How to Negotiate Salary for Your Next Career Move

Posted by Manukau Resume on 16 May 2026

A salary negotiation can be an arduous process because it is about balancing what you consider your worth and what an employer thinks they can afford. But, if it’s done correctly it can be an enjoyable experience for both sides that results in a better salary for the employee as well as greater employee engagement in their work. Here’s how you can negotiate your salary confidently.

The most important takeaways

  • Before you negotiate your salary, research market rates and industry standards to confirm that your salary proposal is realistic.
  • Find out information by networking with colleagues, using online resources like LinkedIn Salary and Glassdoor, as well as reaching out to professional networks.
  • Prepare talking points ahead of time, including education and accreditation and years of relevant experiences, achievements and results as well as unique skill sets and qualities, industry knowledge, and potential for training.
  • During negotiations, be confident and articulate but also flexible and open-minded. Show tangible results that you’ve achieved in your previous positions.
  • Keep a positive and upbeat tone throughout the conversation and practice active listening.

Do your research

Before you enter any negotiations regarding salary, it’s essential to conduct thorough research on market rates and industry standards to make sure your salary offer is realistic. The factors that could affect this include your experience levels, the size of your company, and location (?). A great method of gathering information is to make connections with colleagues and 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: //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 range of benchmarking salaries that companies offer for the exact job. It will provide you with an idea of the current market rate plus few other facets of an employment.

Your Network Is Vital

Get insight from talking to people who have had similar positions, or contacting them through professionally-oriented networks as well doing brainstorming members within professional organizations.

Plan Talking points

Time spent preparing for any negotiations is always a good time spent. You’ll be much more confident in giving your argument if you have a clear outline of your talking points prior to the time.

Here are some suggestions of what you may want to consider during your salary negotiation:

  • Certification and education
  • Experience gained through years of relevant work
  • Results and achievements
  • Unique skill set and qualities (e.g. bilingualism)
  • Industry knowledge
  • Potential for training

Also keeping notes/notebook handy can assist during conversations to ensure that you don’t miss any important information.

Be confident & concise

In a salary negotiation, it’s important to be confident and articulate. Be clear about your experience as well as your achievements and expectations for the job. It’s crucial to maintain a positive attitude throughout this dialogue so that the employer doesn’t feel like you’re appearing to be unfriendly.

Show tangible results

Simply stating one is driven, hardworking, and goal-oriented may not be enough to make an appealing appeal. Therefore, provide clear data regarding the ways in which previous jobs made an impact in the workplace or how important are certain capabilities that can benefit an organization.

Remain flexible

If the employer cannot agree to your salary request or compensation package outright being flexible and open can help create space for discussion. You can inquire about alternative rewards, like performance-based bonus structures instead of Base salary(? ).

Be sure remain professional throughout the negotiation - regardless of how successfully or not: being too combative or making unreasonable demands could cause a negative result for everybody who is involved.

Practice active listening

Listening is as crucial as communicating during these types of conversations. Pay attention to any other participant during negotiations, observing the amount requested carefully and clarifying doubts as much as you can while remaining in the spirit of your initial request. Both parties should ultimately be able to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

Use the lessons you’ve learned from these conversations and incorporate it into any future negotiations that you’re likely to be involved in. Following the tips above goes far in maximizing your chances of reaching mutually beneficial outcomes.

Your Network is Important Contact friends and acquaintances who have held similar roles or connect with professional networks and brainstorming with members of professional associations.
Make Talk points Certification and education, Years of relevant experience and accomplishments, Unique skills and characteristics (e.g., bilingualism), Industry knowledge, Training potential
Be confident & concise Speak clearly about your experiences as well as your achievements and expectations. Focus on tangible results.
Be flexible Find out about other incentives, such as incentive structures based on performance rather than Base salary (?). Be sure remain professional during the negotiation.
Practice active listening Listening is equally as important as speaking during these kinds of conversations. Take what you have learned from these discussions and incorporate them into future negotiations that you’re likely to take part in.


