Elvi Caperonis spent over seven years at a Magnificent 7 company, four of which were in a management role. While she was hired at $102,000 in 2017 — and also received an initial sign-on payment of $15,000, plus a second sign-on payment of $11,000 after her first year — she sometimes kicks herself about accepting the offer she did.
She wishes she’d known back then what she knows now about negotiating in Big Tech because she thinks she could’ve potentially gotten at least $50,000 more in total compensation, including pay plus more equity and perks.
“The total compensation I did get was great, but it could’ve been better,” Caperonis told Business Insider. “I overlooked a major opportunity that could’ve significantly improved my career and financial future.”
Caperonis left Big Tech after being laid off in 2024 to focus on a business she started in 2020 to help others land six-figure tech roles. If she could go back, she’d advocate for herself sooner and not assume loyalty would be rewarded.
It’s easy to get caught up in the allure of a high base salary
Caperonis feels she made a major mistake by being too narrowly focused on pay. She believes she should’ve targeted her total compensation package, which encompasses stock options, bonuses, benefits, and other elements that can influence an employee’s overall earnings and job satisfaction.
Caperonis didn’t leverage her extensive qualifications — which included over a decade of work experience plus completing the HBX CORe at Harvard Business School Online at the time of her application — to negotiate a more comprehensive compensation package.
Caperonis did initially ask for more money during her interviews
Caperonis said that the hiring manager deemed her initial request for a $7,000 salary increase infeasible, primarily due to the entry-level designation of the role she applied for. Caperonis accepted the offer without further pushback.
While she understood the rationale behind this rejection, she said that she now realizes that hearing “no” should’ve prompted her to pivot to a more strategic negotiation approach.
“Even though the hiring manager was reluctant to modify the base salary, there was likely flexibility in other aspects of the offer,” Caperonis said.
She believes she made a ‘big mistake’ by not advocating for a more significant signing bonus
Caperonis believes she could’ve potentially negotiated an additional $5,000 to $10,000 in her signing bonus.
“The market rate at the time was higher than what I accepted — I just took the offer without putting up a fight,” Caperonis said.
Reflecting on her previous Big Tech interviews, Caperonis realized she could’ve also advocated for additional benefits, such as professional development opportunities.
“I would’ve loved access to executive communication training or cross-functional stretch assignments — both of which could’ve accelerated my growth and visibility within the company,” she said.
She thinks she should’ve prioritized discussions about stock options
Her restricted stock units (RSUs) — initially valued at $1,000 — are now worth about $2,400.
“In retrospect, I could’ve realistically negotiated for an increase in RSUs by at least a 15 to 20% increase in equity,” Caperonis said. “That would’ve made a difference — we’re talking an extra $15,000 to $20,000.”
After she’d been hired, Caperonis said she was also surprised to find out that people in similar roles were making 12% to 15% more than she was.
“To put that in perspective, if I’d gotten the equivalent of a 10% raise by negotiating a higher salary initially, that would’ve meant another $12,000 to $15,000 every year,” she said.
She now recognizes that benefits often range beyond salary adjustments
She wishes she’d sought increased PTO and flexible work arrangements.
Caperonis said she was initially expected to work full-time in the office, and while things changed over time, she suddenly felt a lot of pressure to show up often, even though she felt she didn’t really need to be on-site to excel in her role.
“With three kids to take care of and all the other stuff life throws at you, I was struggling. I had 15 days of PTO — that wasn’t nearly enough. I really needed around 25 days to breathe,” she said.
She said the inflexibility and limited time off overwhelmed her. “I wish I’d pushed for time off and a job that let me work from home most of the time,” Caperonis said. “That single change would’ve honestly made a difference — not just in how I did things, but in how I felt, too.”
Her benefits package could’ve been better
While Caperonis received a respectable package that included standard perks like 401(k), health insurance, and vacation benefits, she didn’t ask for any extra benefits like help with moving, money for childcare, or additional vacation time. She estimates the price tag on these missed extra benefits is $5,000 to $8,000.
“Now I’ve seen others get these things, and it’s pretty frustrating,” she said.
Caperonis believes she could’ve crafted a more comprehensive compensation package that reflected her contributions and the realities of her role and better supported her work-life balance.
Caperonis said she didn’t understand the long-term financial consequences of accepting an offer below market value
She attributes this perceived failure to a “significant deficiency in negotiation skills” and a “vague and unfocused strategy.” Many companies’ routine incremental raises of 3% annually only intensified this problem for Caperonis.
“What seemed like a minor setback at first quickly snowballed, leading to a situation where I was lagging behind market rates,” she said. “Starting a position at even 10% below the market value can lead to a 20% shortfall in salary within just five years.”
She said that this situation compounds over a career, creating a persistent and widening chasm in financial security and career advancement.
Caperonis would do things differently if she were to negotiate her salary today
If she were ever to interview for a corporate position again, Caperonis plans to conduct thorough research on industry compensation benchmarks.
“By equipping myself with detailed market data and a clear understanding of my value, I’ll aim to secure the most advantageous compensation package possible, ultimately aligning my earnings with industry standards and my professional contributions,” she said.
Caperonis wishes she’d sought the guidance of a career coach earlier in her professional journey.
“As I now help my clients negotiate 10% to 30% more than their original offers, I realize how much I could’ve benefited from that support myself back then.”
Do you regret accepting and not negotiating a Big Tech offer? Email this editor at lhaas@businessinsider.com.
Read the full article here
