Women face a unique set of challenges when negotiating job offers. Being viewed as ‘pushy’ when advocating for salary is an unfortunate bias that holds many women back from achieving wage parity in the workplace. It’s no wonder that when compared to men they’re far more likely to take that first offer; comparatively, men are 8x more likely to negotiate a higher starting salary.

A recent study out of Australia also found that when women actually do ask for raises, they are less likely to get one. (Rock, meet hard place.)

Same game, different ballpark.

Negotiation is, unfortunately, different for men and women out of necessity. It’s common knowledge that women in the US earn only 77.4% of men’s annual salary and data confirms the existence of workplace bias. Ladies, effectively sharpening your negotiation skills will help you to achieve your career goals beyond a salary. Whether you’re in the early stages of navigating the job market or you have an offer on the table you should be empowered to negotiate your next job contract.

So how do you prepare, especially if you’re not a “negotiator”? You obviously don’t want to ask for too much and risk coming across as out of touch, or get lowballed (so-to-speak).

But, first — here’s some surprising data:

According to TalentWorks data, being a job seeking woman gives you about a 50% hireability boost over men. Resumes with obviously female names had a +48.3% higher chance of getting an interview.

We believe this is indicative of many reasons: women outperforming men in college (last fall women made up 56% of university students on campus nationwide), most recruiters are women, and how hiring and promoting more women boosts your bottom line.

Know your salary scale.

Before you’re offered the job, make sure you’re aware of the industry standard of pay (at least what is typical) for this position. Also, understand that your location, skill set, the industry, years of experience, and education/certifications all represent factors that you should leverage when nailing down the offer.

“To begin with, do your research.” says Erin Feldman, Senior TalentAdvocate with TalentWorks. “Try using a Fair Pay calculator or similar tool to be able to go into your negotiations informed. This will give you an idea of what folks in similar positions are making in your area. Then be sure to consider non-monetary compensation such as benefits, PTO, retirement, flex-scheduling, and the option to telecommute. These can have just as much value (if not more!) than salary alone.”

Frame your requests.

Every administrative assistant, programmer, and business analyst comes with a unique background. If you have skills that range beyond that of the job description, consider positioning them in way that ties back to the business. For example, if you’re a marketing manager with advanced SQL skills you can leverage the fact that not only do you have data analytics chops but database management experience that can directly contribute to advanced lead analysis. Know your strengths and differentiators.

Demonstrate your effectiveness.

Negotiation is an art, and you need to master it. Studies have shown that by using a certain negotiating strategy, specifically, saying “I’m hopeful you’ll see my skill at negotiating as something important I bring to the job” women improve both their social and negotiating outcomes. By knowing your worth as a candidate and presenting it in a relatable, personable manner you are not only effectively negotiating but making a good first impression as being a capable employee.

Maintain perspective, but don’t be afraid to walk away.

If you’ve done your research, asked for market rate, and are being reasonable if presented a low offer (and it’s becoming a back-and-forth), don’t be afraid to bail. Understand their constraints (i.e. salaries are determined by departmental budget), but hiring managers do in fact have wiggle room. It’s your job to figure out where they’re flexible (and where they’re not) and if that works for you.

Conclusion

Negotiating a job offer is part of the job search process. The more prepared you are to do so, the better you will fare. Remember that salary is important, but consider the whole deal such as the job’s potential for growth, flexibility with hours, and perks. Your goal is to position yourself effectively and get the job right.

Need some 1:1 practice with an actual hiring manager? For $10/month we can automatically find the best jobs and pre-fill job applications for you based on your desired role, location and years of experience. In addition, you’ll get our Interview Guarantee — if we can’t get you an interview within 60 days, we’ll refund everything back to you, guaranteed. (90% of job-seekers using TalentWorks get an interview in 60 days or less).