Are you looking forward to your next career change? Take a look at our Manukau Resume ‘s services today!

Frequently asked questions

What is salary negotiation?

Salary negotiation is the process of discussing and finalizing the compensation package for a particular job. During this process you will be able to discuss not just the salary you earn, but also other benefits, such as retirement plans, health insurance, and more.

Why why is it important to bargain on salary?

Negotiating your pay can provide you a more secure financial future as well as indicate that you know your worth. It will also allow you to not leave money on the table.

When should I start negotiating my salary?

It is recommended to begin negotiations after you have received an offer, so that everyone is aware of the terms being discussed. This way, the negotiations are focused on securing the best terms, while avoiding any unintentional surprises.

What if I am happy with the package I was offered without any negotiation?

If you receive an offer and are content with it, there may be no need to bargain. It’s nevertheless important to be clear about what employers will provide in the form of the performance-based bonus or career-training reimbursements.

Can I negotiate my salary if changing careers?

Negotiating salary when you change career paths may require added training because your previous work experiences might not translate or overlap with new responsibilities. Learn about the salaries similar to those in similar fields pay to gain a robust understanding of realistic expectations for you, considering your particular situation.

Are you ready for your next career move? Check our Manukau Resume ‘s services today!

Tanya created a resume and cover letter for me. Her writing is powerful and wonderfully descriptive yet succinct where it needs to be; and perfectly summarised all of my ideas. Her communication was efficient and punctual, and I received my final products within two working days of payment. Thank you Tanya!
Isaac Groves
Absolutely the BEST. Tanja was very professional and kind and took the time to really understand my career change and what it was that i wanted out of my new resume. Cant recommend enough
Jack Taylor
Thank you for a job well done. My resume now stands out from the rest, and it has a real modern appeal. I appreciate the excellent customer service and prompt delivery of the documents.
Kaye Ramos
Highly recommended. Very thankful to Tanja as she has done excellent job with my CV and Cover letter..I had been applying to many office related jobs but my resume never been selected to any job. Having IT background was working hard jobs..with Tanjs s excellent resume writing made my cv selecting to all jobs I have applied...I have got professional job within a month..very Thankful to Tanja..worth for the price..
Indhu sree
Tanja has put together a fantastic resume and cover letter for me. Her understanding, enthusiasm and turn around was great and I could not be happier with the result. Thanks again Tanja!
D. Ah
Outstandingly professional! Jamie sat me down and went through my entire career history and wrote out an excellent and professional Resume and Cover letter for me. Great value for money.
Vaughn Bond
Response from the ownera year ago Hi Lyssa, thank you so much for your wonderful rating. It was a pleasure assisting you and we wish you every success with your new documents.
Lyssa E
The quality of their work is top rate and it arrived within the specified time. Their communication throughout the entire process was very good, also. I am very pleased with the results and would recommend their services 100%.
Michael Cassin
Tanja was great and always got back very quickly. Highly recommend
Brett Hain
I would highly recommend Manukau Resume. Tanja, my writer, was very knowledgeable and understands resumes from a recruiters perspective. Tanja did a complimentary review for me initially and then gave me a great resume and cover letter to follow. Great service, thanks guys!
Kevin Michael
Maximizing Your Earnings with Strong Negotiation Tactics

Resume

We provide professional resume writing services.

Maximizing Your Earnings with Strong Negotiation Tactics

Cover Letter

We provide professional cover letter writing services.

Maximizing Your Earnings with Strong Negotiation Tactics

LinkedIn Profile

We provide professional linkedin profile writing services.

Maximizing Your Earnings with Strong Negotiation Tactics

Contact Us

Click the button below to get in touch.

About Us &

What We Do

We offer professional resume writing services and our highly experienced resume writers will ensure that your resume stands out from the crowd.

We’re a team of highly certified and experienced HR professionals, recruiters, and consultants that are committed to providing you with an excellent, well-written resume or cover letter.

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

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

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

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Make an Enquiry

Request a Quote

Fill out the form below to get in touch or call us today on
0800 024 129