What would you do if a prospective employer makes you an offer that is below market range?

Although many companies tend to peg their offer to your last-drawn, it's important to recognise that you are actually not obligated to share your last-drawn salary with potential employers. Instead, share your expectations based on market benchmarks and the competencies you bring to the table.

In your situation, it's definitely worth negotiating because no good company will retract the offer just because you would like to negotiate for a higher salary.

If there are no better alternative offers, you can accept this offer and align expectations with your manager on:

• When you can expect a performance & salary review

• What you need to deliver in order to qualify for a salary increment

This allows you to secure the job in the meantime, demonstrate your value-add on-the-job before getting the salary you're asking for, and ensure your intention to do this is made known to your employer.

We've written about this tricky process of answering expected salary questions in this article.

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Hey there Anon, I feel for this question because I was also there. I was advised that taking up a job offer that pays better is better than not having a job or working in the previous job. Hold on to this job and treat it as a transition to the better job. Focus on learning transferrable skills. It sounds like you're quite young (mid-20s), correct me if I'm wrong, thus starting with a lower pay should not be a setback in your career. Sometimes, the job that pays you super low might just end up being your bouncing board to a better job and career path in the long run, that is something you cannot quantify with the dollar sign. Good luck!