Countering an offer that ignored your certification
You've been offered a position at a consulting firm doing site assessments, but the number came in near the bottom of what you'd researched for the role, and it doesn't seem to account for a wetland delineation certification you hold that the posting specifically called out as a plus.
In new-offer mode, the AI plays the hiring manager and opens by defending the number: budget constraints, a standard band for the level, room to revisit after a review period. It doesn't concede on the first counter.
You have to make the case for why the certification should move the number, hold your position through at least one round of pushback, and land somewhere concrete rather than leaving the conversation vague.
An internal-raise version runs the same way but starts from the other direction: you've taken on more fieldwork responsibility since your last review and have to make that case to a supervisor who didn't initiate the conversation.
What the two negotiation modes actually rehearse
New-offer mode fits a fresh offer scenario, arguing for a higher starting number based on a certification, prior field experience, or a competing offer, with the AI resisting rather than agreeing immediately.
Internal-raise mode fits the different conversation of asking an existing employer for more, useful for a scenario like having absorbed additional lab responsibilities or led a monitoring project without a title or pay change reflecting it.
Both modes stay focused on the money conversation itself rather than broader interview questions: no behavioral prompts, no data interpretation scenario, just the back-and-forth of making a case and responding to resistance.
Scoring
How scoring works differently for a negotiation session
This session isn't scored on hireability the way other types are. It's scored on how you conducted the negotiation itself: whether you anchored on a specific number instead of a vague range, whether you responded to the AI's pushback with a real counterargument instead of backing down immediately, and whether you closed the conversation with a concrete next step rather than an open-ended "I'll think about it."
A penalty applies specifically for ending the conversation abruptly without landing anywhere, mirroring a real mistake candidates make when a negotiation gets uncomfortable and they end it just to escape the tension rather than push it to a resolution.
Frequently asked questions
Will the AI just agree to my counter if I ask for more money?
No. The AI plays the other side of a real negotiation and pushes back with reasons the way a hiring manager or supervisor would, budget limits, a standard band, timing. You have to work through that resistance rather than get an easy agreement.
Which mode should I use if I already work in this field and want a raise?
Internal-raise mode. It rehearses the conversation of asking an existing employer for more, useful if you've taken on added fieldwork or project responsibility that your pay hasn't reflected yet, rather than the new-offer scenario aimed at a fresh position.
How is this scored differently from a general or technical interview?
It's scored on negotiation conduct rather than hireability, so the score reflects whether you anchored on a real number, responded to pushback, and closed with a concrete outcome, not whether the AI thought you'd be a good hire.
What happens if I just accept the AI's first counteroffer?
You can, but it won't test the skill this session is built for. The point is practicing how to hold a position and respond to resistance, so pushing the negotiation at least one round further gives you more useful practice than an early agreement.
Related pages
Practice the money conversation before it's real
Run a salary negotiation AI interview in new-offer or internal-raise mode to practice countering an offer or asking for a raise before the stakes are real.