Question #22
“How do I negotiate a job offer?”
Dear DJ,
Think of negotiating your job offer as a conversation, and not as a battle, so approach it with curiosity and not as if you’re fighting for something. There’s a lot of great negotiating advice out there already, so I’m only going to add a few notes. Here are a few of my tips for negotiating a job offer.
Research. Figure out what is reasonable to ask for given the standards and policies for the company making the offer. For example, let’s say they offer you 10 days of PTO (paid time off, i.e. vacation days) as a new employee, but in your current position you have 20. You might negotiate to start with 15 vacation days, the same number as someone who has been there for three years.
Make notes. Have a written version of the job offer in front of you, with your notes about what you want instead, and why. If your research turns up that the typical salary range for this job in a similar city is 80-100K to start, but they offer you 70K make that information that you know part of the negotiation. Such as, “I’ve noticed that the salary I’ve been offered isn’t within the typical range for this position. Can we increase my salary to be within that range?” (If you have to give a number, go for the higher end of the range.)
Take your time. This applies throughout. If you need time to check some numbers or call a friend when you get the offer before you are ready to negotiate, ask for it. E.g. “Thank you so much for this offer! I’m really excited about this opportunity. Can I take some time to look things over and then talk over some points with you later?” But also during the negotiation (which should probably be a phone call/zoom btw) don’t feel like you need to rush through your notes and questions.
Leave a good taste. What I mean by this is, chances are, if you are negotiating, these people will be your colleagues. Thank them throughout for answering your questions and providing you with information. Remind them how amazing you are, which is why they offered you the job: “I remembered in my interview, you were so excited about my skills in x. To continue to develop those skills, is it possible to have access to some professional development funds?”
Negotiate more than the salary. Not only is your salary negotiable, so are the number of vacation days, professional development funds, relocation (if applicable), stock options. Basically, if it’s mentioned in the job offer letter, you can probably negotiate some part of it. So maybe the salary is right, but you want to start a bit later so that you have time to take some vacation before you start.
Remember that at this point in the process, everybody in this situation wants you to take this job — including you, I hope — so the power is in your hands during the negotiation. Wield that power carefully.
