the salary question
Dear Negotiation Expert, My husband and I are making some big changes in our lives, which includes him going to law school. This puts us in a situation where I will need to support us (minus his tuition costs) while he is in school. The challenge lies in the fact that I graduated in '05 with a BS in HR, took a job as an HR assistant of sorts and am now trying to find a position that can support us having less experience than I would prefer. I worked there for 15 months until we were re-located. Until then, my experience was mostly admin assistant and customer service stuff. I found a position that I would love to have that would be both personally and professionally fulfilling, only I don't know how to answer the "salary requirement" question. The position only requires an AA and doesn't ask for much experience. The company is small... 30-40 people and while I feel I would be an asset (who doesn't, right?). I have no idea what an appropriate amount is. I feel I would need to make 35-40K to survive while hubby is in school... but is that just too much considering how small the company is? Or too much to ask considering the education/experience requirements for the position? I don't want to loose their interest before I can even get to a negotiation stage. I would appreciate your advice. Many Thanks! You need to figure out what it actually costs you on average to pay the bills each month over the last several months. Whatever that monthly average is, take it times 12 to come up with an annualized level of income you require and below which you cannot go and still pay all the bills and at least make ends meet. Whatever that annualized amount turns out to be is the level of income you require and below which you cannot go and still stay afloat financially. Call that annualized income $X. That amount, $X, is the low end of the salary range for which you should be shooting. If you're offered a salary equal to or greater than $X, you should be able to make through the next 3 years of law school. By the same token, there's no good reason why your spouse can't look for a clerkship with a law firm or with an appellate court judge in his spare time when he's not going to class or studying. I've known a ton of successful lawyers who held down part-time law-related jobs during law school. Any income he can generate will just make life that much easier while he's attending law school. Hope this helps. Paul W. Barada The Negotiation Expert | |
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