Negotiation Course: Misconceptions Around Negotiating

Given how taboo money + compensation is, there are unsurprisingly many misconceptions about negotiation. Here are 3 common lies you may have heard about negotiation:

Myth #1: "Your offer will get rescinded if you negotiate." Companies will never rescind your offer for simply negotiating if you do it in good faith and you're not lying about it. Once you’ve gotten to the offer stage, the company has invested many hours of time evaluating you, so it'd be irrational for them to withdraw the offer simply because you're curious about the compensation package.

Myth #2: "Negotiation makes you look cheap." In fact, quite the opposite. Negotiating effectively shows that you're a high-value candidate, and that you understand the value you're bringing to the company.

Myth #3: "Someone will get less if you get more." This is not how tech job offers work. The technology industry (at least the VC-backed companies that employ the majority of people) is focused on rapid growth. These companies are generally more concerned about growth rather than trying to save money through small compensation adjustments.

File all this under fake news!