Jim Hopkinson, Salary.com contributing writer

A rough translation of a myth could be “a legendary story, usually concerning a hero or event, especially one that is concerned with deities or some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.”

Many people play up salary negotiation as some kind of mythical exploit, as if a Cyclops from human resources was guarding a 10 percent salary increase. Perhaps only few select heroes can effectively navigate this rite of passage and pierce the heavily guarded castle.

In reality, as author Selena Rezvani puts it, a negotiation can simply be “a conversation that ends in agreement.” So before you retreat back over the drawbridge, let’s take a look at the other definition of a myth — a falsehood — and see if we can come out victorious. Continue Reading