Learning to Ask: Lessons in Negotiation and Career Growth
You’ve sent your tailored job application, perfected the follow-up email, thoughtfully answered all the interview questions, and now the offer letter sits in front of you. All that’s left for you to do is sign on the line, right?
Negotiations are something many people find uncomfortable, especially when it comes to landing a job early in your career. On June 24th, Collaborative Real Estate, in partnership with the Women in Bio-Pittsburgh Chapter, held an interactive panel discussion that brought together professionals sharing perspectives from both sides of the negotiation table.
Students looking for their first job, those looking to make a change, and professionals wanting to brush up on their skills gathered to learn how candidates can evaluate offers, advocate for themselves, and determine what can be negotiated. This event builds off previous topics explored in the Hot Metal Campus Professional Development Series, which is steered by the needs of the community.
Perspectives From Both Sides of the Table
The panel featured two speakers who each represented different perspectives during career negotiations.
Sharing the perspective of someone who is considering accepting a position was Jeremy Barnyak, Founder of Peak Negotiations. Barnyak’s work focuses on making negotiations approachable while helping clients secure their highest earnings potential. His clientele spans executives negotiating on behalf of their companies, founders who need to position themselves to funders, and professionals just starting out who need real-world examples of successes and failures.
Providing the human resources (HR) perspective of negotiation was Kayla Bracall, who is a Manager of Executive Compensation at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Bracall’s expertise gave attendees a glimpse into the organizational side of offers and how HR professionals think through negotiation questions.
In addition to the speakers, two moderators served as representatives for early and later stage career seekers. Amy Whistel, MD, MPH, FACOG is an Assistant Professor at the Duquesne University School of Medicine and comes from a long career as a clinical maternal-fetal medical professional and educator who spoke from personal experience of past negotiations as well as looking to pivot career pathways. Jennifer Luke, PhD, is an Innovation Ecosystem Relationship Manager at Collaborative Real Estate with a background in surface chemistry and gene therapy who represented those earlier in their career interested in exploring their first job out of academia.
Overcoming the Fear of Negotiating
The first question that comes to mind when considering negotiations is “will I jeopardize my offer if I push back on something?”
Barnyak settled many of these fears by sharing his own experience negotiating his first job after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. It was 2009, and the job market for Barnyak and his fellow graduates was difficult. Even in that market, Barnyak secured an offer from PNC.
When negotiating with PNC, he followed the widely shared career advice to negotiate for a higher salary. But looking back, Barnyak acknowledged that he wasn’t as prepared as he wanted to be for the conversation and that he didn't have much leverage as an entry-level hire. He simply asked for a higher salary without providing any justification or first asking how the hiring manager arrived at the number on the offer.
“That was a really important lesson for me,” Barnyak reflected. “Even though I pushed back on the salary, they didn’t take away the offer.”
Value Goes Beyond Technical Expertise
“How would you go about finding those soft skills hidden within your specialized field?” asked Luke, emphasizing the importance of highlighting skills that aren’t directly related to the individual’s studies.
“You do have to advocate for yourself. You have to tell them why,” said Bracall on framing the soft skills people develop while in graduate school programs or in entry-level jobs. Bracall highlighted that your technical skills are not your only strength.
“Most people aren’t involved in some kind of professional development program,” Bracall explained, offering alternatives to traditional training where soft skills are also obtained. “Fundraisers, charities … you can speak to those experiences too.” Framing your highly specialized work in terms of attention to detail, time management, collaboration, and leadership gives you leverage even as you begin your career.
Compensation Is More Than Salary
“What should we be asking for when we see an offer?” asked Whitsel, recounting some of her past offers and looking to both panelists to share their perspectives.
While the first thing that most likely comes to mind is salary, Barnyak and Bracall highlighted additional negotiation options that apply to both experienced professionals and entry-level job seekers.
Barnyak spoke about how to determine which negotiation topics to focus on. “If it’s important to you, then it’s reasonable to negotiate.” He gave examples of having to relocate or if you know that you have obligations outside of work that take you away from home. “Maybe my kids have a dance recital every year…I’m going to have to work remotely sometimes.”
Bracall gave examples for those who are established in their current role and want to make a move while retaining some aspects of their current compensation. “Look at all of the variable compensation,” said Bracall. Attendees were encouraged to look at the entire compensation package, which may include variable offerings such as bonuses or profit sharing, in addition to the base salary.
“As you grow in an organization, more of your compensation becomes variable. If you’re walking away from a bonus at your other company…that can be bought out,” said Bracall. Keeping these options in mind can build a better package for the potential employee and make a significant impact on their happiness in their new role. Sign-on bonuses, relocation support, additional paid time off (PTO), flexible work arrangements, and professional development funding are all on the table and worth discussing. Negotiations are about participating in the process and having a back-and-forth conversation rather than passively accepting the initial terms given.
Building Connections Through Community
Questions from attendees continued after the formal question-and-answer portion of the panel, and the conversation extended into networking and follow-up discussions, highlighting the value of creating spaces for open dialogue around career development.
One attendee, Cally Uhl from Pittsburgh Life Science Alliance (PLSA), reflected on the importance of the panel discussion. “The negotiation skills panel was an extremely informative event that gave fantastic insight on how pay negotiations can be successful throughout career advancements,” said Uhl. “As women, it’s absolutely crucial we gain knowledge about the ways in which we can leverage ourselves and make sure we are paid fairly.”
Attendees also appreciated the practical and actionable nature of the conversation. Kimberly Brothers, a Medical Writer from Castle Biosciences, said, “The panelists shared valuable real-world expertise on successfully negotiating job offers, drawing from their own career experiences. They provided practical advice on how graduate students with limited professional experience can effectively communicate the value of their skills, strategies for negotiating during major career transitions, and the importance of having regular conversations about salary and career advancement, even when those discussions feel uncomfortable.”
One of the evening’s central themes was the importance of approaching negotiation as an opportunity to gather information rather than immediately countering an offer. As attendee Narita Roy, PhD, observed: “Having never been taught how to negotiate a job offer, I was delighted to learn that negotiations start with questions, not counters. Asking questions like ‘How did you arrive at this offer?’ helps reveal the logic, constraints, and benchmarks behind a compensation package and allows candidates to engage more strategically.”
The feedback highlighted something that often gets overlooked. Many of the skills that shape a career are learned outside of the formal structure of a classroom, lab, or workplace. Having the opportunity to openly discuss topics like negotiation, compensation, and career transitions gave attendees a chance to learn from both experts and peers who have navigated similar situations.
Creating opportunities for connection is a key goal of the Hot Metal Campus Professional Development Series. While Hot Metal Campus provides laboratory and office space to Pittsburgh's innovation community, the Professional Development Series reflects a broader commitment to supporting the people working within the Hot Metal Campus ecosystem. By partnering with organizations such as Women in Bio Pittsburgh, Hot Metal Campus aims to create places where scientists, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and industry professionals can learn from one another and build meaningful connections.
Thank you to Jeremy Barnyak of Peak Negotiations and Kayla Bracall of Thermo Fisher Scientific for sharing their expertise, and to everyone who participated in the discussion. We look forward to continuing conversations that help connect scientific training with the practical skills needed to navigate today's evolving career landscape.
Looking to join the next Hot Metal Campus Professional Development Series? Check the Hot Metal Campus calendar for more info on upcoming events or sign up to receive our monthly newsletter, where we share event updates at the beginning of each month.