Salary negotiation is its own art. But for your first job, here's the only rule you really need:
**Make them fall in love with you before you talk numbers.**
When an application or a recruiter asks you for your expected salary upfront, before any interview, before any real conversation, do not anchor yourself. Give a very wide range. Or say it depends on the full package. Or ask what the range for the role is. Deflect the question politely until later in the process.
Why? Because if you name a number that's too high before they've decided they want you, they'll just move on to someone cheaper. And if you name one that's too low, you've left money on the table.
I'll tell you a story because this is a mistake I actually made. I had what would have been a great first role. Good work, good team, good field. When they asked my salary expectations early, I anchored high — higher than I would've actually been happy to take. They went with someone else. I later found out my number was the reason. If I'd just deflected with "happy to discuss once I understand the role better," I'd have had the offer. Instead I lost the opportunity entirely.
**For your first job, the rules are:**
1. Get them to want you first. All the way.
2. Don't name a specific number until they've essentially told you they want to make an offer.
3. When it's finally time to talk money, research what the role actually pays (Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, LinkedIn salary data). Aim for the middle to upper end of that range.
4. Once you have an offer, it's often worth trying to negotiate up 5 to 10 percent. Most people don't. "Is there any flexibility on the base?" is a fine line to use.
5. Don't price yourself out of your first job. A slightly lower first-job salary that gets you on the ladder is worth more than the perfect salary you never actually get because you pushed too hard.
Your second job is when you really start earning what you're worth. Your first job is when you earn the right to have a second job.
Have you actually looked up salary data for roles in your field? If not, go do it now. Come back and share a range that surprised you, high or low.
