try negotiating for flex time, more vacation time, a better title, or plum projects and assignments.

When considering your numbers, you should also come up with a “walk away point”—a final offer that’s so low that you have to turn it down. This could be based on financial need, market value, or simply what you need to feel good about the salary you’re bringing home.

Walking away from an offer will never be easy, but it’s important to know when to do it—and powerful to be able to say “no.”