Cameron-brooks

Many blogs, books, and LinkedIn posts advocate negotiating the initial employment offer.  Their advice sounds well-intentioned and thoughtful on the surface.  They assume the company needs to provide a better offer, is holding back, and wants the candidate to negotiate. These resources provide the questions and statements to ask that will help the candidate earn more base salary, signing bonus, and potentially more vacation. Unfortunately, these well-intentioned advisors do not explain the risks of negotiating. When a candidate negotiates an offer, you are essentially turning down the initial offer and asking for a different one. For 23 years, I have advised military officers on transitioning well into business.  Transitioning well includes earning and accepting an offer professionally.  When these officers bring up the idea of negotiating an offer, I first want to understand their reasons.  If their primary reason is that is what they are being advised or read, I explain to them the downside before they sta