I totally agree with you, under a lot of circumstances. Many job-hunters/HR reps treat the interview process as a one-time deal. Therefore, it is my responsibil

I totally agree with you, under a lot of circumstances. Many job-hunters/HR reps treat the interview process as a one-time deal. Therefore, it is my responsibility to prove my worth. When I negotiate a higher salary, it's not because I want the extra money (though it is a factor), it's because I want to prove to them I am worth at least that much to them (hopefully more). At the end of the day, unless I'm a terrible employee, the employer still profits off of me and still "wins." There might some some opportunity cost here and there (they could have hired person B for $X less!), so from there on out it is my job to prove that I am worth the $Y salary that I worked so hard to negotiate. I don't want them to think about the "what ifs" of not hiring me, I want them to see the value I put on the table. For me, personally, I always try to do my best work, no matter how much I am being paid (my latest contract job was $15/hour and was definitely way below my pay grade, but I put my best foot forward regardless). Since I know that many other people will only perform to the rate at which they think they should perform at that pay level, that puts me at an advantage. I can negotiate a higher salary and prove that I will always over-deliver, thereby proving my worth. I get a nicer salary, they get an exceptional employee, win-win. Of course, if I end up not performing up to the price I put on myself, then the company is not getting what they are paying for, and I'll probably find my name on the list of lay-offs when it comes to that. Rightfully so, too.