I did not want to get to my next job and realize I came in too low or underleveled because I didn’t believe in myself or thought I would prove myself after I was hired rather than entering at my value.
With Josh’s inside knowledge of how leveling works, I was able to hit pause on an L6 offer and inception my way to an L7 over six months. He gave me the best advice on how to put it in the hiring manager’s ear and walked me through being patient, because it was going to take a while.
In the negotiation, we left NOTHING on the table. NOTHING. I negotiated for an additional $80k signing bonus, or $40k a year. I’m not underleveled, underpaid, or underappreciated. Now I can just focus on providing the value that I promise, not worrying about whether or not I got a fair deal. The level raise also changes where I sit in the tech recruiting landscape and opens all kinds of strategic and leadership opportunities.
Josh coached me objectively in a way that friends, family, and colleagues were hesitant to do. Friends always say, ‘Oh, I want what you want.’ That’s kind, but I want to know what is going to make me happy and what’s going to challenge me and take me where I want to go. You need to pay somebody for that information apparently, and it’s worth it because everyone else just wants to be a friend and make you happy, but Josh wants you to win.