Negotiations: Ask for what you need to succeed
You’ve applied for academic jobs, given a stellar job talk, and received an offer. Now, it’s time for the negotiations around your salary and start-up package. I often see postdoctoral fellows who are unsure how to enter into negotiations. Many people are hesitant to negotiate at all. The whole process just makes them uncomfortable. There are a few reasons for this. One reason is the widely-accepted cultural belief that, because academic jobs are so few and far between, we should feel privileged to do this job, that we are one of the lucky ones, so how dare we ask for more than what we have been offered? Another reason is that academic culture often expects that we do more work, with fewer resources, simply for the love of the science or teaching. In such an environment, asking for more can then be perceived as selfish, and inherently calls into question our commitment to our craft or chosen discipline. And underneath those sentiments is the perceived threat that if we ask for more, we can become easily replaceable (see reason #1). So, this loop feeds on itself in our minds, and we don’t ask for more.
The culture that perpetuates this kind of reasoning is toxic, and honestly, just pure bullshit. While we can certainly be grateful that we have a job doing what we enjoy—especially in this economy—this doesn’t mean we deserve less. So, I’m going to pass on a little nugget of wisdom that I learned from one of my mentors when I was on the job market: Ask for what you need to succeed.
What does this mean? First, you have to understand what you want the first five years of your academic career to look like. What research questions do you want to tackle? What resources (e.g., space, equipment, personnel) do you need to make your projects come to life? What conferences or continuing education seminars will help you level up your teaching or support your clinical practice? What professional development resources will support your networking and leadership growth? List these out, and then check them against the offer letter. Are they there? Keep in mind that although you will be expected to apply for grants and/or awards, successful funding may not come for a few years, and you’ll need money and resources to support research, teaching, and professional development activities right away. So, if those resources aren’t listed out in the offer letter, ask for them. But, now, you can directly link those requests to the reasons why you need them—you need them to succeed in your 5-year plan, which you have clearly mapped out. It’s hard to argue with a detailed plan. And, after all, the search committee and the rest of the department want you to be successful, right?
Another thing that is critical to understand is the cost of living in the area that will become your new home, and what you would consider to be an acceptable standard of living for you. How much do rent, groceries, utilities, transportation, etc., cost? If home ownership is a priority for you, will that ever be a possibility? Could you support a growing family on your salary, or will it only cover living by yourself in a basement apartment that always has a water leak whenever it rains? Relatedly, you want to understand what the average salary is for incoming faculty across different departments. Then assess whether what is presented in the offer letter aligns with what you need and should expect given your experience. If this information isn’t publicly available, ask the newer hires in the department if they would be willing to share their salary or at least confirm an approximate range of their salary (“Is it between 100k and 120k?”). You also want to consider how cost of living increases, annual merit raises, and raises tied to promotion get determined. Future salary increases and pension contributions are likely a percentage of what you start with, so you want that base salary to be as strong as possible. Will the salary and raise structure work for you over the next 5-10 years based on your personal goals? It is absolutely within your right to ask for more money, and you can tie that request to the data you have accumulated (e.g., “The average rent price for a 1-bedroom in this city is $3000 which would be 50% of my take-home pay, and leave me in a financially precarious position when considering other, basic, fixed costs”). Even if what is in the offer seems pretty reasonable, ask for more money anyway (talk to various mentors to discuss what could seem reasonable). Many offers are tendered with the expectation of a counter-offer, so by not making an ask, you’re probably leaving money on the table. Remember that if you are struggling financially, it is incredibly challenging to be creative and innovative at work, so succeeding at the highest levels in academia requires a stable financial life at home.
Framed in this way—What do you need to succeed?—asking for more during negotiations no longer allows for baseless judgments of selfishness or questions about your commitment to science to rear their ugly heads. Instead, you are painting a realistic portrait of what you need to be the superstar they are hiring you to be. Now, you may not get everything that you request. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine whether the start-up package and salary are enough to reasonably achieve a subset of your goals that would leave you feeling quite happy instead of feeling stressed about what you can afford at the grocery store. Then you can decide whether it’s worth it to you to take the offer.
Negotiation isn’t about being demanding or being selfish; it’s about being strategic. You’re not just simply asking for more; you’re setting the stage for long-term success. By advocating for the resources you need, you invest in yourself and ensure that your department gets the very best version of you.
If you’re about to enter into negotiations and you’re unsure how to ask for what you need to succeed, let’s talk. Book a free discovery call, and I’ll help you craft a negotiation strategy that feels professional, strategic, and aligned with your personal and professional goals.
Next week: Effort doesn’t always equal output
