SalaryHi I accepted a salary of 32,000 for a Database Marketing Analyst position with a bank in New Orleans. The salary is exactly what I put on the application. I am qualified for this position although, I do not meet the 2 year previous experience requirement. After careful evaluation, I believe that I may have accepted the offer prematurely. This will barely cover my living expense due to the increase in the cost of living in New Orleans. I start the new job in August after I have received my Master's degree. I have a B.S. in Marketing and will have a M.A. in Mass Communication. They are very eager to have me on board. Is there something I can do to re-negotiate the salary after I have accepted it? Personally, I don't think at this point you can reopen negotiations. In all honesty, it is your problem that you apparently did not do the appropriate amount of research & negotiating upfront when you a) wrote that amount on your application, and b) when you failed, after that point, to try and negotiate before you accepted. It would be terribly unprofessional and in poor taste to now go back and ask for a higher salary. The time to negotiate would have been once the offer was made, and before you accepted it. At that point you could have said, "I would love to accept this offer! However, although I put $32,000 on my application, I didn't realize how much higher the cost of living is here in New Orleans, and that amount was unrealistic. Is the salary negotiable? blah, blah, blah...." About all you can do, if you are certain that you cannot live on $32,000 per year, is get in touch with whomever extended the offer (either the HR rep or the hiring manager), explain that you didn't fully realize the higher COL in NO, and you will have to withdraw your acceptance of the offer. DO NOT ask for more money. Put the ball in their court. If they really want you and can budget more money for the job, they will offer you more. If they are maxed out at $32,000 then they, and you, will have to move on. And, next time make sure you know what you need to live on and have some extra to save for that rainy day. The only other thing you can do is to look for a way to lessen your expenses so that you can live in NO on that salary. Look for a roommate to share housing with (there are online and in-person services that can help you with this). You may not "like" the idea, but it doesn't have to be long term. I've had to do it, and it worked out really well; just be careful who you room with. If you have car payments, sell your car and buy a cheaper one for cash. Get an apartment close to your place of work so you can walk, bicycle, take a bus, or just spend far less on gasoline. Buy your work clothes at upscale thrift & consignment shops. Change your eating habits (healthier eating can be cheaper), etc. I don't know what the cost of living is in NO, but if you are single with no dependents, you can live on $32,000 a year in most of the U.S. Hey, I know you're not going to live well or get rich on that, but this is your first job out of school--you don't need to live well or get rich. I don't think you can go back now, having already accepted their salary offer, and try to negotiate more money. The fact that you apparently miscalculated your salary needs based on the different cost of living in New Orleans isn't the employers problem. Anne Marie, however, has provided one potential solution and that's to call and say you'll have to withdrawn your acceptance of their offer because you didn't realize that you can't make ends meet on $32K in New Orleans and see what they say. They may offer you more - or they may not. If they don't, you'll have to re-start your job search, but you really won't be any worse off than you were before this offer was made, particularly in light of the fact that you can't pay the bills on $32K! If that happens, you need to come up with a new salary RANGE within which you know you need to be, so that in the future you can say that your anticipated salary is negotiable within the $X to $Y range - as opposed to just tossing out one amount. On the other hand, if you can get along on $32K you might want to ask about a performance and salary review in 6 months - if you can stay afloat financially for that length of time with some modifications in your standard of living. Hope this helps. Paul W. Barada The Negotiation Expert No and keep in mind that qualified except for not having any experience really isn't qualified in most people's minds. They're giving you a great opportunity to GET qualified for the next step. Tess
Thanks for replying to my message. I really appreciate your help. But, I decided to follow my gut and negotiate the offer. As a result, I was able to get a better salary. You insight was greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Congratulations! You are probably one of a very few who have been able to re-negotiate a salary after accepting an offer; glad it worked out for you, but, generally, this is not a good idea.... They must have really wanted you, which is a great thing for you!
Good for you! Paul W. Barada The Negotiation Expert | |
|
Career Tips
|