How to Negotiate Salary for Your Next Career Move

Posted by Bunbury Resume on 26 Aug 2025

A salary negotiation can be an arduous process because it involves balancing what think you’re worth versus the amount an employer believes they’re able to afford. But, if it’s done correctly it can be an enjoyable experience for both sides that results in a better salary for the employee, as well as greater satisfaction for the employees in their work. Here’s how you can bargain your salary in confidence.

Key Takeaways

  • Before you negotiate your salary take a look at market rates and industry standards to make sure that your salary request is realistic.
  • Collect information through connecting with colleagues through online resources such as LinkedIn Salary and Glassdoor, and contacting professional networks.
  • Create talking points ahead of the time, including education and certifications as well as years of relevant experience, results & achievements and unique skills capabilities, knowledge of the industry, and the potential for further training.
  • In the course of negotiations, you should be confident and clear, but be flexible and open. Show tangible results that you’ve achieved in your previous positions.
  • Maintain a positive mood throughout the conversation and be active in your listening.

Do your research

Before you enter any salary negotiation, you need to conduct thorough research on market rates and industry standards to make sure your salary offer is realistic. Things that may affect this may include the level of experience, level, company size and geographical location. (?). A great method of gathering information is through networking with colleagues and others within your job field.

Research Online

Utilizing internet-based resources like [LinkedIn SalaryUtilizing some of the online resources, such as [LinkedIn Salary (https: //www. linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/salary) and [Glassdoorglassdoor (https: //www. glassdoor. com/Salaries/index. htm) you can get an additional perspective on the range of benchmarking salaries that companies offer for the exact job. It will provide you with an idea about current market rates and other elements that are related to a job.

Your Network Is Essential

Learn more by talking to friends who have held similar roles or reaching out via professionals networks in addition to brainstorming members of professional organizations.

Plan Talk points

Preparing for a negotiation is always well spent. You’ll feel more confident when presenting your case if you are prepared with a specific outline of your talking points in advance.

Here are a few suggestions of what you might consider including in your salary negotiation:

  • Certification and education
  • Experience gained through years of relevant work
  • Results and achievements
  • Particular skill set and traits (e.g., bilingualism)
  • Industry-specific knowledge
  • Training potential

A notepad or notebook can be helpful during conversations so that you don’t miss any important details.

Be confident & concise

In a salary negotiation it is essential to be confident and articulate. Talk clearly about your work experience accomplishments, your job goals and achievements. It’s crucial to maintain a positive attitude throughout this conversation so that the employer feels like you’re not seeming hostile.

Show tangible results

Simply stating that one is ambitious, hardworking, and goal-oriented may not be enough for an strong appeal. So put forward clear statistics on how previous roles made significant difference to companies or how valuable are specific capabilities which benefit organisation

Remain flexible

If your employer cannot agree to your salary request or compensation package outright being flexible and open can help create space for dialogue. You can inquire about alternative rewards, like performance-based bonus structures instead of Base salary(? ).

Make sure to remain professional throughout the negotiation process - regardless of how successfully or badly it’s going fighting too much or making unreasonable demands is likely to have a negative impact for all parties involved.

Practice active listening

Listening is just as important as communicating in these types of conversations. Listen attentively from the other party during negotiations hearing the amount requested carefully and clarifying doubts, if necessary, while maintaining the their original request. In the end, both parties must achieve satisfactory results.

Use the lessons you’ve learned away from these conversations and incorporate it into any future discussions you’ll probably be involved in. Following the tips above goes an enormous way to increasing the chance of achieving positive, mutually beneficial results.

