Once you've gotten through all of the rigmarole of the job application process — the resumes and cover letters and rounds and rounds of interviews — you get to maybe the most excruciating part: negotiating compensation.
Career experts will tell you that there's more to negotiate for than just salary. If the company can't come up with the number that you had in mind, maybe you can ask for more days working from home or extra paid time off, for instance.
"While you may value those benefits, I want you to carefully think through accepting this tradeoff," Suze Orman, a financial expert and host of the "Women & Money (and Everyone Smart Enough to Listen)" podcast, said in a recent post on LinkedIn.
Before jumping at an offer that includes a lower-than-expected salary — even with nicer benefits — Orman suggests asking yourself, "Is the salary they are offering in the range of what you know they are paying other people in the role you are exploring?"
It's key to research what people in comparable positions at comparable companies are being paid, whether you are applying for a new job or asking for a promotion or a raise at your current gig.
That likely means starting on sites such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor and expanding from there, Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster, previously told CNBC Make It.
"Reach out to former colleagues, companies within your industry and the national organization for your profession, if there is one," she said.
'Don't immediately accept the first salary offer'
If, after conducting some research, you believe you received a low-ball salary offer, don't take it personally. It's a common practice among hiring professionals to offer less than what the firm is willing to pay.
"I would always expect a company to extend you an offer that's at least $5,000 to $10,000 lower than what they would actually give you," Niani Tolbert, a career coach and former recruiter, recently told CNBC Make It.
But when the hiring manager says they are sticking with a lower salary, but expanded benefits, "you don't need to accept this offer," Orman wrote. "Consider a script along the lines of, 'Thank you for this offer, I indeed value those benefits. But based on my research, I remain interested in a salary of at least $X.'"
Ultimately, Orman said, it's up to you whether having more attractive perks is worth sacrificing salary. "Just promise yourself that you won't immediately accept the first salary offer," she wrote. "The hiring manager will be thrilled if you do, but only because you made their job easy."
If, upon further negotiation, it becomes clear that a prospective employer can't meet your salary demands, maybe it is the case that you can make it work with more vacation, a better office and flexibility around picking up your kid from daycare.
Or, if they can't give you a number that makes sense, you may have to say thanks but no thanks, Adam Broda, a senior manager at Amazon and career coach, told CNBC Make It.
"Communicate the ideal number first and see how close they can get to that, and if they can't match it ... it could be time to walk."
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