Before going into a salary negotiation, research the role and experience level and the related salary. You can use PayScale to compare across cities and countries. Location, industry and company size can all impact salary expectations.
Assess your own value - qualifications, skills and experience.
Consider the cost of living in your country and the country the company is registered in. If you are living in Kenya and your company is in Kenya research a Kenyan salary,
Go into each salary negotiation with 3 numbers in mind (best, good, workable).
Your best salary will meet your needs to live your best life. It should cover rent, food, transport, internet but will also include luxuries such as savings, holidays and eating out often.
A good salary will meet your needs with a bit of extra. It should cover rent, food, transport, internet but will also include a few luxuries such as savings or eating out sometimes.
A workable salary will meet your needs but not much else. It should cover rent, food, transport, internet.
In a salary negotiation, the aim is to meet at your “good” salary. You can tell the employer what your best salary is and they might try to work you down to a good salary.
If they offer you a below workable salary then you need to make the decision. Is this position worth the experience and is there an option to negotiate at a later point or should you decline the position and continue looking?
What are some things that worked or didn't work in your salary negotiation?