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I feel good about negotiating. I know that it’s good for me, my development and my wallet. But that doesn’t mean I get exactly what I want every time. In fact, I recently did some reflecting about how my early days of negotiations turned out.
The first time I negotiated was my second job out of college. My tactic was to explain that I’d be losing money to take the job. That was true—it was a job I wanted more than the one I had but it paid a little less. They didn’t budge.
The second time I negotiated was after a promotion. I got exactly what I asked for! It was an additional $400/year. This may have left a barely noticeable dent in my wallet but the exercise of negotiating and winning left me with a strengthened muscle and a readiness to try for more.
The third time I could have negotiated, I chose to pass. The last promotion had only been a few months prior. I was moving up in the company, saw a longterm future there for myself, and decided to be grateful for what they were offering. I’m not sure I would tell my younger self to do that if she asked me today.
My first big win came in my fourth negotiation—after a promotion. The big factor here was that I decided after I got the job that I would not do it unless they paid me what I was worth. I was truly ready to walk away—an event which we all knew would have triggered my quick departure from the company, leaving them searching for both a replacement for both the job I had and the one they were offering me. In the end I negotiated for 20% more than what they originally offered. From the salary I had it was a significant 32% increase.
Since then I’ve won some and lost some but my muscle for negotiating has only gotten stronger. And in the big curve of my earning, I’m on the upswing which means that even if I don’t win every time I’m still moving in the right direction.