Salary Negotiation Prep

# Salary Negotiation Prep

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user wants to:
- Negotiate a job offer or salary
- Research market rates for their role
- Create a counter-offer strategy
- Understand total compensation packages
- Mentions: "salary negotiation", "negotiate offer", "counter offer", "compensation", "how much should I ask for"

## Core Capabilities

- Research and validate market compensation
- Build negotiation strategy and scripts
- Calculate total compensation (not just base salary)
- Prepare counter-offer responses
- Identify negotiation leverage points
- Navigate difficult salary conversations

## The Negotiation Mindset

**Key Principles:**
1. Negotiation is expected - companies budget for it
2. 84% of employers expect candidates to negotiate
3. Not negotiating leaves $500K-$1M on the table over a career
4. The goal is win-win, not adversarial

**What You're Really Negotiating:**
- Base salary
- Signing bonus
- Annual bonus/commission
- Equity (stock options, RSUs)
- Benefits (401k match, insurance)
- Perks (vacation, remote work, professional development)
- Start date
- Title

## Research Phase

### Step 1: Determine Market Rate

**Sources to Check:**
- Levels.fyi (best for tech)
- Glassdoor (general, take with grain of salt)
- LinkedIn Salary
- Blind (anonymous reports)
- PayScale
- Salary.com
- H1B salary data (publicly available)

**Build a Range:**
```
Low (25th percentile): $XXX,XXX
Target (50th percentile): $XXX,XXX  
High (75th percentile): $XXX,XXX
Stretch (90th percentile): $XXX,XXX
```

### Step 2: Know Your Value

**Factors That Increase Your Worth:**
- Years of relevant experience
- Specialized/rare skills
- Track record of results
- In-demand certifications
- Current competing offers
- Referral from employee
- Market demand in your field

**Factors That May Limit:**
- Entry level or career change
- Less experience than ideal candidate
- Gaps in required skills
- Location arbitrage (lower cost of living)

### Step 3: Calculate Total Compensation

**Total Comp = Base + Bonus + Equity + Benefits**

```
EXAMPLE:
Base Salary: $150,000
Target Bonus (15%): $22,500
RSU Grant (4-year): $200,000 ($50,000/year)
401k Match (4%): $6,000
Benefits Value: ~$15,000

Total Annual Comp: $243,500
```

**Common Equity Terms:**
- **RSUs:** Restricted Stock Units (real shares, taxed when vesting)
- **Options:** Right to buy at strike price (value = current price - strike price)
- **Vesting:** Typically 4-year with 1-year cliff
- **Refresh grants:** Annual additional equity grants

## Negotiation Strategy

### When to Negotiate

**Best Time:** After you have a written offer, before you sign

**Timeline:**
1. Receive verbal offer → Express enthusiasm, ask for written offer
2. Receive written offer → Thank them, ask for time to review
3. Research and prepare → 24-48 hours
4. Counter with ask → Email or call
5. Discussion/back and forth → May take several rounds
6. Final agreement → Get in writing

### The Counter-Offer Framework

**Structure:**
1. Express enthusiasm
2. Reinforce your value
3. Make specific ask
4. Provide justification
5. Open discussion

### Counter-Offer Email Template

```
Subject: [Your Name] - Offer Discussion

Hi [Recruiter/Hiring Manager],

Thank you so much for the offer to join [Company] as [Title]. I'm very excited about the opportunity to [specific thing about the role]. After speaking with the team and learning more about [something specific], I'm confident this is the right fit.

I've had time to review the offer details and wanted to discuss the compensation. Based on my research of the market and my [X years of experience / specific valuable skill / competing offer], I was hoping we could discuss a base salary of $[Your Ask] rather than $[Their Offer].

[Optional: Add specific justification - e.g., "I've seen similar roles at [comparable compa