The scenario: a below-market offer, or a raise after a launch that landed
In new-offer mode, a candidate has an offer for an associate designer role that came in below what similar postings list for the category and city, and the negotiation is about whether to push on base salary, ask about a review timeline for a title bump, or both, while the hiring manager on the other end responds the way one actually would: citing internal leveling bands and asking what specifically justifies going above them.
In internal-raise mode, a designer who led a capsule collection that shipped on schedule and came in under its original fabric budget is asking their manager for a raise or a promotion to senior designer, and the conversation tests whether that specific launch gets tied clearly to the ask, with the timeline and the budget number attached, instead of a general statement about having had a good year.
What each mode actually covers
New-offer mode responds to a base-salary push by pointing at internal leveling and asking what makes this candidate's experience worth an exception. Internal-raise mode asks what specifically changed since the last comp conversation, which is where naming the exact collection, its timeline, and its budget outcome matters more than describing general growth.
Both modes also test whether a candidate holds their position once the other side pushes back once, rather than dropping the ask the first time the AI raises an objection.
Scoring
What gets scored in a negotiation session
This session is scored on how the negotiation itself went rather than general hireability, and calibration floors and caps still apply, so a candidate who sounds assured while citing a vague, undated collection launch won't outscore one who states the launch, the timeline, and the budget number plainly.
The abrupt-ending penalty matters here specifically: a negotiation that closes without landing a next step, like a follow-up date or a revised number to consider, costs points even if everything said up to that point was strong.
Frequently asked questions
Which mode should I practice if I already have an offer in hand?
New-offer mode. It's built for negotiating a fresh offer, with the AI on the other side responding the way a hiring manager weighing internal leveling bands actually would.
Can I practice asking my design director for a raise instead of negotiating a brand-new offer?
Yes. Internal-raise mode is a separate scenario built for that conversation, where the AI plays a current manager asking what specifically changed since your last comp discussion.
Does it matter if my collection launch doesn't have a clean budget number attached?
It still helps to state whatever specifics you have, like the timeline or the scope, since a vague claim scores worse under calibration than a concrete one, even without an exact dollar figure.
What happens if I end the conversation without agreeing on next steps?
That triggers the abrupt-ending penalty, which costs points regardless of how strong the rest of the negotiation was, so it's worth practicing how to close with a clear follow-up.
Related pages
Rehearse the comp conversation before it's real
Practice negotiating a new design offer or asking for a raise after a launch, with an AI that pushes back the way a real hiring manager or director would.