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Ready to learn how to negotiate a salary for the first time? These simple tips might help you get a better salary offer than you were expecting. 

Now that the potential job offer has been made, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. Negotiating a salary for the first time can be a scary experience but it’s something that you can do like a pro. 

Many people tend to just accept the first offer made but it doesn’t have to be that way. You actually have the upper hand when it comes to negotiating your salary and should use that as you see fit. But just because you can negotiate your salary doesn’t mean that you need to be doing so uneducated. 

How To Negotiate A Salary For The First Time

The last thing that you want to do is make your new potential company think that you’re greedy or over the top. When it comes to negotiating your salary, here are some simple tips to keep in mind. 

How To Negotiate A Salary

How much can you negotiate on salary?

This is such a great question. Negotiating a salary is possible for job offers but there is a way to make it happen. If you’re wanting to negotiate a salary offer that the company will actually consider, you need to have a negotiation in mind of only 10-20% more. If you come back to the company requesting a super high amount, they’re not going to take that seriously, either. 

It really is a balancing act at this point because if you counter offer and ask for not enough of an increase, you’re missing out on more money in your pocket. And if you counter with something too high, you’re going to put doubt in the minds of the company about you right away potentially.

Can you lose a job offer by negotiating a salary?

You can but don’t be scared away by that. As long as you’re approaching it with the mindset that you’re being fair and coming back with a decent counteroffer, the company is more than likely only going to say yes or no. 

Many times job offers will get pulled from the table if someone comes back with a long list of demands or asks for a ton more money.

How do you respond to a low salary offer?

If you receive a job offer that is way lower than you were expecting, give yourself time to process and figure out the best response. Once an offer is given either via an employment offer or verbally, ask how long you have before giving them a decision.

Then, use that time wisely to think about what you want to do. There are many reasons for declining a job offer if it truly isn’t a good fit for you but there are also many reasons for accepting a job offer, even if it happens to be lower than what you thought. 

The reason that many people accept job offers that are lower than they’re expecting is that they’re needing a job and needing income. Also, keep in mind that there are some companies out there that really are great to work for. Getting your foot in the door at a job that might pay lower can eventually open other doors to climb up in the company as well. 

How To Negotiate A Salary For The First Time

How to negotiate a salary for the first time

When you get a salary offer, stop and take the time to celebrate the fact that you were chosen for the job before making your decision. A salary offer means that you did an excellent interview and your skills are aligned with what the company is looking for. Even if the salary amount is lower than what you were expecting, you still should give yourself kudos for the fact that you were offered the job.

When it comes time to negotiate your salary, don’t stress out over the process. As long as you’re able to research and have information to back up why you feel like you’re worth more than what they offer, you’re literally just turning the tables and making them reconsider their offer.

It will be up to them at that point in time to either say yes or no to your offer. That means that you’ll either be offered more money or find your offer remaining the same. You literally never know until you ask and when you feel like your skills are worth more, you should! 

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How To Negotiate A Salary For The First Time