Ibrahim Afees

Career Coach | ATS Resume & LinkedIn Specialist
Career tips + job-search insights.

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

Your experience isn't the problem.

Sometimes, it's how your experience is being presented.

I'm Ibrahim Afees, a Career Coach and ATS Resume & LinkedIn Specialist.

I help professionals turn their experience into stronger career documents and a clearer job-search strategy.

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

Before You Negotiate Salary, Understand What You’re Actually Negotiating

Salary negotiation is often treated as a simple question:

“How much do you want to earn?”

But that’s not the whole conversation.

Before you negotiate compensation, you need to understand what you’re actually negotiating.

Because two jobs with the same title can have very different responsibilities, expectations and compensation structures.

Here are four things to consider before you name your number.

1. Role scope

Don’t negotiate based on the job title alone.

Look at what the role actually requires.

Are you managing projects?

Leading a team?

Owning a budget?

Working with senior stakeholders?

Making strategic decisions?

Handling clients across multiple markets?

A broader scope of responsibility can justify a different compensation level than a role with the same title but significantly fewer responsibilities.

The title tells you what the company calls the role. The scope tells you what you’re actually being hired to do.

2. Level

Understand the level of the position.

Are you being hired as an individual contributor, senior specialist, manager, senior manager or executive?

Your experience matters, but so does the level at which you’re expected to operate.

For example, someone with 10 years of experience isn’t automatically entitled to senior-level compensation if the role itself is structured at a lower level.

Likewise, a candidate with fewer years of experience may have strong leverage if the role requires advanced expertise and significant responsibility.

Don’t negotiate your experience in isolation.

Negotiate the level and expectations of the role.

3. Location

Location can significantly affect compensation.

A role based in London, New York, Dubai, Singapore or a smaller regional market may have very different compensation expectations.

Remote work can make this more complicated.

Some companies pay based on the employee’s location.

Others use a broader salary band.

Some may adjust compensation depending on the market where the employee lives.

So before comparing your offer with someone else’s, make sure you’re comparing similar roles, markets and employment arrangements.

Don’t assume someone else’s salary is automatically the right benchmark for you.

4. Total compensation

Salary is only one part of compensation.

Depending on the employer and country, your package may also include:

– Bonuses
– Equity or stock
– Pension or retirement contributions
– Health insurance
– Paid leave
– Relocation support
– Remote-work benefits
– Allowances
– Commission
– Signing bonuses
– Professional development

A higher base salary isn’t always the better overall package.

For example, one offer may have a higher salary but limited benefits.

Another may offer a lower salary with a substantial bonus, better benefits, stronger retirement contributions or greater flexibility.

You need to understand the entire package before deciding whether an offer is attractive.

So, what should you do before negotiating?

Don’t walk into the conversation with one number and hope for the best.

First, understand:

Role → Scope → Level → Location → Total compensation

Then consider your experience, market positioning and the value you bring to the role.

And most importantly, don’t negotiate simply because you feel you should.

Negotiate when you have a clear understanding of what you’re offering, what the role requires and what the overall package represents.

Good salary negotiation isn’t about demanding the highest possible number.

It’s about having an informed conversation about your value and the role you’re being asked to perform.

Know what you’re negotiating before you negotiate it.

Follow for more practical career advice, job-search strategies and guidance for positioning yourself in the job market.

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@darkwebhaber The disturbing part isn’t just the violent imagery in those tattoos, it’s the apparent desire to turn that persona into social-media fame. When did notoriety become something people actively chase?

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@901Lulu After 30 years of appeals and legal proceedings, the final hours have arrived. Does an execution after decades bring closure, or simply end a very long legal process?

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@temtemtem_ The funniest part is watching someone desperately turn attraction into an art critique while accidentally admitting exactly what caught their attention. 😂

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@OconEsteban “This is absolutely not the end of my Formula 1 career.” 👀 That sounds less like a goodbye and more like a warning that Ocon isn’t finished yet.

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@WinnaFC If this report is true, the real story isn’t Ronaldo vs Messi, it’s whether a national team can function properly when one player has that much influence. 👀

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@HeidiBachram Imagine feeling the plane suddenly plunge while hearing people scream, with no idea what is happening in the cockpit. That must have been absolutely terrifying. 😳

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@mymomcare A horrific crime can be acknowledged without turning a victim’s suffering into graphic social-media content. Do you think executions bring justice, closure, or simply mark the final chapter of a long legal process?

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@pusholder Before everyone starts judging these celebrities, can we first see the verified test results and the source behind the claims? Serious allegations need serious evidence.

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@TouchlineX Richards’ dilemma is probably what makes this so complicated: how do you separate everything you achieved on the pitch from questions about what happened off it? 👀

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@PopBase Imagine looking out the window thinking everything is normal, while the two people flying the plane are reportedly fighting. 😳 What actually happened here?

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@FabrizioRomano Seabra to Rio Ave? 👀 New club, new pressure, new opportunity. Do you think he’s the right fit for the job?

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@FabrizioRomano @marca A footballer’s worst enemy isn’t always the opponent, it can be an injury that keeps you away from the game for months. Hopefully Asencio gets the recovery he deserves. 🙏🏽

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@boyslovehub A powerful moment, especially in a sport where athletes can feel enormous pressure to keep personal parts of their lives private. Hopefully Rui’s openness gives someone else the courage to be honest with themselves too. 🏳️‍🌈

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@FabrizioRomano “How do you repair that?” is the real question. Retrospective punishment can’t recreate the past.

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@ProFootballTalk Harbaugh wanted Kaepernick in 2017. Now his starting QB is out, and Baltimore needs options. 👀 Would you be surprised if that phone call actually happened?

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@taylorswift13 Taylor went to Sweden to celebrate a record-breaking album and somehow came home with four more songs. 😂 At this point, should we ever expect her to actually stop creating?

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@poptime There are two types of couples: the ones who still pretend they don’t fart, and the ones who have completely abandoned the illusion. 😂 Which one are you?

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@UnderdogNFL Four offensive linemen leave the game and your solution becomes “put the tight end on the line.” 😭 NFL depth charts can get REAL creative on Sundays.

[Ibrahim Afees @IBAF_Barry]

@vincentdonofrio @Daredevil “I love that character Fisk. Always will.” That’s the kind of attachment you want an actor to have with a role. Now Season 3 has expectations. 👀