How to Negotiate Salary for Your Next Career Move

Posted by Lower Hutt Resume on 19 Nov 2025

Negotiating a salary can be difficult to talk about, because it involves balancing what think you’re worth versus the amount an employer believes they’ll be able to afford. If done properly it can result in a positive experience for both sides that results in a higher pay for the employee, as well as greater employee engagement in their work. Here’s how you can negotiate your salary with confidence.

Key Takeaways

  • Before you negotiate your salary make sure you research market rates as well as industry standards to confirm that your salary proposal is realistic.
  • Collect information through the networking of colleagues, using online resources like LinkedIn Salary and Glassdoor, and reaching out to professional networks.
  • Plan your talk points ahead of time, including education & accreditation and years of relevant experiences, achievements and results, unique skill set & abilities, industry expertise, and training potential.
  • During the negotiation, you must be assured and confident but remain flexible and open. Highlight tangible results that you have achieved in previous roles.
  • Maintain a positive tone throughout the conversation and be active in your listening.

Do your research

Before entering into any pay negotiation, it’s crucial to do thorough research on the market and standards in the industry to ensure that your salary suggestion is realistic. Some factors that can affect the amount you are offered could be experience degree, size of the company and geographical location. (?). One great way to gather data is to connect with colleagues or other professionals in your chosen profession.

Research Online

With the help of internet-based resources like [LinkedIn SalaryUtilizing some of the online resources, such as [LinkedIn Salary (https http://www. linkedin. com/salary) and [Glassdoorglassdoor (https: //www. glassdoor. com/Salaries/index. htm) you can get more comprehensive information about the salary range that benchmarking companies pay for the same job. This will give you an idea of the market rates and other aspects related to the position.

Your Network is Essential

Gain insight by speaking to friends who have held similar positions or reaching out through professionally-oriented networks in addition to brainstorming members within professional organizations.

Create talking points

Preparing for a negotiation is always time well spent. You’ll be more confident in the presentation of your case if have a clearly defined outline of your talking points in advance.

Here are some examples of things that you could consider including in your salary negotiation:

  • Education & certification
  • Experience gained through years of relevant work
  • The results and accomplishments
  • Unique set of skills and attributes (e.g. bilingualism)
  • Know-how in the field
  • Potential for training

Notes and notebooks can assist during conversations to ensure it is not lost important information.

Be confident & concise

In a negotiation for a salary it’s crucial to appear confident and clear. Speak clearly about your experiences, achievements and job expectations. It is important to keep an optimistic tone throughout the dialogue so that the person who is hiring you feels that you’re not seeming unfriendly.

Show tangible results

Simply stating that someone is committed, hardworking, and goal-oriented may not be enough to create an strong appeal. So put forward clear statistics about how your previous positions made a distinction in businesses or what are the most valuable abilities that benefit the organization.

Remain flexible

If your employer cannot agree to your requested salary or compensation package outright Being flexible and open can allow room for discussions. You can inquire about alternative incentives like performance-based bonus arrangements instead of the Base salary(? ).

You must remain professional throughout the negotiation - regardless of how well or not: fighting too much or making unreasonable demands is likely to result in an unfavourable outcome for all parties affected.

Practice active listening

Listening is just as important as communicating during these types of conversations. Listen attentively from the any other participant during negotiations, observing requested amount carefully & clarifying doubts, if necessary, while keeping to the initial request. In the end, both parties must come out with acceptable results.

Take what you have learned from these conversations and apply it to future negotiations that you’re likely to be involved in. Following the tips above goes in the right direction to increase your chances of achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

Your network is important Speak to friends who’ve held similar roles or connect with networking networks for professionals as well as brainstorming members of professional associations.
Prepare Talk points Education & certification, Years of relevant experience and accomplishments, unique skill set and qualities (e.g. bi-lingualism), Industry knowledge, ability to train
Be confident & concise Speak clearly about your experiences as well as your achievements and expectations. Highlight Tangible Results.
Remain flexible Consider alternative incentives such as the performance-based bonuses instead of Base salary. (?). Be sure remain professional during the negotiation.
Practice active listening Listening is equally important in these types of conversations. Take what you have learned from these conversations and apply it to future negotiations you’ll likely take part in.


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Frequently Asked Questions

What is salary negotiation?

The process involves discussing and deciding on the compensation package for a job. When you negotiate this you are able to discuss more than only your base salary but also other benefits, such as retirement plans, health insurance as well as other benefits.

Why is it so important to negotiate a salary?

Negotiating your salary could give you a better financial future and also show that you’re confident about your worth. It can also help you avoid leaving money on the table.

When should I start negotiating for a raise?

It is recommended to begin negotiations following the acceptance of an offer to ensure that everyone is informed of what’s being discussed. This way, the negotiations will be focused on securing perfect terms while avoiding unexpected unpleasant surprises.

What if I am content with the offered package with no negotiation?

If you are offered a job and are content with it, there may be no need to negotiate. But it’s important to provide clear information about what the employer will offer in terms of things like rewards based on performance or reimbursements for career training.

Can I negotiate my salary if changing careers?

Negotiating your salary after changing career paths may require added planning because your prior experiences might not translate or encapsulate new responsibilities. Find out what similar jobs in similar industries pay, to develop a thorough understanding of realistic expectations for yourself, given the particular circumstances you face.

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