Nervous about asking for a raise? So are many other U.S. workers

There’s not a lot that scares the average American -- besides death, taxes and maybe “pink slime.” But career negotiations like asking for a raise leave four in 10 U.S. professionals quaking in fear.

Closing business deals and other potentially confrontational situations make 42% of American workers uncomfortable. And 39% of them become actively anxious -- the most of any country, according to a new survey from career-focused social network LinkedIn.

A quarter of U.S. employees said they’ve never bargained on the job.

Worldwide, negotiating at work is an awkward experience for 35% of the 2,000 professionals surveyed. Another 34% say they feel confident about asking for what they want, while 10% say they find it exciting. The rest were either indifferent or non-responsive.

Brazil had the most frightened negotiators, Germany the most excited ones and India, the most confident.

Women were less likely to feel self-assured about negotiating, comparing the process to a dance. Men, 37% of whom said they were confident about haggling at work, said it was more like playing poker.

To overcome apprehension about negotiating, experts such as leadership consultant and author Selena Rezvani suggest doing plenty of advance prep work.

Use a salary calculator to figure out how much peers likely earn or find a negotiating app on a smartphone, she said. Start the discussion with a high number and don’t succumb to the first offer.

Here are some other tips from career site Monster, Glassdoor and CareerBuilder.

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