When the negotiation does not end after one round Three weeks ago I wrote about how I negotiated a salary up by twelve thousand. The post got read. The DMs that came in after were almost all the same question: "What do I do when they counter-offer my counter-offer?" That second round is where most candidates fold. The first counter feels powerful. The second feels rude. So they take whatever number lands on the table and move on. Here is what I have actually said in those rounds, with context. Scenario 1 — They came back with the midpoint You asked for $130k. They opened at $108k. After your counter, they came back with $118k. The instinct is to take it. The math is fine — $10k more than their first offer, only $12k below your ask. Done, right? But $118k is the recruiter's go-home number. It is the number they have authority to approve without escalating. There is usually one more step. What I said: "I appreciate the move to $118k.…