In this article we'll talk about salary negotiation and how to get the maximum possible and how people can improve their chances to get more and increase their salary.


Let's get straight to the point and list what you shouldn't do:


  • Firstly, never ask about salary and anything related to money or your package during an interview. Any questions about salary should be left until the end. I'll explain why in a couple of minutes, and it's important that you read this carefully if you want to stand out among other employees.

I remember when I was a Head of the discipline and conducted many interviews. During one interview, a candidate cut me off from the beginning and said, "Listen, I'm telling you right away, I'm not going to accept an offer for less than 3000 dollars" so I wished him good luck in his job search. Every employer wants to see a candidate interested in the job first. Yes, we all work for money, but you shouldn't show the employer that your primary interest is money. Even in Harvard negotiation cases they always emphasize demonstrating value and what you bring to the company first.

  • Never disclose your current or previous salaries first. Most of the companies offer you a salary based on your current one, adding 15-20% on top, but in fact, they could offer you much more. You can simply say, "I have an agreement with my current employer not to disclose my salary."


  • Also never state your desired salary. Or avoid doing it first, and if you're asked, try to dodge the question and make the employer give the salary offer first. Usually, a recruiter offers a salary close to the lower of the range and asks if that salary suits you.


If it's a contractor, you can confidently add 40-50% to that amount and say that's what you'd like. If it's an operator, you can add 20-30%. To ask more, you have to be very valuable to the company. Of course, these are very rough figures; a lot depends on the country, the company, your profession, and so on, but overall, I think you understand the approach.

Why you shouldn't discuss salary at the early stages but do it at the end. Because by the time you reach the end of all your communications, the employer has already invested a lot of time and effort. You've passed multiple interviews, maybe you've even traveled for a face-to-face interview in another country, you've already had many negotiations and communications. So, when at the final stage, you ask for a 10-20% increase, it's easier for the company to agree rather than start everything over with a new candidate.


In some countries like the USA, negotiating not only salary but the entire compensation package, including housing allowance, bonuses, insurance, etc, is more than normal practice. In fact, any employer expects a candidate to ask for more, so they initially offer you a bit less.


So, it's always best to negotiate your salary, but you need to do it right! I remember one colleague shared with me his experience. He passed 3 separate interviews in the same company! After the first two interviews, he negotiated the salary, I don't know how he did it, but asking for the increase he didn't get a response! And when they offered him the third time, he didn't want to take the risk and just accepted it.


The main advice I want to give when negotiating the salary is never write affirmative emails or even demands to the employer. For example, if you're offered $5,000 a month, and you reply that you want $10,000 and will not accept less, the employer might not come back to you because you said you will not accept less, but they might have been willing to offer $8,000.


So before claiming for more from the employer, prepare a justification for why you should be paid more, show your value to the company, your key skills and competencies. Prepare a diplomatic response that doesn't state the minimum salary you're willing to accept but instead shows the employer that you're flexible in negotiations.


Negotiating a job offer often determines the quality of your next few years — your compensation, workload, benefits, and long-term career growth.


Below is the ultimate universal prompt you can paste into any AI assistant to get a complete job offer breakdown, negotiation strategy, salary ranges, leverage points, and a ready-to-send email to the employer.

Just copy and use it:

I want you to act as an expert in job offer analysis, global market compensation, HR strategy, and salary negotiation.

Analyze my job offer and complete the following tasks:


1. Extract all key information from the offer

Break the offer down into clear points:

• job title

• responsibilities

• salary (currency, gross/net)

• bonuses (sign-on, performance, annual)

• relocation / housing / travel support

• health insurance / benefits package

• paid time off and holidays

• probation period (if any)

• working schedule (including potential overtime risks)

• seniority level / job grade

• red flags

• any vague or ambiguous clauses


2. Compare the offer to general market standards

Provide a comparison based on:

• typical salary ranges for this position

• standard benefits packages

• what similar roles usually include in this region/industry

• expected compensation depending on seniority

Highlight which parts of the offer are above, at, or below typical market levels.


3. Identify areas where I may be undervalued

Analyze and point out:

• salary gaps

• responsibilities that exceed the job title

• missing compensation elements

• hidden risks in the offer

• weak benefits (insurance, PTO, bonuses, etc.)


4. Identify my leverage points for negotiation

Provide negotiation arguments based on:

• relevant experience

• technical skills

• unique expertise

• leadership / project management background

• complexity of expected tasks

• my market value

• expected contribution to the company


5. Recommend how much more I can reasonably ask for

Give three negotiation ranges:

• Conservative (+10–15%)

• Realistic (+20–30%)

• Aggressive (+35–50%)

Explain which range makes the most sense for my specific case.


6. List conditions I should NOT accept

Clearly identify risky or unfavorable terms, such as:

• low or insufficient PTO

• excessive unpaid overtime

• no bonus system

• weak insurance or benefits

• probation longer than standard for the region

• penalty clauses in the contract

• vague responsibilities

• salary review without guarantees


7. Analyze my résumé

Use my background — experience, skills, achievements, certifications, industry expertise, seniority level.

Identify the key strengths that strengthen my negotiation position.


8. Draft a professional email requesting an improved offer

The email must be:

• professional

• confident

• respectful

• clearly structured

• backed by concrete arguments

• with specific numbers

The email should:

• thank them for the offer

• confirm interest in the role

• explain why my experience justifies better terms

• politely but confidently request improvements

• specify what needs to be adjusted (salary, bonus, relocation, PTO, benefits, etc.)

• leave the door open for further discussion


9. Prepare possible HR responses and how I should reply

Examples:

• “Our budget is limited” — how to counter it

• “This is the maximum we can offer” — how to respond

• “Let’s revisit after probation” — how to protect myself

• “We can adjust bonuses instead of salary” — what to clarify


10. Provide a final summary and recommendation

Briefly cover:

• whether the offer is worth accepting

• where the risks are

• what to negotiate

• my strongest points

• the best negotiation strategy


I will provide the following information below:

1. the full job offer

2. my résumé

Analyze the job offer strictly following the steps above.

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Actually, you can increase your salary even at the resume and interview stage. How to do it? First of all, write a resume that reflects your value, experience, and knowledge so the hiring manager would say, "WOW, this is a great applicant, we need someone like him, let's invite him to the interview asap." And during the interview, answer questions in a way that demonstrates your level of competence so that you're offered the maximum possible salary right from the beginning and the company clearly sees what you bring to the role.

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Written by

Alex

Engineer & Career Coach CEng MIMechE, EUR ING, CMRP, CPCC, CPRW, CDCS