After hundreds of resume submissions, you finally get a call scheduled with a recruiter. One of the first things they ask is "what kind of salary are you looking for?"

You freeze in your tracks. You knew it was coming, but you're still not prepared. You want this job. You know what you're hoping for, but you're suddenly scared to say the wrong thing.

Aim too low and you'll be digging out of a hole for a while, if not forever. Aim too high (is that a thing?) and they may think you'll be dissatisfied. 

So what's a smart person to do? I'm about to share steps to prepare for this inevitable conversation.

But first, a few caveats. 

The best time to look for a job is when you already have one. But sometimes you just need a job, and you may not have the freedom to negotiate fully. The rest of this blog post assumes you're in a healthy position professionally and financially. We've all been there where we just need a job and negotiation feels like a luxury. So take my tips with a grain of salt - you do what's best for your life and your career.

The more you can position yourself to be able to "negotiate with abandon," the better. This means you want the job, but you're prepared to negotiate for what you deserve, even if it turns out that every job isn't for you. Your instincts might say, "don't push your luck," but your range and tactics are based on your skills, experience and research. You understand the market and are asking for a fair compensation package - it's time to forge ahead with confidence. 

Let's get down to brass tacks. Time to negotiate and get what you deserve.

Step 1: Prepare

Research your market value. There are tons of resources to help you do this, and the research resources may be different for each industry. My go to option is Glassdoor, where you can research salaries by role, location and more. 

Next, get your stories ready so you're ready to share your skills and experience in a memorable, effective way. Not sure where to start? Download this helpful Storytelling Guide to learn some simple techniques to make your experience and values stand out.

Step 2: Identify Your Goal and Floor 

Your goal is the desired salary (that is in line with the market and your experience). Your floor is the lowest you'll go. Knowing your floor in advance helps you know when to walk away. Once you know your floor and goal, aim a bit higher. This is your range. Let's say the market average for the role you're considering is $50,000/year and your floor is $48,000. Assuming you have the skills and experience for the role, a reasonable range to have in mind would be $52,000-$57,000. 

Step 3: Consider the Full Picture

Consider any other benefits that are important to you. Sometimes affordable healthcare is the #1 priority. Maybe education reimbursement is really important. Maybe a flexible schedule or remote work option is the most important criteria. Thinking all of this through in advance helps you approach a salary negotiation in a more proactive way. 

Step 4: Steer Clear of Anchoring

Let's go back to the recruiter. If you can avoid giving the first number, that's beneficial to you. Anchoring is "the tendency to give too much weight to the first number put on the table and then inadequately adjust from that starting point." That means if you throw out $48K as a starting point, you might never move past it. One way to side-step a question like "what salary are you looking for?" is to say something like, "I'd like to learn more about the role before I set my salary expectation. My goal is to find a role that values my skills and experience and has competitive compensation." 

Quick side note: Asking salary history has been banned in 22 states and counting. There are many reasons for this, but the primary one is that it contributes to and perpetuates pay inequity. So if you get a question about your current salary or salary history, the answer above can be effective. 

Step 5: Get That Job!

Now that you've successfully sidestepped the recruiter without being unfriendly or evasive, you've made it through a few interview rounds where you've been sharing your worth effectively, and now you're ready to really negotiate your salary and benefits. If you've made it this far without showing any of your negotiation cards, way to go! It is VERY hard to do that. 

Most likely, you've shared a range at some point, which is okay. You did your research first and you feel good about that range. 

Let's talk through some scenarios.

Scenario A: You get an offer and its for $53,000 and great benefits. Remember, our pretend range was $52-57K. Amazing! This pretend offer is well above your floor. You've done a great job communicating your value. 

Scenario B: They make an offer of $47,000 and health insurance doesn't kick in until you've been there for six months. Womp womp. Not what you were hoping for. 

Whether you're looking at scenario A or B, it's time for a counter offer. That's right - even if you love the offer, counter. Don't worry, you can do it. 

And guess what? They're expecting it. It doesn't have to be uncomfortable because you're prepared. 

I love this resource with a few templates for different counter offer scenarios. The key is to ground your counter offer in your skills, experience and research. And to try to keep emotion out of it. A low offer can feel personal, but it's not. They have a budget and you have an acceptable range. Hopefully these two things come together. 

Fast forward to them accepting your counter offer and you accepting the job! 

Step 6: Take Stock

How did it go? I'd love to hear from you if you use any of these tips. If you do even one or two of these steps, it will make a big difference. And just in case you're working from old info, it turns out women actually negotiate salary more than men these days, but still get paid less on average. No matter who you are, grounding your floor, goal and counter offers in research, and effectively communicating your skills and experience is the very best way to earn what you deserve. 

I believe in you!