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NOTE Negotiation, narrated by Shawn Wang (swyx)
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Chapter 31. Negotiating. I can personally attest to the value of
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negotiation. I was recently able
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to negotiate an additional $50,000 a year in cash and RSUs at a
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big co. All it took was three phone
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and email conversations over two weeks. Prior to that, I got an
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improvement of $10,000 a year in
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options with a single email. It has nothing to do with code or my
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ability to contribute,
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but negotiating is one of the highest ROI activities I have ever
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done, despite objectively
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sucking at it. And aside, if you're new to this topic, this also
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means that this is probably going
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to be the highest value chapter in the book, which is sobering to
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realize as an author.
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Negotiating is one of those areas that is well covered by
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existing content. I'm tackling this
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by offering my own general advice and then linking you to three
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definitive resources
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with my own commentary. Section 31.1. General Advice. Don't
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accept right away. Always negotiate.
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Nobody is going to take away your offer because you try to
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negotiate. Never lie. This industry
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leaks like a sieve, especially among recruiters and hiring
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managers. But where you aren't ready
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to disclose them, strategic omission of facts is fine. Get a
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coach. You can hire coaches like Josh
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Doody, author of Fearless Salary Negotiation, to help you. It
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makes economic sense to pay a sizable
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percentage of your salary increase for this, because you get to
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keep benefiting in perpetuity.
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I personally have not yet done so, as I wanted to try to do it
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myself.
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Know your worth. Glassdoor and Levels.fyi are good for getting
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salary data, but TeamBlind is also good for advice and comp
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package review, especially for big goals.
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Subreddits like r slash cscareerquestions and others in your
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niche will also run salary surveys. These will help you figure
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out what you're worth.
Load full transcript
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Also, be hyper -aware of things you've done which make you stand
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out from others in your experience band, and make sure they know
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it.
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Transparency cuts both ways.
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Some companies have strict bans and even publish their salary
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calculations, like Buffer, Crit, and GitLab.
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You can use these to triangulate your own market value, but if
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you're interviewing at such a company, you may have to find non
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-cash negotiation points.
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They are likely to be inflexible due to their unusual
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transparency, though everyone makes exceptions.
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Don't let short -term greed compromise your long -term career.
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A high -paying job you hate isn't better than a moderately well
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-paying job you love.
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You can also make a judgment call on accepting less money for
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more learning and professional growth in the direction you want.
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But don't let them talk you into taking less money for more
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responsibility.
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Offers and negotiations have a massive gender bias.
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Whether consciously or unconsciously, tech companies repeatedly
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end up in situations where they pay women 20 % less than their
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male counterparts,
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and employ all sorts of negotiation and silencing tactics to make
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you accept it.
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This is grossly unfair, but it is real.
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Learn to recognize the excuses companies make, and make clear
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that you know how this game is played too.
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because you've read everything in this chapter.
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Remember also that good companies and well -intentioned people
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make these mistakes too.
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Work with them and help them be better if you can.
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No amount of negotiation will overcome being underleveled.
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Every company has salary bands, but most positions are flexible
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in terms of which band they hire at,
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especially for the right person, aka you.
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If you should be at an L6 level but somehow fall into the L5
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track in your conversation with recruiters, find out fast and
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make sure that you're being considered for the
most senior band
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possible.
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This helps way before talking specific numbers.
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No amount of negotiation will overcome not having a good
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alternative.
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This is known as a best alternative to a negotiated agreement in
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negotiation lingo.
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Remember that simply staying at your existing job is a strong
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BATNA,
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as is striking out on your own as a freelancer or entrepreneur,
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given your existing audience or network.
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If the economy is good, and you're interviewing at a big co with
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a competing offer from another big co,
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previously stated obstacles, like,
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that's as high as we go for this band, I'm sorry, can magically
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disappear.
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Turning into, I talked to a director and we're going to make an
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exception for you.
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This is worth over $100,000 in some cases.
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Think win -win.
