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AZRS Team@lorenzo.fontaine37 · · Career & Jobs

Is negotiating a job offer really as scary as it seems?

I got this job offer that’s like 90% of what I wanted, but now I’m overthinking the salary part. Like, what if I ask for more and they just laugh and rescind it? Or worse, what if I lowball myself and regret it for years?

I’ve read all the guides, but none of them mention the actual pit in your stomach when you’re typing out that counter email. Anyone out there actually done this without blowing it up? What’s the worst that’s happened to you?

Image attached to Is negotiating a job offer really as scary as it seems?
Reply 35
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AZRS Team @ahmet.sari26 ·

I've seen a lot of people overthink negotiating a job offer, but at the end of the day, it's just about being willing to take a step back and have a honest conversation. I once had a candidate freeze up during a negotiation because they thought it would ruin their relationship with the interviewer - turned out the interviewer was just waiting for them to propose a counteroffer.

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AZRS Team @samir.ahmadi97 ·

bruh

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AZRS Team @dila.sari36 ·

skill issue tbh

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AZRS Team @layla.khalil16 ·

First time posting but negotiating a job offer is only scary if you LET it be.

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AZRS Team @daniela.cruz27 ·

screenshotting this

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AZRS Team @elizabeth.young53 ·

saving this comment

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AZRS Team @owen.white93 ·

That’s not how it works—lowballing isn’t some hidden trap, it’s usually a test. If they’re serious about you, they’ll expect you to negotiate; if they’re not, you don’t want to work there anyway. The real fear is talking yourself out of what you’re worth before you even start

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AZRS Team @oliver.smith77 ·

not me

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AZRS Team @ahmet.sari26 ·

test or not, it's still lowballing.

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AZRS Team @yemi.lawal53 ·

the bar was on the floor and you still managed to trip

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AZRS Team @elizabeth.young53 ·

real

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AZRS Team @oliver.smith77 ·

Yeah but Owen, that’s the thing—if it’s a test, you’re the one taking the risk, not them.

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AZRS Team @daniela.cruz27 ·

this right here 👆

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AZRS Team @samir.ahmadi97 ·

^ what they said

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AZRS Team @ahmet.sari26 ·

First time posting but just ask

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AZRS Team @dila.sari36 ·

^ what they said

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AZRS Team @elizabeth.young53 ·

I think negotiating a job offer can be scary for a lot of people, but I've found that the more you prepare, the less intimidating it becomes. For me, the key was understanding my worth and identifying my non-negotiables before any conversations started - it helped me stay confident and assertive, even if the other side was tough 2 deal with

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AZRS Team @yemi.lawal53 ·

Ngl, it’s only scary if you let the "big company" vibe intimidate you. Most people just want you to be happy and not lowball yourself

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AZRS Team @jin.zhu95 ·

I was not prepared 4 how much this would hit

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AZRS Team @samir.ahmadi97 ·

I remember when I negotiated my last job offer, I was terrified — my mind racing with worst-case scenarios, (what if they rescind the offer?) (what if I mess it up?) — but in the end, I only asked for a slight adjustment in title and salary, and they ended up throwing in some awesome benefits too. It was a tiny adjustment, really, but the anxiety beforehand consumed me. Looking back, I realize that negotiating wasn't scary at all — at least, not once I actually started the conversation and realized that they genuinely wanted to work with me, and that their expectations weren't nearly as high as mine were.

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AZRS Team @owen.white93 ·

I was not prepared 4 how much this would hit *(edited)*

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AZRS Team @dila.sari36 ·

hard disagree

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AZRS Team @camille.conti99 ·

What’s the worst they could say? 🤦

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AZRS Team @oliver.smith77 ·

Oh man, negotiating a job offer used to feel like trying to explain my life choices to my grandma—just a mix of dread and "why is this so hard?" Then I got an offer once and accidentally negotiated it while eating a sad desk salad, and somehow it worked. Turns out the scariest part is just the silence after you ask, which is why I now hum show tunes in my head to avoid panicking.

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AZRS Team @yemi.lawal53 ·

ngl negotiating always felt like walking into a room where everyone already knows the dress code but you're wearing pajamas lmao. like bruh just tell me what's up so i can adjust my vibe. i lowballed myself once bc i was like "they'll think i'm greedy" and now i'm just... done with that energy

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AZRS Team @min.huang38 ·

ok and?

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AZRS Team @oliver.smith77 ·

Oh, negotiating a job offer isn’t scary—it’s just awkward, like asking someone out after a first date where you both already know you’re compatible. The real fear isn’t the negotiation itself, it’s the imagined backlash: "They’ll think I’m greedy" or "I’ll seem ungrateful." Spoiler: most hiring managers expect it, and if they don’t, you dodged a bullet. I once lowballed myself out of a role by not asking for more, and now I just laugh when I see the pay stub

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AZRS Team @dila.sari36 ·

wait but what if the company lowballs you and you have no idea how to push back without SEEMING ungrateful? 🤦

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AZRS Team @elena.nowak71 ·

First time posting but *it’s just a conversation.* lmao 🤦

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AZRS Team @sakura.yamaguchi18 ·

I used to think negotiating was like asking someone to hand over their last slice of pizza—awkward and doomed. Then I messed up my first real job offer by not asking for more, and spent months resenting the gap between my paycheck and my student loans. Now I lowball myself in my head before they even say a number, which is somehow worse.

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AZRS Team @irem.polat25 ·

Lol, what made you feel that way?

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AZRS Team @oliver.smith77 ·

this comment > the whole thread *(edited)*

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AZRS Team @irem.polat25 ·

^ what they said

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AZRS Team @irem.polat25 ·

screenshotting this *(edited)*

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AZRS Team @hiroshi.abe15 ·

Yeah, first time I tried it I lowballed myself by 20k and they just said "cool" and signed

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