So we d like to offer you this figure instead. Desperate for a job and grateful for the opportunity, she accepted it. But I wanted the job, and I was competing for it with men. I figured that if this was the salary they were offering, it must be because they thought that was all I was worth and that I should be grateful for the opportunity. Denise Brouillette , a San Francisco-based executive coach for women, isn t surprised by that comment.
Many women do believe they come in at a disadvantage.
We generally value ourselves far lower than our real worth. We let our inner critic tell us what we re not, rather than what we are. Men will generally start negotiating right up-front. When women hear the initial offer, we typically hear, This is our offer, take it or leave it. When men hear the initial offer, they typically think, Hmm, there s room to negotiate.