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Negotiation is best done without a zero -sum mindset.
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Quote, I'm negotiating with you, I win, you lose.
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End quote.
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Instead, try a positive -sum attitude.
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Quote, I want the best situation to do great work for you, but I
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have options.
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You have room to go higher.
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Let's find something that works for both of us.
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End quote.
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Section 31.2, Summaries of Experts.
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There are three people who dominate the discussion on developer
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salary negotiation right now.
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Patrick McKenzie, Hasib Qureshi, especially for early careers,
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and Josh Doody.
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Here are each of their main talking points with commentary from
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me.
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Patrick McKenzie on salary negotiation.
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A five -minute conversation can lead to a $5,000 to $15,000 a
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year bump in salary,
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Taking in 401k contributions and future salary compounding, this
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can add up to an extra 100k over 10 years.
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Negotiation is not haggling or greed. It is what rich,
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successful, in -demand people do.
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Your client or company or recruiter has far more information than
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you do and feels very differently about negotiation than you do.
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It is not an even playing field.
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For example, they know what every employee makes.
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They know what everyone at peer companies make, especially those
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they have to make counteroffers for.
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They know how much budget they have.
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They have negotiated more times than you have by multiple orders
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of magnitude.
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They may think less of you if you don't negotiate.
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Everyone in this discussion is a business person.
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You will not be blackballed for negotiating.
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Remember, it's usually not their money.
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They have a budget, and a concession from them means a lot more
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to you than it does to them.
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Your negotiation started before you applied.
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If you apply through regular channels, you get priced as a
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commodity.
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If hiring managers seek you out for your expertise, you have a
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much stronger position.
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Conversations like these end with resumes as a formality, instead
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of beginning with them as a way to get interest.
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Only negotiate salary after you have agreement in principle from
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someone with hiring authority
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that, if a mutually acceptable compensation can be agreed upon,
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you will be hired.
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What you want is, yes if we can agree on terms, and not, no but
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we might hire you if you're cheap.
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This ensures that they have invested sufficient time to hire you
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and increases their stakes.
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It also ensures that, at worst, the offer you arrive at is the
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one they initially give.
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Never give a number first.
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This rule is almost always the right move.
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Many recruiters will try all sorts of tricks to get you to
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disclose your prior salary.
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It is illegal to require this.
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Or discuss your salary expectations.
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This puts an immediate upper limit on what they will offer you.
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Patrick suggests some talk scripts to help avoid giving a number,
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--> 00:08:03.380
including what to say if you have exhausted every option and they
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insist on wanting a number from you.
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Side note, a talk script is a pre -planned list of responses to
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various scenarios,
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often used by salespeople to guide customers down a favorable
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path.
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This is better than improvising where you can make silly
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mistakes.
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Professional recruiters, like those at Google and Facebook, are
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using these when they talk to you.
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You can choose to arm yourself in return.
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Listen to what people tell you. Repeat it back to them.
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People are most persuaded by their own words and behaviors.
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This is related to the idea of mirroring in negotiations.
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Make a note of everything that matters to them that helps you
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make your case.
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Look for mutually beneficial movements.
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What we and you need instead of what I need.
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Phrase things positively rather than score debating points.
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Research the company.
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Speak with ex -employees, customers, and current employees.
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Look for what they value, what success looks like internally,
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what the culture is like, what's easier for them to budge on.
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New information is valuable.
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Offering new information on your skill set, life story, and
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potential value creation helps them justify your negotiation to
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their bosses.
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For example, I increased sales by 3 % at previous company.
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That is worth millions to you.
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Getting me that extra $5,000 would make this a much easier
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decision.
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Non -cash dimensions.
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Cash is only one part of total compensation, and total comp is
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only one part of the whole job.
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Salaries are often constrained by salary bands, and it can be
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much easier to offer RSUs and options.
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The higher up you go in level, the more stock dominates your
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compensation.
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See the Open Guide to Equity Compensation for more information.
