How to Negotiate Salary for Your Next Career Move

Posted by Cairns Resume on 1 Apr 2025

Negotiating your salary is a difficult conversation, as it requires you to balance what you consider your worth and what your employer believes they’re able to pay. If it’s done right it can be a positive experience for both the employer and employee, which results in a greater salary for the employee, as well as greater engagement of the employee in their job. Here’s how to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Important Takeaways

  • Before you make a salary offer make sure you research market rates as well as industry standards to confirm that the salary you request is reasonable.
  • Collect information through networking with colleagues, using websites like LinkedIn Salary and Glassdoor, and reaching out to professional networks.
  • Plan your talk points ahead of time, including education & certifications and years of relevant experience, the results and achievements as well as unique skill sets and abilities, industry expertise, and the potential for further training.
  • In the course of negotiations, you should be confident and articulate but also flexible and open. Bring out tangible results you’ve achieved in your previous positions.
  • Maintain a positive mood throughout the conversation, and make sure you are listening actively.

Do your research

Prior to entering any pay negotiation, it’s crucial to do thorough research on market rates and industry standards to ensure that your salary request is reasonable. Things that may affect this could include the level of experience, degree, size of the company as well as location. (?). Another great method to gather information is through networking with colleagues or others in your chosen area of work.

Research Online

With the help of some online resources, such as [LinkedIn Salarywith the help of certain online resources such as [LinkedIn Salary] (https http://www. linkedin. http://www.linkedin.com/salary) and [Glassdoorglassdoor (https http://www. glassdoor. com/Salaries/index. http://www.salaries.com/index.html) you will get a more comprehensive information about the benchmarking range of salaries businesses are providing for same job. This will give you an idea of the market rate and a few other aspects related to the job.

Your Network is Essential

Gain insight by speaking to colleagues who have been in similar roles or reaching out through professionals networks in addition to brainstorming members of professional organizations.

Create talking points

Preparing for any negotiation is always time well spent. You’ll feel more confident when giving your argument if you are prepared with a specific outline of your talking points prior to the time.

Here are a few instances of things that you might consider including in your salary negotiation:

  • Training and certification
  • Years of relevant experience
  • Results and achievements
  • Particular skill set and traits (e.g. language proficiency,)
  • Industry-specific knowledge
  • Potential for training

A notepad or notebook can assist during conversations to ensure that you don’t miss any important points.

Be confident & concise

During a salary negotiation, it’s important to be confident and clear. Talk clearly about your work experience, achievements and job expectations. It’s crucial to maintain your tone of voice positive throughout the conversation to ensure that your employer isn’t appearing to be hostile.

Show tangible results

Simply stating that someone is driven, hardworking, and focused may not be enough to generate an strong appeal. It is important to present clear and precise data regarding the ways in which previous jobs made difference in companies or the value of specific abilities that benefit the organization.

Be flexible

If your employer isn’t able to your requested salary or compensation package, remaining flexible and open-minded will help open the door to discussions. You can inquire about alternatives to incentives, such as performance-based bonus structures instead of Base salary(? ).

Keep your cool throughout the negotiation process regardless of how successfully or poorly it’s going: getting too defensive or imposing unreasonable demands could lead to a negative outcome for all parties who is involved.

Practice active listening

Listening is as crucial as communicating during these kinds of conversations. Pay attention to your counterpart during negotiations. Listen to requested amount carefully & clarifying doubts as much as you can while maintaining the initial request. The goal is to be able to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

Use the lessons you’ve learned away from these conversations and incorporate it into any future talks you’re likely to participate in. Following the tips above goes far in maximizing your chances of reaching an agreement that is mutually beneficial.

Your network is important Speak to friends who have had similar experiences or connect with networking networks for professionals as well as brainstorming members within professional organizations.
Prepare talking points Education & certification, Years of relevant experience, Results and accomplishments, Unique skill set and qualities (e.g. bi-lingualism) Knowledge of the industry, Training potential
Be confident & concise Be clear about your experience, achievements and job expectations. Focus on tangible results.
Keep your mind open Consider alternative incentives such as incentive structures based on performance rather than Base salary. (?). Make sure to remain professional during the negotiation process.
Practice active listening Listening is equally important as communicating during these types of conversations. Learn from these conversations and incorporate it into any future negotiations that you’re likely to take part in.


