13 free resources on this topic. Everything here is free and hand-picked. You can also search within this topic.
Program on Negotiation article on handling conflict with difficult employees through active listening, accountability and feedback.
A community of about 1,400 members for experienced professionals chasing $200k+ full-time or fractional roles. Joining free gets you a job-search workbook plus resume, messaging, interview and negotiation playbooks.
Why I recommend it: Joining and the workbook are free. Staying longer means a paid tier, which you can cancel.
A free printable workbook for the weeks after a layoff, reorg or exit you did not choose, written by Erica Rivera, a former Google and Indeed recruiter. It walks through the first 72 hours, then days 1-30 (runway math, benefits and unemployment deadlines, severance review), days 31-60 (evidence of your work, your narrative) and days 61-90 (options and offers), with space to write your own answers and date them.
Why I recommend it: The most useful page is the first 72 hours: read the separation agreement slowly, do not sign on day one, and handle healthcare and unemployment deadlines before you touch your resume. It is written for senior women with 12+ years in, so the framing assumes that; the deadlines and runway math apply to anyone. It downloads straight as a PDF with no email required.
A plain-language guide to stock options, grants, vesting and what equity in a job offer is actually worth.
Why I recommend it: Read this before you accept a startup offer with equity in it.
A free personalized salary report based on your role, skills, location, and experience, useful as a second data point before you name a number.
Why I recommend it: Never walk into a pay conversation with one source. Pull two or three ranges and bring the one you can defend.
A free resource library from Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation, with articles and guides on negotiation strategy, conflict resolution, and dealmaking.
Why I recommend it: The deepest free negotiation material I have found anywhere, and it is not limited to salary. Read one article before any offer conversation.
A federal, downloadable PDF negotiation guide developed for the DOL's Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses (TEAMS) program, broadly applicable beyond its original military-spouse audience.
Why I recommend it: Written for military spouses, but the scripts and framing work for anyone re-entering the workforce or switching careers. Download it before your next offer conversation.
General salary negotiation guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop program, not limited to tech compensation.
Why I recommend it: Levels.fyi is great for tech salaries, but most people need a broader playbook. Start here before you make your ask.
A Substack essay from the Side Work newsletter built on direct conversations about pay, showing what people in different roles actually earn and how they talk about it.
Why I recommend it: Real numbers from real people beat any salary calculator. Use it to set a floor before your next negotiation, and notice how plainly these folks discuss money.
An anonymized speaking contract template synthesized from real speaker agreements: fee and payment structures, travel expenses, recording and likeness rights, promotion approval, cancellation windows, independent contractor status, indemnification, and force majeure.
Why I recommend it: Details: Educational starting point, not a finished contract. The bracketed notes flag the terms that varied most across real agreements — fee splits, cancellation windows, and dispute resolution. Have an attorney in your state review it before you send or sign anything based on it.
Lawyer, mediator, and speaker sharing weekly, no-nonsense tips on difficult conversations, negotiation, and speaking up at work.
Why I recommend it: Follow her if raises, boundaries, or hard workplace conversations are where you freeze up. Practical scripts, not theory.
Slide guide to the tools that tell you what a role actually pays — Levels.fyi for role-level comp, Numbeo for cost-of-living context, Glassdoor for company intel — plus the mindset and mechanics of negotiating an offer.
In plain terms: This guide reviews tools for researching pay rates and local living costs. You can use it to determine your minimum compensation and prepare to negotiate your salary and benefits.
Why I recommend it: Pair one role-level pay tool with one cost-of-living tool before you ever name a number.
Created by Justin Smith — Launchpad Library
Real, crowd-sourced compensation data so you negotiate with numbers, not nerves.
In plain terms: This website provides salary and benefits data across different companies, job titles, and career levels. You can compare compensation numbers and research pay to help negotiate your next job offer.
From the site: Search 1M+ data points for different companies, job titles, career levels, and locations. Explore our tools to help you get paid more!
Why I recommend it: Bring a range, not a single number, and anchor it to this data.
