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Rising Star
Hey man, yeah, pretty much everyone who’s ever negotiated a salary has felt that exact stomach-drop moment. That awkward silence after you throw out a counter? It’s brutal. Feels like you just asked her out and she’s staring at her phone pretending she didn’t hear you.But here’s the thing: asking for 10k more isn’t greedy or rude—it’s literally what you’re supposed to do. Companies build in room to negotiate; they expect it. That pause wasn’t her judging you as a person, it was her brain quickly doing math and figuring out if she has the budget/flexibility to meet you. The hurried “I’ll see” and hanging up fast is classic recruiter behavior when they’re caught a little off-guard or need to run it up the chain. It doesn’t automatically mean “no” or that you blew it.I’ve been there. I once asked for 15k more, got dead silence, stammering, and a quick “we’ll get back to you.” I spent the whole weekend convinced I’d tanked the offer. They came back two days later with +12k and better benefits. Another time I asked and they really couldn’t move—they still made the original offer, just took a couple extra days.
Not embarrassed, no. I know my value and I am able to back it up based on my years of experience and what I am worth in my area. However, I do know that trying to negotiate an offer in this competitive of a job market does put me at risk for the job offer being rescinded. If I was desperate for work, I would probably be taking what I'm offered rather than trying to negotiate.
You should never feel bad asking for more money. You know your worth and situation. If that 10k was important enough to you to ask for it, you were right to do so. Don't second guess yourself.
No. I've gotten a 22k increase from original offer before when I was honest and told the hiring manager that it would be a paycut for me to take their offer as is.
Pro
I can imagine that feeling! It’s tough to ask for more. Those pauses can feel endless. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You did what you felt was right.