aaronsullivan•12d agoTop Commenter

My old boss told me to never accept the first salary offer and I learned why the hard way

Back in 2019 I was applying for a project coordinator job at a construction firm in Dallas. The HR lady called me with an offer of $48k and I was so excited I almost said yes right there. My buddy who used to manage a warehouse told me to counter with $52k no matter what. I felt stupid doing it but I asked for $52k and they came back with $50k plus an extra week of vacation. Turns out they had budgeted up to $55k for the role and I left $2k on the table by not asking higher. I still kick myself when I think about how much money I missed out on over 3 years. Has anyone else dealt with feeling awkward about negotiating and then regretting it later?

2 comments

2 Comments

nguyen.angela12d ago

Man I used to think negotiating was greedy but now I totally get it.

irisowens12d ago

I get that you changed your mind, but calling it "greedy" is still a bit much. Negotiating isn't about being greedy, it's about knowing your worth and making sure you're not getting taken advantage of. Companies have been lowballing people forever, and they don't think it's greedy when they do it. So asking for what you're actually worth is just basic fairness, not some kind of selfish move.