Are you ready for your next job change? Check for our Cairns Resume ‘s services today!

Frequently asked questions

What is salary negotiation?

The process involves negotiating and finalizing the compensation package to be paid for your job. Through this process you will be able to discuss not only your base salary but also benefits like retirement plans, health insurance as well as other benefits.

Why is it so important to negotiate a salary?

Negotiating your salary can give you a more secure financial future as well as show that you’re aware of what you’re worth. It will also allow you to not leave money on the table.

When should I start negotiating a salary?

It is ideal to begin negotiations after receiving an offer so that all parties are conscious of what’s being discussed. This way, the discussions are focused on negotiating optimal terms and avoid surprise.

What if I am content with the offered package without negotiating?

If you get an offer and are content with it, there’s no need to bargain. However, it’s essential to communicate clearly what the employer will offer in terms of things like the performance-based bonus or career-training reimbursements.

Do I have the option of negotiating my salary when switching careers completely?

The negotiation of salary for changing career paths may require added planning because your prior experience might not directly translate or encapsulate new responsibilities. Find out what similar jobs in related industries pay to gain a robust idea of what realistic expectations are for yourself, given your particular situation.

Are you looking forward to your next career shift? Take a look at out Cairns Resume ‘s services today!

The whole process with Cairns Resume writers, from start to finish was so seamless and professional. I am so so happy with the product I received and can’t say thank you enough!
Beth Hillen
Thank you to Jamie from Cairns Resume who was so patient and thorough with me during this process. I absolutely love my new documents! Thank you again. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Jodie Morris
Super fast, professional service, these guys saved my day.
Jo-anne Murray
A quick turnaround - easy to share my information and I am really happy with my new CV.
L L
I would highly recommend the services of Cairns Resume to anyone who is looking for a professional service with friendly and reliable staff. Nothing was too difficult, great communication and the finished product was delivered in a timely manner to a very high standard.
Jason Rigby
I found the service very professional and my new resume and cover letter are great. The team was very helpful and responsive to all of the questions i had.
Jodie Morris
Trying to remove but unable to ATM. Sorry about the mistake. Have changed review but if I can remove it I will.
Lina Stead
I was amazed how quickly and efficiently my request was making progress during COVID lockdown. First I made a contact in the chat where we had a short conversation. Then Tanja and Gemma from Cairns Resume contacted me over the phone where we discussed the particulars. I am good in my specialty, but writing resumes is not my strongest skill. As a result I got the resume and the cover letter reworked really well. I believe my chances of getting a good job got way better now than before.
Kateryna D
Very professional, fast and affordable. Great Resume and CV. I shopped around and glad I did. Thank you Tanja and team!
Migaloo
Absolutely fantastic professional speedy service, didn't need to request/make any modifications to resume or cover letters. Very friendly to deal with. Highly recommended.
Grant Leane
The Art of Negotiating Your Next Job Offer’s Salary Package

Resume

We provide professional resume writing services.

The Art of Negotiating Your Next Job Offer’s Salary Package

Cover Letter

We provide professional cover letter writing services.

The Art of Negotiating Your Next Job Offer’s Salary Package

LinkedIn Profile

We provide professional linkedin profile writing services.

The Art of Negotiating Your Next Job Offer’s Salary Package

Contact Us

Click the button below to get in touch.

About Us &

What We Do

We provide professional resume writing services and our very seasoned resume writers will make sure that your resume stands out from the crowd.

We are a team of highly certified and seasoned HR professionals, recruiters, and consultants that are dedicated to delivering an excellent, well-written resume or cover letter.

We pride ourselves on our vast knowledge of top-practice hiring methodologies and Australian recruitment standards. Plus, our expertise in a vast variety of industries and professions means that we can produce a high-quality, impactful resume that suits your personal requirements.

Our goal is to deliver you with a striking and impressive resume that is correctly optimised for success in Cairns‘s competitive job market.

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our writing services, so you can be confident that you will be happy with your brand new cover letter or resume.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Make an Enquiry

Request a Quote

Fill out the form below to get in touch or call us today on
1300 291 283