How to Negotiate Salary for Your Next Career Move

Posted by Dunedin Resume on 16 Oct 2025

Negotiating your salary is difficult to talk about, because it involves balancing what you think you’re worth versus what the employer thinks they’re able to afford. However, if done correctly, it can be an enjoyable experience for both parties, resulting in a higher pay for the employee and greater engagement of the employee in their job. Here’s how you can negotiate your salary confidently.

Principal Takeaways

  • Before you negotiate your salary study market rates and industry standards to ensure your salary request is realistic.
  • Find out information by the networking of colleagues, using online resources like LinkedIn Salary and Glassdoor, as well as reaching out to professional networks.
  • Create talking points ahead of time, including education and accreditation as well as years of relevant experience, the results and achievements, unique skill set & abilities, industry expertise, and training opportunities.
  • In the course of negotiations, you should be confident and clear, but be flexible and open-minded. Show tangible results that you achieved in your previous roles.
  • Keep a positive attitude throughout the conversation and practice active listening.

Do your research

Before you enter any pay negotiation, it’s crucial to conduct thorough research on current market rates and industry standards to ensure that your salary request is realistic. Factors that might impact this include levels of experience levels, the size of your company as well as location. (?). A great method of gathering information is to make connections with colleagues or other professionals who are in the same area of work.

Research Online

With the aid of online resources, such as [LinkedIn SalaryWith the help of some online resources like [LinkedIn Salary (https http://www. linkedin. http://www.linkedin.com/salary) and [Glassdoorglassdoor (https http://www. glassdoor. com/Salaries/index. http://www.salaries.com/index.html) you will get a more substantial approach towards the benchmarking range of salary businesses pay for the same job. This gives you an idea about current market rates and other factors related to an employment.

Your Network Is Essential

Learn more by talking to people who have had similar roles or reaching out through professionally-oriented networks in addition to brainstorming members of professional associations.

Plan Talk points

Preparing for any meeting is time well spent. You’ll be more confident when presenting your case if you have a clear outline of your talking points prior to the time.

Here are some instances of items you could consider including in your salary negotiation:

  • Education & certification
  • Years of relevant experience
  • Results and achievements
  • Unique skill set and qualities (e.g. language proficiency,)
  • Industry-specific knowledge
  • Training potential

The idea of keeping a notepad and/or notes handy could also help during conversations so that one doesn’t miss any important points.

Be confident & concise

In a salary negotiation it’s crucial to appear confident and articulate. Talk clearly about your work experience as well as your achievements and expectations for the job. It’s important to maintain a positive tone throughout this discussion so that the employer isn’t appearing to be hostile.

Highlight Tangible Results

Simply stating that one is determined, hardworking and goal-oriented might not be enough to make an impressive appeal. It is important to present clear and precise data regarding the ways in which previous jobs made difference in companies or how important are certain abilities that help an organisation.

Keep your mind open

If the employer isn’t able to agree to your salary or compensation package outright being flexible and open can help create space for dialogue. It is possible to inquire about alternative incentive options such as performance-based bonuses or arrangements instead of the Base salary(? ).

You must remain professional throughout the negotiation process - regardless of how successfully or badly it’s going Being too aggressive or imposing unreasonable demands can have a negative impact for all parties affected.

Practice active listening

Listening is equally as important as communicating during these types of conversations. Be attentive to the any other participant during negotiations, observing the amount requested carefully and clarifying doubts if at all while maintaining the their original request. The goal is to arrive at acceptable outcomes.

Consider the lessons you’ve learned away from these conversations and incorporate them into future talks you’re likely to participate in. The tips mentioned above will go a long way towards maximizing your chances of achieving positive outcomes that are mutually beneficial.

Your network is important Speak to friends who have had similar experiences or reach out to the professional network as well as brainstorming members within professional organizations.
Plan Talk points Training and certification, years of relevant experience, Results and accomplishments, unique skills and characteristics (e.g. multilingualism) Knowledge of the industry, Potential for training
Be confident & concise Make sure you are clear about your experience accomplishments, job goals and achievements. Make sure you highlight tangible results.
Be flexible Ask about alternative incentives like the performance-based bonuses instead of Base salary. (?). You must remain professional during the negotiation process.
Practice active listening Listening is equally as important as communicating in these kinds of conversations. You can take the lessons you’ve learned away from these conversations and incorporate them into the future discussions you’ll likely be involved in.


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Frequently Answered Questions

What is the concept of salary negotiation?

Salary negotiation is the process of discussing and deciding on the compensation plan for a position. Through this process, you can discuss not only the base salary, but also other benefits like retirement plans, health insurance, and more.

Why is it so important to negotiate a salary?

Negotiating your salary will give you a more secure financial future and show you’re aware of what you’re worth. This can help you keep money off the table.

When should I begin to negotiate for a raise?

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

What happens if I am completely satisfied with the package I was offered without negotiation?

If you are offered a job and you are satisfied with it, there’s no need to bargain. It’s nevertheless important to communicate clearly what the employer will offer with regards to things like performance-based bonuses or career-training reimbursements.

Can I negotiate salary when changing career paths entirely?

The negotiation of salary for changing careers may require more preparation because your past experiences may not be directly applicable or encapsulate new responsibilities. Study what similar positions in related industries pay, to develop a thorough knowledge of the realistic expectations you can set for you, considering your particular situation.

Are you ready for your next job change? Check for our Dunedin Resume ‘s services today!

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