The Career Coach’s Guide to Salary Conversations

Salary discussions can be a minefield for job seekers. 

One wrong move can lock them into a lower offer before they’ve even had a real conversation about their value.

As career coaches, we’ve all had clients who panic when that question comes up. (And we’ve probably experienced the same in our own careers!)

Maybe they undersell themselves because they don’t know their worth. 

Maybe they get filtered out because they name a figure that’s too high. 

Or maybe they freeze up altogether, fumbling for an answer that won’t cost them the job.

We can help our clients avoid this.

Our job is to help them:

• Take control.

• Approach salary discussions with confidence.

• Hold their ground to get the benefits package they deserve. 

In Part 2 of this series, we’ll walk through how we can train our clients to navigate salary conversations with a real strategy.

This way, they can advocate for themselves and land the best possible compensation package.

Before we dive in, if you haven’t already read Part 1, you can read it here.

The Danger of Discussing Salary Too Early

Picture this: Your client finally lands a recruiter call. They’re excited, nervous, and eager to make a great impression. Then, out of nowhere, the recruiter asks, “What are your salary expectations?”

Caught off guard, they throw out a number. 

Without realizing they’ve just set the baseline for all future negotiations. 

If it’s too low, they’ve undervalued themselves. 

Too high? They might be filtered out before they even get a chance to prove their worth.

Recruiters aren’t just assessing skills; they’re also evaluating cultural fit and budget alignment. 

If a client’s salary expectations don’t match what the company has in mind, they may never even make it to the next stage.

Common Mistakes Clients Make

• Giving a number too soon—Clients think they have to answer immediately, but they don’t.

• Not considering the full compensation package—Salary is just one piece of the puzzle. Benefits, bonuses, and flexibility matter just as much.

• Failing to research market rates—Without data, they risk shooting too high or too low.

• Speaking off the cuff—Clients answer recruiter calls on the go, unprepared, and say something they later regret.

• Avoiding the question entirely—Some clients think dodging the salary question will give them more leverage, but it can also make them seem uncooperative. Instead, they need a strong, strategic response.

If we don’t prepare our clients for these moments, they could lose out on a great job—or worse, end up underpaid.

Play Offense, Not Defense

One of the most important t things we need to teach our clients is that the salary negotiation is a process, not a one-time conversation. 

That means they don’t have to commit to a number right away.

Let’s help them reframe how they approach these discussions:

• Instead of seeing salary questions as a test they have to “pass,” they should view them as an opportunity to learn more about the role.

• They have the power to redirect the conversation instead of feeling pressured to answer on the spot.

• Compensation isn’t just about base salary—benefits, remote work options, bonuses, and career growth opportunities all factor in.

• Honesty matters. Clients shouldn’t be afraid to communicate their priorities, but they need to do so strategically.

Control the Narrative, Control the Outcome

Recruiters will ask about salary—it’s inevitable. 

But our clients don’t have to answer right away. Instead, they should be prepared with responses that keep the conversation open without locking them into a number too soon.

Here’s a few options we can teach them:

• “I’d love to discuss salary later in the process, once I have a better understanding of the role and responsibilities.”

• “I’m open to discussing compensation, but first, I’d like to learn more about the company’s expectations for this position.”

• “Could you share the salary range budgeted for this position?”

These responses keep the client in control and prevent them from revealing their hand too early. 

But we also need to make sure they’re ready with a researched salary range in case the recruiter pushes for a number.

Arm Clients with Data, Not Guesswork

Preparation is everything. 

Before clients enter any salary discussion, they need to do their homework. That means:

• Checking sites like Glassdoor, PayScale, and LinkedIn Salary Insights for data.

• Looking at job postings that include salary ranges.

• Talking to people in similar roles to get real-world salary expectations.

• Factoring in location, company size, and industry standards.

• Keeping a spreadsheet of salary expectations for every role they apply for.

Clients who walk into salary discussions armed with research are in a much stronger position to negotiate confidently.

Roleplaying Salary Conversations

Clients can read all the salary advice in the world, but when they’re put on the spot, will they be able to hold their ground? 

That’s why mock-recruiter calls are one of the best ways to prepare them.

Practicing salary conversations helps clients to:

• Get comfortable deferring salary talk without feeling awkward.

• Build confidence in their responses.

• Learn to control the conversation and stay composed under pressure.

During roleplays, we can challenge them with different recruiter tactics:

• A recruiter who keeps pressing for a salary number.

• A recruiter who throws out a lowball offer.

• A recruiter who pressures them into making a quick decision.

When clients practice real-world scenarios, they won’t panic when the moment actually arrives.

Building a Salary Game Plan

Every client should have a game plan before they start applying for jobs. That means:

• Establishing a salary range—low, mid, and high targets.

• Identifying non-monetary perks they’d be willing to negotiate (remote work, bonuses, professional development, etc.).

• Preparing a counteroffer strategy in case they receive a low offer.

I like to ask my clients three questions during preparation:

1. What is your current compensation?

2. What is your ideal compensation?

3. What will your new compensation allow you to do that you can’t currently do?

#3 is the most important question of all because most clients throw out a number without any real meaning. 

And this makes it way harder to negotiate when they get pushback from recruiters or hiring managers.

What will you do with the extra cash?

Can you pay off your mortgage quicker?

Can you go on better vacations?

Will you be able to buy that new car you always wanted?

When there is meaning attached to the number, it’s way easier for clients to negotiate with conviction.

Smart Preparation = Stronger Negotiations

Salary discussions don’t have to be intimidating.

When we coach our clients to take control of these conversations, they walk away with better job offers, stronger negotiation skills, and more confidence in their worth.

Here’s our role as career coaches:

• Help clients see recruiter calls as interviews, not casual chats.

• Teach them how to defer salary questions without losing credibility.

• Show them how to research and advocate for their market value.

• Encourage them to be themselves—because the right company will value them for who they are.

With the right guidance, our clients won’t just land jobs—they’ll land the right jobs, with the pay and benefits they deserve.

So let’s set them up the right way so that they don’t just secure a new job, but also move closer to the life that they always wanted.

And that’s it for recruiter conversations and salary negotiations.

But it doesn't end there….

I’ve created an onboarding checklist that career coaches can give to their clients and prepare them for recruiter conversations.

Want a copy?

Reply to this email with “Recruiter conversations” and I will gladly share this with you.

See you next week!

Best,

Heather

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