Early in my career, I made a six-figure negotiation mistake.
1. For my first ever job offer, I never negotiated the salary.
2. When my scope doubled in size, I asked for a salary raise but didn’t ask for a specific number, which got me a measly 3% salary raise.
What I learned from my mistakes early on, helped me negotiate a multi-six figure offer with Amazon.
Here are 5 things that helped me hold my ground for 6 weeks, run through 3 rounds of offer negotiation, and land a $20k increase in compensation, all the while being out of a job and not having another one lined up!
When the recruiter asked me, “what are your salary expectations?”, I anchored her high, “I would like a total comp between $220k - $240k”.
Recruiters make their commission/quota on hiring happy candidates, who wouldn’t want to leave the company within 3 months simply because they didn’t get the $10k-$20k compensation increase they requested. Once I remembered that, it made it easier to not give in to the urge to accept the first offer on the table.
I deeply believed in the skills, experience and expertise I bring to the table and was confident of my ability to replicate the results in the new role. This helped me continue being in the game without the fear that the offer would be rescinded if I negotiated.
When Amazon presented an offer that still didn’t meet my expectations, I proposed a restructured compensation based on data, not my feelings, needs or opinion. I leveraged levels (dot)fyi to show why their proposal decreased my YoY compensation and how it should be structured instead.
The temptation to take the first offer on the table when you don’t have a backup is real. I worked with two mentors who not only helped me understand how comp in the Tech industry works, but helped me lead the conversation so I always had the upper hand in the negotiations conversation.
Next time you are at the negotiation table, do not give in to the urge to accept the first offer. Know your worth, negotiate strategically, and command the compensation you deserve!
If you are ready to quit playing safe and level up in your career, it’s time for us to chat.