3 ways to go from ‘good candidate’ to ‘must-hire’ (and get paid more)
If one of your 2024 goals is to land a new role in Tech—and secure the offer you deserve—you’re not alone.
Hi there,
If one of your 2024 goals is to land a new role in Tech—and secure the offer you deserve—you’re not alone.
This time of year, many people are thinking about leveling up, moving on, and making a fresh start.
But before you even click “Apply” on that job opening, there are a few strategies that will set you up for bigger and better offers.
1. Keep Your Enthusiasm High
Job searching can feel like a marathon. You might have been “in the hunt” for weeks or even months.
But each recruiter, hiring manager, or interviewer is seeing you for the first time.
They need to know you’re excited about them.
If your energy flags, it’s that much harder for the company to picture you thriving on their team—and that can affect how strongly they advocate internally for you to receive a top-tier offer.
Pro Tip:
Before interviews, remind yourself why you’re excited about this specific company: their mission, growth opportunities, innovative culture, and so on. Genuine enthusiasm is a secret weapon in negotiations, because employers tend to invest in candidates who seem truly passionate and excited at the possibility of joining them.
2. Plan for Negotiations Before You Apply
Most job seekers wait until after the initial offer to think about negotiations. Big mistake! By then, you may have given away a lot of your leverage, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Instead, put negotiations on your radar right from the start.
Our clients who come to us early in their search tend to see the biggest bumps—often 5- to 6-figure increases in total compensation from initial offer to final offer.
That’s because we help you avoid any pitfalls along the way starting from the online application when they ask you about your preferred compensation - that’s a negotiation move you need to be prepared for!
And since our fee is tied to your success rather than how much time we spend helping you negotiate, getting started sooner benefits everyone involved.
Pro Tip:
When you begin your job search, make a list of your compensation priorities (e.g. base salary, equity, sign-on bonus) in order of importance, and ensure to mark the non-negotiables (e.g. 1 remote day per week).
Use this list to inform the order in which you negotiate and when to walk away.
Align your resume and interview stories with the job description so that you’re highlighting why you’d be a great fit for the role.
If you’d like an extra boost of confidence, DM us for a free consultation call to see how we can help optimize your negotiation strategy.
3. Aim High, Stay Flexible
When you’re interviewing, it’s natural to feel you don’t want to “rock the boat.”
But once you have an offer in hand, that means you’re the preferred candidate and it’s okay to ask for more.
Most companies build wiggle room into their initial offers. Employers often expect some back and forth, especially since inevitably some job candidates will receive other offers and thus will ask the company for more.
Pro Tip:
Instead of throwing out a specific number first, politely ask, “What’s the budget for this role?” This approach keeps you from losing leverage by anchoring too low and accidentally lowballing yourself, or or turning them off by anchoring too high.
If an employer reacts negatively? Responding with a colder response is a common tactic to discourage you from continuing to negotiate. It’s very unlikely that a company would pull an offer just because you asked a respectful question. If a company would consider that, it’s a potential red flag pointing towards a toxic culture.
The Takeaway
Heading into 2024, investing time in your job search and negotiation planning is critical. Not only will it help you score a role you love, but it can also set you up for higher earning potential that compounds throughout your career.
Read our previous newsletters for tactical negotiation tips and success stories.
We walk you through real-world scenarios, including how to gracefully let the company “go first” on salary discussions, or how to counter-offer without naming a specific number.
Check out these reader favorites on how one word ruined a job offer and 3 arguments companies use to lowball your salary.
Feeling stuck?
If you want a partner in your corner, reply to this email for a free consultation call.
We’d love to discuss how we can boost your total compensation package—often by five or six figures—while helping you navigate the end-to-end negotiation process from the first contact with the company (the online application) to signing the final (much higher) offer.
Cheers to a prosperous year ahead!
Best,
Gerta & Alex
Co-founders of YourNegotiations.com