Go in and ask for what you want. If you don't get what you want, move on and don't accept their crappy excuses. If you do get what you want, take it. Do researc

Go in and ask for what you want. If you don't get what you want, move on and don't accept their crappy excuses. If you do get what you want, take it. Do research first to ensure that "what you want" is in line with "what you deserve". Negotiation generally boils down to a game of chicken. Are you really going to leave the offer on the table if they don't bump the wage? Are they really going to pass on you and find someone that's cheaper if they've already decided they like you and want to hire you? Negotiation would be a really straightforward thing if people were willing to be honest about things. For our purposes, "hardball" negotiation is just annoying, and the tactics listed here are dishonest, some blatantly (like pretending you have to get approval from someone when you really don't). It always lessens my opinion of the person when I can tell they're employing "negotiation tactics". The places where you may legitimately need these skills tend to be more on the side of interrogation than establishing compensation.