How to Negotiate Salary for Your Next Career Move

Posted by Sydney Pro Resume Writing on 26 Jul 2025

Negotiating your salary is an extremely difficult process, since it is about balancing what you believe you’re worth with the amount an employer believes they’re able to afford. If it’s done right it can result in positive for both sides that results in a higher pay for the employee and a greater engagement of the employee in their job. Learn how to negotiate your salary confidently.

Key Takeaways

  • Before you negotiate your salary, research market rates and industry standards to confirm that your salary proposal is realistic.
  • Collect information through networking with colleagues, using websites like LinkedIn Salary and Glassdoor, and reaching out to professional networks.
  • Prepare talking points ahead of the time, including education and certifications and years of relevant experiences, achievements and results with a unique set of skills and qualifications, industry knowledge and the potential for further training.
  • During the negotiation, you must be assured and confident but remain flexible and open-minded. You should highlight tangible results you achieved in your previous roles.
  • Keep a positive and upbeat tone throughout the conversation, and make sure you are listening actively.

Do your research

Before you enter any pay negotiation, it’s crucial to conduct thorough research on standard industry rates and market rates to ensure that your salary suggestion is realistic. The factors that could affect this may include experience levels, the size of your company, and location (?). One great way to gather information is to make connections with colleagues or other professionals who are in the same job field.

Research Online

With the help of some online sources, like [LinkedIn Salarywith the help of certain online resources such as [LinkedIn Salary] (https: //www. linkedin. www.linkedin.com/salary) and [GlassdoorGlassdoor (https http://www. glassdoor. com/Salaries/index. Htm) you can get an extensive view of the range of benchmarking salaries companies pay for the same job. This will give you an idea of the current market prices and also other aspects related to the job.

Your Network Is Important

Gain insight by speaking to acquaintances who have had similar roles or reaching out via professionally-oriented networks as well as brainstorming members of professional associations.

Create Talking points

The time spent in preparing for a negotiation is always time well spent. You’ll be more confident when making your case if you have a clear set of talk points that you have outlined ahead of time.

Here are some ideas of items you might consider during your salary negotiation:

  • Certification and education
  • Years of relevant experience
  • Achievements and results
  • Unique set of skills and attributes (e.g. the ability to speak two languages)
  • Know-how in the field
  • Potential for training

A notepad or notebook can assist during conversations to ensure that you don’t miss any crucial points.

Be confident & concise

When you negotiate your salary it’s crucial to appear confident and articulate. Talk clearly about your work experience as well as your achievements and expectations for the job. It is important to keep your tone of voice positive throughout the discussion so that the person who is hiring you feels that you’re not coming across as insecure.

The Key to Tangible Results

Simply stating one is ambitious, hardworking, and goal-oriented may not be enough to create an strong appeal. It is important to present clear and precise data regarding how prior roles have made a an impact in the workplace or how important are certain skills that benefit the organization.

Stay flexible

If your employer isn’t able to your salary or compensation arrangement being flexible and open can allow room for discussions. It is possible to inquire about alternatives to incentives, such as performance-based bonus models instead of Base salary(? ).

You must remain professional during the negotiation process - regardless of how smoothly or badly it’s going fighting too much or making unreasonable demands could lead to a negative outcome for everybody who is involved.

Practice active listening

Listening is equally as important as communicating during these kinds of conversations. Listen attentively from the another party while you negotiate, listening to the requests carefully and clarifying questions if needed, but maintaining the what you originally requested. Both parties should ultimately arrive at acceptable outcomes.

Consider the lessons you’ve learned from these conversations and incorporate them into future negotiations that you’re likely to be involved in. By following the suggestions above, you will go a long way towards maximizing your chances of reaching an agreement that is mutually beneficial.

Your network is important Talk to your friends who have held similar roles or connect with the professional network in addition to brainstorming members of professional associations.
Make Talk points Certification and education, Years of relevant experience, Performance and accomplishments, Unique abilities and skills (e.g. the ability to speak two languages) and industry knowledge. ability to train
Be confident & concise Make sure you are clear about your experience your accomplishments and expectations for the job. Make sure you highlight tangible results.
Stay flexible Consider alternative incentives such as the performance-based bonuses instead of Base salary. (?). Make sure to remain professional throughout the negotiation process.
Practice active listening Listening is as crucial in these types of conversations. Learn from these discussions and incorporate them into future discussions you’ll likely be involved in.


