Most of us think that the hardest part of job searching was getting an offer. Turns out, the hardest part can come right after.
By the time an offer finally lands, you’re usually drained. Months of applications, rejections, or worse - silence. Your savings are shrinking. You've rehearsed every possible interview answer in the mirror. Then at last, a company says yes. Relief floods in. You want to sign instantly, just to stop the bleeding.
And that's exactly why so many of us don’t negotiate. It feels risky, like pushing too far when you should be grateful. I’ve felt that hesitation myself: What if they pull the offer? What if they think I'm difficult?
But here's the thing I keep reminding myself: employers expect negotiation. The salary they first put forward isn't always their best - it's their opening line. By saying nothing, you can end up starting a new chapter already underpaid, carrying that decision into every paycheck.
Negotiation isn't about greed. It's about respect - yours and theirs. It's saying: I value the work I’'l bring. Do you?
I wish someone had told me this earlier in my career: the offer is not the end of the process, it's the beginning of a conversation.
What about you? Have you ever taken less than you should have, just because you were too tired to fight one more battle?