How to Negotiate a Job Offer: Software Engineer

You might be looking for some general advice on how to navigate your first job offer, or maybe you switched careers and you’re not sure what the conversation and/or negotiation should look like for a Software Engineering job. That’s okay, a lot of people aren’t really sure how or where to begin. But, before we get started…. Congratulations! You just interviewed your butt off and you should be proud of all the things you’ve accomplished.

P.S. If you already have a contract/offer letter in-hand but aren’t sure how to proceed, I recommend skipping to the second part as it’s likely more relevant to your current situation.

Part 1: How to Navigate an Upcoming Job Offer

“…all of my interviews were scheduled informally/directly, i.e. without any kind of job description or written information anywhere, so everything I know is based on assumptions from zoom conversations. I was assuming based on everything that it would be salary, but now I am wondering, since it’s a startup, if that’s even possible… I feel like I’m going into a negotiation call with no idea what to expect.”

Someone reached out to one of the coding communities I follow with this message and was confused/stressed/overwhelmed. This is totally normal when navigating a job offer. It’s complicated…