How to Negotiate Salary When You Are Underqualified

What happens when you're offered a job that's a stretch — one where you meet maybe 60 percent of the listed qualifications? Conventional wisdom says you lack leverage. But in this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack a 2025 study from Harvard Business School's negotiation lab that found underqualified candidates who acknowledged their gaps and framed them as rapid-learning opportunities actually secured 8 to 12 percent higher starting salaries than candidates who either downplayed their shortcomings or tried to bluff past them. They walk through the exact language one engineer used to turn a 'you're a bit junior' objection into a 15-thousand-dollar signing bonus, and they explain why hiring managers often prefer a candidate with an honest growth trajectory over a perfect resume that looks like it's coasting. If you've ever looked at a job description and thought 'I'm probably not ready,' this episode is for you. #SalaryNegotiation #UnderqualifiedCandidates #CareerGrowth #JobOffer #NegotiationTactics #HiringManager #RapidLearning #HarvardBusinessSchool #NegotiationLab #StretchRole #Promotion #CareerAdvice #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #Careers #Compensation #CounterOffer #SalaryIncrease Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo