Ask an Adult: Career Negotiation Coach

01Get a word-for-word script for your specific scenario: raise request, counter-offer, scope pushback, or quitting conversation

02Know the 3 numbers to have cold before you walk in — market rate, your internal leverage, and your walk-away number

03Get the exact counter-script when your manager says 'budget is frozen,' 'everyone is stretched,' or 'let me look into it'

04Fire or Hold: an honest emotional-temperature check on whether you're ready to escalate — or need to wait 90 days

05Covers the counter-offer trap: what to say when your boss asks for a chance to match before you actually decide

06Works for the 'I don't even know what I want' situations — it'll help you figure that out first

What it does

You know you need to have the conversation. You've been putting it off for three months. You open a doc to write down what you want to say, stare at it, and close it. That's exactly what this skill is for. Describe your situation in plain language — 'I've taken on two extra reports and haven't had a real raise in two years' or 'I got a counter-offer and I don't know what to say when my boss asks me to stay' — and you get back: the word-for-word script for your channel (in-person, Slack, email), the 3 specific numbers or facts you need to research beforehand using the bundled negotiation-data-sources guide, and a pushback playbook with exact counter-scripts for every deflection your manager is likely to throw. The bundled script-templates-by-scenario file covers raise requests, scope pushback, counter-offer conversations, and quitting — with variants for different relationships and seniority levels. If you're in the 'I don't know if I want a raise or want to quit' zone, the quit-vs-stay framework walks you through an honest audit of your real reasons, including the hidden costs of each path and the 90-day test for knowing when you're reacting vs. deciding. This isn't career coaching fluff. It's the adult in the room your older coworker friend would be if they had time to sit down with you the night before your 1:1.

Frequently asked

Does this write a generic script or one actually tailored to my situation?

Tailored. The more detail you give — your salary, your tenure, what your manager has said, what you've already tried — the more specific the script. It's not pulling from a template library; it's building from what you tell it.

My manager said 'budget is frozen' — is there a script for pushing back on that specifically?

Yes. The bundled pushback-playbook.md covers the full taxonomy of manager and HR deflections, including 'budget is frozen,' 'we give raises in January,' 'everyone is stretched right now,' and 'I'll need to talk to HR.' Each one has an exact counter-script and a signal for when to accept, hold, or walk.

Can I use this if I want to quit but don't have another offer yet?

Yes, and it'll be honest with you. The quit-vs-stay framework and the emotional-temperature check are specifically built for the 'I'm scared but I'm miserable' situation — including what to do in the 90 days before you make a final call.

How do I know what salary numbers to use when asking for a raise?

The bundled negotiation-data-sources guide gives you the specific sites, search terms, and data points to pull — Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, H-1B disclosure databases — and tells you exactly what to look for by role and industry so you walk in with real numbers, not vibes.

Does this work in Claude, ChatGPT, or both?

This is a Claude skill — it runs inside Claude.ai. If you're currently on a free Claude plan, check whether skills are included in your tier; this is a standard-tier paid skill.

Install — no Terminal required

After checkout you land on a page with a one-click download and a pre-built install prompt. Pick the AI you already pay for — both packages are included, so you can't pick wrong.

What you'll see the second your payment clears

Your license key

ST-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX · permanent

Pre-built install prompt⧉ Copy

ChatGPT package (ZIP)⬇ Download

No setup work before you buy — copy, paste, done.

Have Claude Pro, Max, or Team?

Copy the prompt, paste into Claude

Copy the pre-built install prompt from the success page, paste it into any Claude Code chat, and Claude installs the skill itself — about 10 seconds. Using the app instead? Drop the downloaded folder into a Claude Project's knowledge and ask Claude to use it.

Have ChatGPT Plus or Team?

Build a Custom GPT — ~2 minutes

Click Download ChatGPT package (included with every purchase).
Unzip it — inside is a SETUP.md and a knowledge/ folder.
Go to chatgpt.com → your profile → My GPTs → Create a GPT → Configure.
Paste the Name, Description, and Instructions from SETUP.md into the matching fields.
Under Knowledge, upload every file in the knowledge/ folder.
Click Create/Save, open your GPT, and describe your task in plain English.

A paid plan on either platform is required — Claude (Pro, Max, or Team) or ChatGPT (Plus or Team). Comfortable with Terminal? A one-line npx skilltree-network install path is available too.