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You can also find more room on signing bonuses, vacations, work
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-from -home benefits, travel opportunities, titles, and project
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assignments.
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Hasib Qureshi on 10 rules for negotiating.
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Hasib Qureshi negotiated a $250,000 offer from Airbnb coming out
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of his boot camp.
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Here are his 10 rules.
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1. Get everything in writing.
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Any information they provide you is helpful both when negotiating
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and when making your final decision.
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2. Always keep the door open.
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Never give up your negotiating power until you're absolutely
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ready to make an informed, deliberate final decision.
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Protect your information.
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Three, information is power.
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This includes telling them what you used to make
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and telling them at what point you will sign.
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Given an offer, don't ask for more money or equity or anything of
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the sort.
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Don't comment on any specific details of the offer except to
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clarify them.
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Four, always be positive.
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Your excitement is one of your most valuable assets in a
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negotiation.
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The most convincing way to signal this is to reiterate that you
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love the mission,
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the team, or the problem they're working on and really want to
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see things work out.
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5. Don't be the decision maker. By mentioning mentors and family,
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you're no longer the only
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person the recruiter needs to win over. There's no point in them
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trying to bully and intimidate
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you. The true decision maker, quote, is beyond their reach. 6.
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Have alternatives. If you're
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already in a pipeline with other companies, which you should be
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if you're doing it right,
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you should proactively reach out and let them know you've just
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received an offer.
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Demand breeds demand.
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Reject exploding offers.
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7. Proclaim reasons for everything.
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Most people recoil from negotiating, except when they have to.
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Just stating a reason, any reason, makes your request feel human
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and important.
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It's not you being greedy, it's you trying to fulfill your goals.
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State a reason for everything, and you'll find recruiters more
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willing to become your advocate.
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Emphasize your unique value alongside your ask.
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Good thing you wrote everything down.
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8. Be motivated by more than just money.
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How much training you get, what your first project will be, which
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team you join, or even who your mentor will be.
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These are all things you can and should negotiate.
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9. Understand what they value.
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Salary is the hardest for them to give.
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Stock, signing bonuses, relocation, training expenses are much
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easier.
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But be careful not to let fictional stock valuations sway you.
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10. Be winnable. Give any company you're talking to a clear path
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on how to win you. Don't BS them
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or play stupid games. Be clear and unequivocal with your
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preferences and your timeline.
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And lastly, making the final decision. Assert your deadline
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clearly and continually. Use your
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final decision as your trump card. And this line, if you can
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improve the salary by $10,000 a year,
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then I'll be ready to sign as the final move.
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Josh Doody on Fearless Salary Negotiation
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You should negotiate your job offer even if it already seems
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pretty good.
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The best way to begin the salary negotiation is by sending a
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counteroffer email.
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Eventually, the negotiation will move to the phone, but it's best
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to negotiate over email as long as you can
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because it's easier to manage the process and avoid mistakes.
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The first thing you should do when you get a job offer is ask for
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some time to think it over.
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Do not disclose your salary history or salary requirements.
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This can be uncomfortable, but it's your first opportunity to
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negotiate a much higher salary.
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Typically, your counteroffer will be 10 -20 % more than their
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offer, and you'll focus on your base salary first.
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Josh provides a detailed counteroffer email template to help.
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Section 31.3, Further Good Reads on General Negotiation
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Here I have a list of three good reads on negotiation that I also
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recommend.
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And it's not specific to salary negotiation, but these are good
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general negotiating skills to have in life.
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First, Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. Learn
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negotiation from a former FBI hostage negotiator.
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Second, Bargaining for Advantage, Negotiation Strategies for
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Reasonable People by G. Richard Schell.
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I had the good fortune of auditing his classes during my time in
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business school.
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He's a sublime teacher, and this is one of the foundational texts
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in negotiation in American business.
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The third and final book in this list, Getting to Yes,
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Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In by Fisher, Uri, and
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Patton.
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Another business school classic on negotiation, with a very
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pragmatic follow -up in Getting Past No.