Something to doCompensation
Take stock of your whole pay package
A worksheet to see everything you're paid in, and know what you'd actually ask for
Why it’s worth your time
Negotiations go better when you know what you actually want, and it's easy to walk in knowing only one number. Pay is a bundle of salary, bonus, equity, benefits, time off, flexibility and learning, and the parts matter differently to different people. Seeing the whole package, and how you feel about each part, gives you room to ask for what matters and give up what doesn't.
How to evaluate your total compensation
You’ll come away with a list of everything you're paid in and the two things you'd most like to change.
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
- List everything you're paid in.
Go line by line and write a few words on each: what it is, and whether you love it, would trade it, or wish it were different. Short answers are fine.
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Tip: If you don't know what something is worth, write that down. It's the first thing to find out.
- Circle the two that matter most.
If you could improve only two things this year, which would they be? Often it isn't the salary, and knowing that is useful.
- Find out what's typical, and how they decide.
Look up what similar roles pay, from salary sites, industry surveys, and people you trust in similar jobs. Then learn how the company thinks about pay: when reviews happen, whether there are bands, which parts are flexible.
- Turn it into your ask.
One or two things, framed in terms of what helps them too: why it would make you more effective or more committed, or cost them less than it's worth to you. You've already marked what you'd give up if they push back.
Good moments for this: before you negotiate an offerbefore your annual reviewwhen your life changes what matters
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
Keep going with Truest
Small actions add up. Truest helps you find the next thing worth doing, make the space to do it, and keep a record of your progress. It’s a private place to work on your career, and it’s yours, not your employer’s.
- It actually happensDo it now, and you’ve invested in your career today.
- A living page in your VaultKeep it as one page you add to, next to your reviews and your files.
- It’s yours to keepEach thing you do is saved to your private record, there when your next review or job search comes around.
Anything else we can help you with this week?
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
A new child, a move, wanting to learn something new: each changes which parts count most. Revisit the list when your life changes, not only your job.
What might make this harder
Ask how it's valued and what similar grants have looked like. If nobody can tell you, treat it as uncertain rather than as a number.
Questions people ask
What's included in a compensation package?
Usually salary plus some mix of bonus or profit share, equity, health and retirement benefits, time off, flexibility on hours or location, and learning support. What's on offer varies a lot by company.
How do I negotiate more than salary?
Know which parts matter most to you before you start, and ask for one or two of them specifically. Explaining why it matters, and what you'd give up in return, tends to help.
How do I figure out what my equity is worth?
Ask the company how it's valued, how much you'd have, and how it vests. For private companies the value is often uncertain, so it's reasonable to count it as a maybe rather than a sure thing.
Why this works, and where it comes from
The number at the top of an offer letter gets almost all the attention. That's natural; it's the one everyone talks about. But what you're paid in is a bundle, and the parts rarely matter equally to you. A week off might be worth more to you than a few thousand dollars, or the other way round, and until you've looked at the whole thing, you don't really know.
The approach here borrows the way Truest likes to look at a job, what you love, what you'd let go of, what you wish were part of it, and points it at pay. The order matters. Think first, research second, ask third. If you start with the research, the market's numbers tend to decide what you want for you. If you start with yourself, the research tells you what's realistic for the things you actually care about.
From the company's side, someone who knows what matters to them is easier to say yes to. The person across the table usually wants the deal to work, and a clear, specific ask gives them something they can take to whoever approves it. Knowing what you'd trade is what turns a standoff into a solution.
One caution. If the offer or your current pay is far below the market for the role, lead with the market evidence on salary first. A careful list of trade-offs can quietly become a way of accepting too little.
Other simple things to consider
More in Compensation
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated October 2, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.