Negotiating Offers

Negotiating a job offer can be a crucial step in securing a favorable employment package that aligns with your career goals and values. While it may feel intimidating, negotiation is a common practice in the hiring process and can lead to a more satisfactory outcome for both you and your prospective employer.

Approach this process with confidence, do your research, and keep your career goals in mind. Remember that negotiation is a two-way process, and both you and the employer should feel satisfied with the outcome. Approach the negotiation with confidence, but also be prepared to compromise to reach a fair and mutually beneficial agreement. Good luck with your negotiation!

Need more? Be sure to stop by the Career Hub (SPEA Suite 200) any time Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm for guidance. No appointment needed!

The resources in this section will assist you with the strategies to think about when you are in need of negotiating for a more solid employment offer.

Job Benefits video explaining steps to exploring your worth as an employee.

Harvard Law School: 3 Winning Strategies when considering how to negotiate salary, job candidates sometimes make decisions that go against their best interests. Research suggests guidelines for effective salary negotiation.

Balancemony.com “How to Negotiate, Accept, or Decline a Job Offer” article discusses how a job offer can be an exciting time, but you may be wondering exactly what your next step is. Even if you plan to accept, you shouldn’t do so without considering the full offer. If you are likely going to decline, you’ll want to do so in a way that won’t burn any professional bridges. Finally, if you are planning to negotiate, you’ll want to make sure you follow the correct steps.


Even though having a conversation about compensation can be uncomfortable, it’s important to do so sooner rather than later to research industry geographical standards for salary and benefits.

The sample decision matrix shows how to rank the TOP FIVE criteria for making a job decision by using rankings of 1 = least to 5 = most important.

SimplyHired allows you to easily search millions of jobs with salary estimator and company reviews.

Salary Negotiation Guide to unlock your worth and ignite your talents’ potential with salary negotiation resources.

Salary.com helps you to understand your worth and plan your next career move with easy-to-use tools such as salary research, cost of living calculator, etc.

Glassdoor is a multi-purpose site in which you can review salary information by occupation, industry, and company. In addition to its amazing salary database, job-seekers can also research prospective employers — and even search for new jobs. When it comes to negotiation preparation, Glassdoor is an important tool.

Bestplaces.net is easy to use whether you are moving, changing jobs, or asking for a salary increase our tool can tell you how much more or less you need to maintain your same standard of living

Each government job has a salary range defined by steps within a pay grade. There is a range that the HR specialist and supervisor may have in mind to offer, depending on your years of experience, specialized experience, your critical skills you may be able to negotiate.

General guidelines and discussion of misconceptions in federal hiring practices.

The core of LegiStorm Pro is the industry’s most accurate, timely and comprehensive database of contact and biographical data on congressional staff. It tracks legislative issues covered, roles and titles, education and work histories, disclosures, social media links, and other contextual information.

The Office of Personnel Management provides policy leadership and expertise on a variety of Governmentwide pay programs for Federal employees, including the General Schedule (GS), Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Pay Schedules, and the Federal Wage System (FWS).

Career Service Hours

Day of the week
Daily Drop-in Office Hours
Monday 11:00 - 3:00 8:00 - 5:00
Tuesday 11:00 - 3:00 8:00 - 5:00
Wednesday 11:00 - 3:00 8:00 - 5:00
Thursday 11:00 - 3:00 8:00 - 5:00
Friday 11:00 - 3:00 8:00 - 5:00

Can’t make it to the Studio during Drop-In hours? Virtual appointments are available upon request via Handshake.

Contact & Location

Phone
(812) 855-9639
Address

1315 E. 10th Street, Room 200
Bloomington, IN 47405