Negotiating compensation is one of the most daunting and nerve-wracking aspects of the job hunt. “What are your salary requirements?” is perhaps the most dreaded question I hear job seekers discuss. Start with too high of a figure and you may scare off a potential employer. Start too low and you may be leaving money on the table.
How and when you negotiate salaries requires different strategies depending on the type of position and employer. For example, playing hardball with an international organization with strict pay bands isn’t likely to get much traction, but may work when negotiating a consulting day rate with a private company.
READ: Salary negotiation strategies for aid workers and consultants: A primer