I used to advise companies on what to pay people. Here are 4 myths you should ignore when negotiating your salary.

Gerta Malaj used to help companies determine employee compensation.

Courtesy of Gerta Malaj

• Gerta Malaj is a negotiation advisor who guides executives and mid-career professionals.
• Malaj previously worked at Salary.com, where she helped firms determine employee compensation.
• She warns against following common advice, like relying too much on market research or playing hard to get.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gerta Malaj, who used...