Salary negotiation is one of the most challenging parts of getting a new job. It can feel tough to assert yourself and fight for what you're worth, especially when the company is lowballing you. If you can stand your ground for a better salary, it can significantly help your career and your quality of life in the long run.
Unfortunately, not all companies are open to negotiating salaries, even from candidates with excellent experience. Still, companies that aren't the most accepting of negotiated wages usually don't ban candidates from broaching the subject. That wasn't the case when Attorney and Twitter user Kate Kelly recently applied for a job. The application asked for her desired pay, which she listed as higher than their listed salary. She later got an email saying they would only offer the listed compensation because negotiation as a practice disproportionately benefits privileged people. As expected, other Twitter users had many questions and opinions about this strange justification for paying employees less.