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...

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:

• What’s the biggest priority for the team right now?
• Why is this role open?

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:

• Which company has a better trajectory?
• How do promotions work?
• Is your manager influential enough to pull for you whe...

“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....

Ask yourself these questions: 

• Is the offer competitive? (Browse offers online)
• Does it add up? (Consider taxes on bonuses and stock.)
• If you have goaled comp, are the goals realistic?

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.”

It can be awkward to ask for more money, but trust me, everyone expects you to do it.

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.

Unfortunat...

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:

• The curr...

“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 alread...