What negotiation actually looks like for this move
A postdoc weighing an industry research offer against staying in an academic pipeline often hasn't negotiated an individual salary before, since postdoc and many grant-funded academic salaries follow a set scale rather than a number an employee proposes and defends.
The new-offer mode puts that exact conversation in front of the candidate: stating a number, holding it through a hiring manager's pushback, and responding when the employer explains why the offer landed where it did.
Internal-raise mode fits a different moment, a scientist who's published a strong result or landed a new grant and wants to ask an existing manager or PI for more, a conversation that carries its own kind of pressure since the relationship with that manager continues either way the ask lands.
What each mode covers
New-offer mode starts with the candidate stating what they're asking for out loud, a number tied to a specific offer, and holds a real back-and-forth as the AI on the other end responds the way a hiring manager actually would, with questions or a counter rather than folding immediately.
Internal-raise mode runs the same kind of conversation from a different position, one where the candidate already has the job and is asking a manager for more, which changes what's reasonable to say and how the pushback tends to sound. Both run through the same dedicated voice agent, with a choice of style and personality to set the tone of the other side of the call.
Scoring
How the report reads for a negotiation like this
The report explains, in written reasoning rather than a single number, how the ask was framed, whether the candidate held their position under pushback, and how the conversation closed.
For a candidate negotiating a first industry offer with no real negotiating history to draw on, that written reasoning matters more than usual, since it's often the first specific feedback anyone has given them on how they actually sound asking for money out loud.
The penalty for an abruptly ended session applies here too, and it reads the same way in a real negotiation as it does in the score: a conversation that trails off without landing on a next step, whether that's a number restated or a timeline for a decision, reflects worse than one that closes with something concrete agreed.
Frequently asked questions
I've never negotiated a salary before, since my postdoc pay was fixed. Is this still useful?
Yes. New-offer mode is built for exactly that first real negotiation, stating a number out loud and holding it through pushback, which is a different skill than anything a fixed academic pay scale ever required.
What's the difference between the two modes for a research scientist?
New-offer mode practices negotiating an incoming industry offer. Internal-raise mode practices asking a current manager or PI for more, which involves a different relationship and different pushback than a brand new offer does.
Does the AI actually push back, or just agree to whatever I ask for?
It pushes back the way a real hiring manager or PI would, with questions, hesitation, or a counter, rather than agreeing to the first number stated.
Can I practice this before I actually have an offer or plan to ask for a raise?
Yes. Both modes work ahead of the real conversation, whether an offer hasn't landed yet or a raise request hasn't been made.
Related pages
Rehearse the negotiation before the offer or the raise conversation is real
Practice stating your number and holding it through pushback, for a new industry offer or a raise, before you have that conversation for real.