Are you ready for your next job change? Take a look at the services of our Sydney Pro Resume Writing ‘s services today!

Frequently asked questions

What is salary negotiation?

The process involves negotiating and deciding on the compensation plan for a particular job. In this negotiation you are able to discuss more than only the base salary, but also other benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans as well as other benefits.

Why is it so important to bargain on salary?

Negotiating your salary could give you a better financial outlook and also show that you are aware of your worth. It will also allow you to not leave money on the table.

When should I begin to negotiate for a raise?

It is best to begin negotiations following the acceptance of an offer to ensure everyone is informed of what’s being discussed. Then, the discussions are focused on negotiating perfect terms while avoiding unexpected surprises.

What happens if I am satisfied with the deal I received without any negotiation?

If you are offered a job and are happy with it, there’s no reason to bargain. However, it’s essential to be clear about what the employers are willing to offer with regards to things like performance-based bonuses or career-training reimbursements.

What is the best way to negotiate my salary? changing careers?

Negotiating your salary after changing career paths may require added training because your previous work experiences may not be directly applicable or relate to the new duties. Study what similar positions in similar industries offer to have a clear idea of what realistic expectations are for you, based on your particular situation.

Are you ready for your next career change? Check our Sydney Pro Resume Writing ‘s services today!

Thank you for the lovely review Sharada, it really means a lot to our team at Sydney Resume. Wishing you absolutely every success with your new documents and a big thank you again.
Sharada Ragothaman
Sydney resume helped me land my dream job. Not only was the service second to none, but they genuinely cared to help me. After applying to more then 50 jobs and no call back, literally within a few days of getting my resume professionally written by Sydney Resume I couldn't keep up. If only I knew this was going to make such an impact to my job search I would of acted sooner. I cannot thank you guys enough, you have literally helped me land the job of my dreams.
Sandra Tricoli
Can not recommend highly enough....Tanja... gets results we had the best experience from start to finish..HIGHLY recommend if you want results.
Tem & Angie Kuru
I had an amazing experience with their service. This includes timely response, friendly service, professionalism, attention to details and high quality of the final product. Thank you for the wonderful experience.
Vaneeshal Shivali
I was amazed how quickly and efficiently my request was making progress during COVID lockdown. First I made a contact in the chat where we had a short conversation. Then Tanja and Gemma from Sydney Resume contacted me over the phone where we discussed the particulars. I am good in my specialty, but writing resumes is not my strongest skill. As a result I got the resume and the cover letter reworked really well. I believe my chances of getting a good job got way better now than before.
Kateryna D
I had Tanja write my personalised cover letter and resume, I cannot fault their quality and I'm hugely impressed it was worth every dollar. I'm just trying to make a career change and I feel this resume and cover letter were the missing link between me getting an interview or missing out. So well done to the team at Sydney resumes and a personal shout out to Tanja.
Blake Karafilis
Fantastic I had me update earlier in the year and got a new job a month later after receiving my new resume. Great Team and great service, I even have past on there details to others to call up to update. Will be calling again to get my linkedin account made 5 Stars all round
Mario Robertson
Modern, concise and professional Resume and cover letter! Fast turnaround and excellent communication - thoroughly recommend.
Mel Leatham
Excellent friendly service and outstanding results. Thanks Sydney Resume.
Ian Robinson
Came back better than expected. Very helpful throughout!
Tom Greenland
Avoid Leaving Money on the Table with These Salary Negotiation Strategies

Resume

We provide professional resume writing services.

Avoid Leaving Money on the Table with These Salary Negotiation Strategies

Cover Letter

We provide professional cover letter writing services.

Avoid Leaving Money on the Table with These Salary Negotiation Strategies

LinkedIn Profile

We provide professional linkedin profile writing services.

Avoid Leaving Money on the Table with These Salary Negotiation Strategies

Contact Us

Click the button below to get in touch.

About Us &

What We Do

We provide expert resume writing services and our very seasoned resume writers will make sure your resume stands out from the rest.

We’re a team of highly qualified and experienced Recruiters, consultants and HR Professionals who are dedicated to delivering an exceptional, well-written resume or cover letter.

We pride ourselves on our vast understanding of best-practice hiring methodologies and Australian recruitment standards. Also, our expertise in a wide range of industries and professions means that we can create a high-quality, powerful resume that meets your personal requirements.

Our end goal is to provide you with a striking and impressive resume that is perfectly optimised for success in the competitive Sydney job market.

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our writing services, so you can be sure 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
02 8036 2428