Career course Course 16 of 24

Negotiate the offer without improvising.

Prepare an offer negotiation by understanding the full package, your priorities and the questions still unanswered. Make a clear, professional request and consider the employer's response before deciding. There is no wording that guarantees a better offer.

Open Cadence on the App Store or Google Play and type the sentence on this page, or choose this course ready-made under Browse starter courses. Free to start.
Want new features first?

Try a practical exercise

Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn

I want to get better at negotiation to get better career outcomes at work.

Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.

Two people negotiating across a table with a balance scale between them. — Negotiation **Negotiating offers**
30 short lessons. Day 1 is ready.

Best for: Career moves
Prerequisites: No formal prerequisites
Course length: 30 daily lessons
Lesson pace: About 10 minutes a day
Total learning time: About 5 hours in total
Access: Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list

An original website exercise

Write an offer question before making an assumption.

Use a fictional offer where the base salary is clear but the working arrangement and review timing are not. Practise separating clarification from a request to change the package.

01

Clarify what is actually offered

List confirmed terms and unanswered questions. Do not value a discretionary payment as if it were guaranteed.
02

Choose what matters to you

Identify the package elements that would change your decision. Avoid making a long list of requests without knowing your priorities.
03

Make a bounded request

Explain the item you want to discuss and ask whether there is flexibility. Allow for a no, a counterproposal or information that changes your assessment.

Worked example, not a learner result

Thank you for the offer. Could you confirm the working arrangement and when compensation is normally reviewed? I would also like to discuss whether there is flexibility in the base salary. Those details will help me evaluate the full package.

This is a fictional communication example, not legal, tax or personalized compensation advice. Check that your own wording asks about uncertain terms instead of treating them as promises, and does not claim competing offers you do not have.

Want a guided learning path? Start free in Cadence and look for Workplace Negotiation, the in-app name for this course. This website exercise is an introduction, not an excerpt from an app lesson.

Right for now

If any of this sounds familiar, start here.

Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons.

You have an offer or review coming

Prepare before emotion and urgency take over.

You do not know what to ask for

Think through salary, scope, title, flexibility, and growth.

You fear sounding difficult

Use language that is direct and professional.

You need a plan B

Know your floor and alternatives before the answer arrives.

Inside the course

Your first three days are already mapped.

The course follows a daily sequence, so the next practical move is waiting when you come back.

Range setting

Define target, floor, and acceptable package.

Leverage read

Understand alternatives and timing.

Clear language

Make the ask without apologizing for it.

Tradeoff handling

Know what to do if the first answer is no.

Course preview 30 short lessons

Workplace Negotiation

Day 1 What's Actually Worth Negotiating

Identify the career outcomes worth negotiating at work.

Day 2
Find What You Can Move

Sort which parts of a job offer or role can move.
Day 3
Set Your Target, Alternative, and Limit

Set a target, strengthen your best alternative, and choose an acceptance limit.

Course arc

From vague intention to repeatable moves.

Cadence turns the course into a returnable habit: short lesson, quick check, review, and the next useful step.

01 / 04

Prepare the package

Know what you want and why.

Assess leverage

Read alternatives, timing, and constraints.

Make the ask

Use clean language for the counter.

Close thoughtfully

Respond to yes, no, or partial movement.

Full syllabus

30 lessons, arranged as one clear path.

Build practical workplace negotiation skill from first principles through real conversation prep, pressure handling, and follow-through. By the end, the learner can plan and deliver a credible ask that improves career outcomes.

Module 01

Negotiation Goals at Work

Define the target, best alternative, walk-away point, and full set of career terms.

Day 1 What's Actually Worth Negotiating
Day 2 Find What You Can Move
Day 3 Set Your Target, Alternative, and Limit
Day 4 Ground Your Ask in Fair Criteria
Day 5 Pick the Right Moment

Module 02

Preparing Your Ask

Build a negotiation case using targets, alternatives, and tradeable terms.

Day 6 Checkpoint: Test Your Preparation Map
Day 7 Listen for Interests Behind Positions
Day 8 Map Authority and Constraints
Day 9 Trade Across Different Priorities
Day 10 Test Readiness Without Mind Reading

Module 03

Reading Workplace Signals

Uncover interests, authority, constraints, and fair criteria behind stated positions.

Day 11 Negotiating With Your Manager
Day 12 Hold the Line With Peers
Day 13 Use the Formal Process With Care
Day 14 Map the Real Decision-Makers
Day 15 Checkpoint: Test Leverage and Constraints

Module 04

Language That Moves Outcomes

Practice wording that frames value, asks cleanly, and handles pushback.

Day 16 Open With a Clear Ask
Day 17 Frame Value and Fairness
Day 18 Ask, Listen, and Calibrate
Day 19 Use and Respond to Anchors
Day 20 Work Through Objections

Module 05

Tough Counteroffers and Constraints

Handle anchors, power gaps, delays, refusals, and conditional trades without losing judgment.

Day 21 Checkpoint: Rehearse the Conversation
Day 22 Offer More Than One Workable Package
Day 23 Make Concessions Conditional
Day 24 Handle Delay and Deadlock
Day 25 Negotiate Across a Power Gap

Module 06

Career Negotiation Plan

Pull the plan together into one ready-to-use workplace negotiation you can run.

Day 26 Accept, Decline, or Pause Deliberately
Day 27 Checkpoint: Stress-Test the Deal
Day 28 Turn Agreement Into Clear Commitments
Day 29 Manage the Agreement and the Relationship
Day 30 Ship Your Career Negotiation Playbook

How learning works

Read, listen, check your understanding, then keep going.

Short daily lessons

Each lesson is designed around about 10 minutes of focused learning.

Reading and audio

Read the lesson or play its audio when listening fits your day better.

Checks when useful

Lessons can use quizzes, written responses, or guided practice. A lesson can also teach without adding a forced exercise.

Progress and support

Track completed lessons, keep a streak, set reminders, and ask the in-lesson coach for help.

Know the limits. Cadence supports guided self-learning. It does not award an accredited degree or professional certificate, and important AI-generated claims should be checked against reliable sources.

Free to read first

Guides on the same skill.

Course questions

What to know before you start.

Who is Workplace Negotiation for?

Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons. It is listed in the career moves part of the Cadence course library.

Do I need any prior experience?

No formal prerequisites are required. The course is designed for guided self-learning, and it is most useful when you bring a real situation or goal to the lessons.

How long does the course take?

Workplace Negotiation contains 30 lessons designed around 10 minutes each. You open lessons in sequence and can move at your own pace.

What is the learning format?

Lessons can be read or played as audio. The course includes quizzes or practical checks where the lesson calls for them, plus progress tracking and Ask Coach inside lessons.

Does this course award a certificate or degree?

No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.

Start today

Day 1: What's Actually Worth Negotiating

Get Cadence and type the sentence above when it asks what you want to learn, or choose Workplace Negotiation ready-made under Browse starter courses. Day 1 is already written.