How to negotiate the salary for your first job: ‘Employers are expecting you to,’ says expert

Why is advocating for yourself important? Because what you do with your first job offer is the foundation for all your future roles. Negotiate a higher first salary and when it’s time for your next, you will be starting from a higher level. Fail to negotiate, and you’re starting behind — especially since a company’s first offer may not be its best.

“No employer is just going to offer you the most they’re willing to pay,” said Linda Babcock, professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University and author of books such as “Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation.” “They’re trying to get you as cheap as they can.

“Nothing personal — it’s just business.”

New grads often think they don’t have any leverage to negotiate their first job offer, but that’s not true.

“You have more leverage than you think,” said Carter, who is also the author of “Ask for More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything.” “You start by focusing on your strengths.

“Just because you’re short on experience doesn’t mean that you’re short on value,” she added “Part of career success is learning to tell the story of who you are and the kinds of problems you can solve for the company.”

Your negotiation starts from the minute you sit down for that first interview, Carter said.

“Negotiating isn’t just about numbers; it’s also about messages,” she said. “You want to be teaching that employer how to value you and how to think about what you bring to the table from that first interaction.”

These three strategies may help:

1. Research typical salaries. Go in with an understanding of what the going rate is for the job you are applying for. Companies are increasingly posting salary ranges for jobs, thanks to pay-transparency laws. But it’s also a good idea to do your own homework, using Glassdoor, Salary.com or other job sites that post salaries. It’s also a good idea to reach out to a friend or mentor in the industry to get a sense of the salary for this position. If you know someone at the company you are applying to — even better.
2. Set the right tone. You want to come off as confident and friendly in your request for higher pay. Carter says think of that person you are negotiating with as a partner, not an adversary. “I have a saying in negotiation: ‘I never request — I recruit,'” Carter said. “I want to pull that person around to my side of the table so that we are working on a common objective. In this case, it’s ‘Here’s what I’m bringing to the table and here’s what the company is bringing to the table and how can we make this package something that excites us both.'”
3. Emphasize your strengths. You may not have a ton of work experience but what you do have is a new degree. And while you might not think of being fresh out of college as an advantage — it is. It means you have been trained on the latest technology and developments in your field, so you could bring skills and competencies to the company that its existing employees don’t have.

Everyone tries not to be the first to throw out a number, but then there it is: The recruiter or interviewer asks what salary range you’re looking for. How do you answer that?

“I’d say, ‘Thank you for asking. Tell me more how the company is seeing that range and how a candidate fits within that,'” Carter explained. “In other words, I want to understand first, before I put out a number, the way that the company is valuing various factors.”

For example, if they say $100,000 is for people with two years of experience and $50,000 is for people who are right out of college — that gives you your answer right there, Carter said.

If they say that it’s really a case-by-case basis, then you go back to that advice to focus on your strengths.

“If I’m able to tell a story about how my qualifications, my education, my experiences are going to make a substantial impact right away, then I can go in right away and negotiate for more,” Carter said. “I would not put out a number until I thoroughly understood how the company is viewing that range.”

Yes, you can ask them what the salary range is for this position, but timing is everything. Don’t just blurt out: “How much does this job pay?” Instead, wait until after you’ve asked a lot of information about the role and responsibilities and already talked about what you bring to the table.

Then, Carter suggests saying: “I’ve enjoyed these conversations, and I’d just love to make sure that we are aligned on compensation. Can you tell me more about how the company is thinking about compensation for this role?”