The Angel Edit: How One Candidate Turned A Lowball Offer Into Her Dream Role

The Angel Edit: How One Candidate Turned A Lowball Offer Into Her Dream Role

Read Time: 5 minutes

Topics Covered: Recruiter Incentives, Salary Framing, Three-Number Method, Handling Pushback, Negotiation Mindset

You’ve made it to the final stage of interviews.

But instead of discussing your fit or impact, every call with the external recruiter feels like a negotiation, one that is not in your favour.

First, some context.

The reason why this happens is because external recruiters earn a commission based on the fee tied to your annual salary.

It’s in their interest to close the deal, ideally at a number that fits the client’s budget.

So if they’re pushing your number down, it’s not personal.

It’s business.

But your job is to advocate for yourself with clarity and confidence.

Here’s what you can do.

Shift From Past Salary To Expected Salary

Perhaps you’ve been asked for past salaries.

But, your current compensation isn’t the conversation.

What matters is the number you’d move for.

Say this: “For me to make a move, it would take a minimum of a guaranteed amount of X.”

You don’t have to give long justifications or give complicated breakdowns.

The clarity helps the recruiter represent you accurately and saves you both time.

Prepare Your Three Numbers

Get clear on your three numbers before the call:

• Minimum: the lowest you’d accept
• Ideal: your target
• Dream: your stretch number

Communicate a figure between your ideal and dream figure.

That’s your anchor for every conversation.

Ideally you want to be able to reach your dream number but as we know, negotiations go both ways.

So say you ask for 200k, expect to negotiate from that amount.

Expect Pushback And Stay Firm

Even when you make your ask, recruiters might test your boundaries.

When that happens, stay polite and grounded.

Say, “As mentioned in previous conversations, my minimum to make a move is X.”

One of my clients used this exact approach.

She stayed firm, backed her value with clear success stories, and shifted the conversation from price to impact.

The result?

She landed an offer between her ideal and dream number.

And she did it by showing and not just telling, why she was the right hire.

Negotiation is clarity, confidence, and alignment.

You can’t control the tactics of others, but you can control your message.

I’m putting together a wait list for my private collection of 100 ChatGPT prompts, the exact ones my clients use to navigate interviews, craft negotiation scripts, and land top-tier offers.

Join the wait list here if you’d like to gain access to them!

Rooting for you,

Angel Kilian

Founder  l Career inFocus