Your network is important Have a chat with friends who have had similar experiences or reach out via the professional network and brainstorming with members within professional organizations.
Make Talk points Training and certification, years of relevant work experience, results and accomplishments, Unique skill set and qualities (e.g. the ability to speak two languages), Industry knowledge, the potential for training
Be confident & concise Talk clearly about your personal experiences, achievements and job expectations. Make sure you highlight tangible results.
Stay flexible Find out about other incentives, such as bonuses based on performance instead of Base salary (?). Make sure to remain professional during the negotiation process.
Practice active listening Listening is equally important as communicating during these types of conversations. Take what you have learned from these conversations and incorporate it into any future discussions you’ll likely be involved in.


Ready for your next career change? Go through out Bunbury Resume ‘s services today!

Frequently asked questions

What is salary negotiation?

Negotiating salary is negotiating and deciding on the compensation plan for a job. Through this process you will be able to discuss not only your base salary but also other benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and more.

Why is it important to bargain on salary?

Negotiating your pay can provide you a more secure financial future and show you’re aware of what you’re worth. It will also allow you to not leave money on the table.

When should I begin to negotiate my salary?

It’s best to begin negotiating following the acceptance of an offer to ensure that all parties are conscious of what’s being discussed. In this way, negotiations will focus on securing the best terms, while avoiding any unpleasant surprises.

What if I am happy with the deal I received with no negotiation?

If you are offered a job and are content with it, there’s no need to discuss it. However, it’s still essential to have transparent communication about what the employer will offer in the form of rewards based on performance or reimbursements for career training.

What is the best way to negotiate my salary? I change careers entirely?

Negotiating your salary after changing career paths can require extra training because your previous work experience might not directly translate or overlap with new responsibilities. Research what similar roles in related fields pay to gain a robust comprehension of realistic expectations for yourself, in light of your specific circumstances.

Ready for your next career shift? Check out Bunbury Resume ‘s services today!

Incredibly satisfied with my experience using Bunbury Resume. Very little effort needed from myself, everything was taken care of by Tanja, who was very responsive and helpful. The resume and cover letter was very professional and detailed, I ended up getting a job offer within 2 weeks of using this resume.
Kimel Pillay
You guys did a great job on my Resume! much appreciated.
Dan S
Very well detailed resume written by Tanja, beyond my expectations.
Luke C
Excellent service and professional result for my resume and Linkedin profile. Had an actual experienced HR professional write my resume.
Ja C
Thank you for the lovely review Sharada, it really means a lot to our team at Bunbury Resume. Wishing you absolutely every success with your new documents and a big thank you again.
Sharada Ragothaman
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 Bunbury 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
Positive: Professionalism, Quality Tanja is fantastic, she was quick to respond, professional and provided me with a resume that far exceeded my expectations. Very happy, highly recommend
Arohaina Lomas
I used Bunbury Resume for a government role submission, which included a selection criteria response. I was very impressed and it landed me the job that i wanted. Thank you again.
Roger Berick
I found Tanya very prompt, she returned a resume and covering letter that looked and read very professionally within 4 days.
Athena Dennis
A wonderful team they have there at Bunbury resume - especially Tanya and Jaime. Tanya had made my super outdated resume look wonderful again and Jaime gave me an invaluable session and coaching on going for interviews. I highly recommend not only their resume writing services but also the interview coaching - especially for those who have been out of the workforce for a long time, it’ll definitely help one to be more confident and prepared for their next interview.
Meow Chan
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 offer expert resume writing services and our highly seasoned resume writers will ensure your resume stands out from the rest.

We’re a team of highly qualified and experienced HR professionals, recruiters, and consultants that are committed to delivering an excellent, well-written resume or cover letter.

We pride ourselves on our extensive knowledge of top-practice hiring methodologies and Australian recruitment standards. Plus, our expertise in a wide variety of professions, industries, and areas means that we can produce a high-quality, impactful resume that suits your specific needs.

Our end goal is to deliver you with an impressive, striking resume that is correctly maximised for success in Bunbury‘s competitive job market.

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our services, so you can be confident that you will be fully satisfied with your brand new cover letter or resume.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Make an Enquiry

Request a Quote

Fill out the form below to get in touch or call us today on
1300 871 072