Undergrad Negotiation Confidence: The Hidden Equity Opportunity

What Career Teams Can Do

Negotiation shouldn’t be a last-minute topic saved for a single appointment. The best career teams weave it into student programming early and make it feel practical.

Here are a few ways to strengthen your support:

1. Bring it up sooner. Talk about negotiation when you cover resumes, interviews, and internships. When students hear it throughout the career journey, it feels normal — not awkward or pushy.
2. Use real numbers. Show actual salary benchmarks for different majors, industries, and regions. Students make better decisions when they see what peers with similar backgrounds accept.
3. Offer practice that feels real. Run workshops or role-play sessions where students practice reviewing offers and responding. Pair students to practice together or bring in employers to share how they handle requests.
4. Give students the words. Overly polished scripts can sound fake. Keep it simple and practical.
5. Include alumni stories. Students listen when they hear how someone like them handled a negotiation. Alumni panels or short recorded examples can make a bigger difference than a generic slide deck.
6. Stay connected after the offer. Sometimes students get an offer but freeze at the final step. A quick check-in or reminder can help them feel ready to have the conversation.

Negotiation confidence is more than just a one-time skill. For many students, it shapes whether they start on equal footing or carry a gap forward for years. By making it part of the bigger career story, you help students advocate for what their work is worth.