a quick question for you..I apologize this is so long, but I have no one to help me and I really need it. I I haven't been in the my field for about 3 years. The last job I had I was making 23,500, in my area (Pgh, PA, I just moved back about a 6 months ago) the avg. is 27. I have an AA degree and plan on getting a BA, but also I have 10 years of experience. I was asked during a phone interview what salary I was looking for. I have never been asked this question before. I was unaware I could have asked what their range was or said it was negotiable (if that is even correct), quickly I said 24-26. Last week I had a face to face interview. During the interview, I found out the position is salary. I didn't know there was a difference between exempt and non-exempt. Benefits are provided, I don't know what % is paid by the company, my assumption is that will be disclosed after I get hired. I only depend on public transportation (which we have found out there will be raise in cost by 30/mth for a monthly pass in July). I am getting calls from from other companies, but due to trans I cannot get there, but their starting salaries range from 26-35. This current company does not know how much I was getting paid from my last job. With all these things in consideration how do I start negotiatations, without selling myself short? Rozebud A few points: Never mind "averages". If you are looking at salary sites for average salaries, you will find they tend to run high. Look at the same or similar jobs in your area that require the same or similar education and experience and see what they are paying. That will give you a real target range. Always know what you want/need or a salary. You didn't this time but next time know before going in. You are getting back into your field... you may have to take a shave in salary to do so. Consider it the cost of re-entry. You determine the benefits and your cost of benefits BEFORE you are hired, not after. When they make an offer, you should also know the benefit structure. Once you have all of this information, THEN you can decide whether or not you want to negotiate. You have to weigh your financial needs against the intangibles of the job (getting back into your field, growth opportunities, commute, etc...) and your willingness to risk losing the offer if you try to negotiate.
You need to start by figuring out what level of income you require and below which you cannot go to make ends meet, pay all the bills, and at least maintain your present standard of living. Look at your checkbook over the last few months and figure out what it costs you, on average, per month to stay afloat financially. Take that monthly average times 12 to come up with an annualized level of income you have to have. Let that annualized amount equal $X. Add about $10K to $X to come up with the top of your anticipated salary range. Call it $Y. What you should have done - and what you should do in the future - is know what that anticipated salary range really is so if you're ever asked again, you'll have a realistic salary range in mind if a prospective employer asks what your salary expectations are. If you can make it on $24K to $26K per year, fine, but I'd think that would be difficult to do. There are several differences between being classified as an hourly employee and as a salaried employee. In a brief nutshell, hourly employees are only paid for the hours they actually work - they punch a time clock, in other words. Salaried people may be asked to work more hours, but there's usually more personal freedom associated with being a salaried employee - taking time off to go to the doctor without any salary deduction, for instance. If the salary you're offered is lower than you require to be able to pay the bills, just politely ask if the offer is negotiable and see what they say. If it is, be prepared to counter with a range that's reflective of the range in which you know you know you need to be. Also be prepared to state why the job will be worth more to the employer based on things like your previous job performance, experience, training, skills, and education. Also, before accepting any job offer ask what's included in the benefit package and what cost, if any, there is to the employee - like paying a percentage of the health insurance premium, for example. The key to starting negotiations is knowing what level of income you require and then basing your negotiations on what you can bring to the table that will increase the value of the job to the employer to the level that matches your income needs. Zat help? Paul W. Barada The Negotiation Expert Was the salary range mentioned again in the interview, or just the once during the phone call? If the former, and you didn't speak up to contradict your previous range, and you get the offer, I think you may be stuck at no more than $26k. If, however, the dollar amounts weren't mentioned at the interview, you have a chance at redemption if you are made an offer. Based on numerous other threads like yours on these boards, the "out" most people suggest is "When I gave you my range over the phone, it was based on the briefest of descriptions. However, after interviewing and learning more about the position's scope of responsibilities and detailed tasks, I believe a more appropriate range would be $XX,XXX to $XX,XXX." You then have to also sell them on how well you specifically meet those specific job requirements to which you refer. Go on to say something like, "Especially given how well my background and experience meet the needs of the position." Don't sound arrogant, but let them know that you are worth the extra money because of how well you can do the job! Having said all that, the other thing that strikes me is that you did give them the $26k figure, which puts you nearly at this "average" of $27k you cite. If that average is what you are finding on salary.com or similar site, then $24 to $26k is probably closer to the true average--those sites run high. And if you cannot get to a job in which the staring salary is more than $26k, then it doesn't really matter what they are offering, does it? Though, if you got $35k, you could afford to buy a car.... And the COL in Pittsburgh is so low, that you might be OK at $26,000/year. You can buy a nice house there in a decent neighborhood for about half of what it would cost in this part of PA. Someone I know moved recently from Pitt to here, and for the same amount of money that a large, 4-bdrm house with a nice yard cost there, she got a miserly small house in a rotten neighborhood here.... Can you tell I have the time to obsess? The salary range was mentioned during the phone interview. Then I was asked to fill out paperwork over the net in which I then said 24-27K (to get to the avg). I factored in that its been 3 years and I didn't really want to overstate myself, basically I want 26, I figure along with benefits it would be more anyway. I then found out during the face to face that it was salaried. Learning later there was exempt and non. I would most likely take this job due to the trans. without a car I depend on it, and this job is right on the trolley line, with a car who knows what could happen. A house? I'm not even there yet.... let's just stick with getting the job first!!!! If I don't hear from this job (haven't yet) there is always the next interview where I can get it right. I do appreciate the way you put the wording out there for me to start the negotiating, that was the part I've been really obsessing over. I have about 3 sheets of paper filled with sentences, yours are better than mine. I'll go with those. Thanks.
This helped me more than you know. I actually took your $X and $Y diagram and passed it on to some others, we have all felt it to be really helpful. My sister is using it as her diagram for her proposed raise!!! She says thanks! A couple of other points I wanted to mention, I do realize that it has been 3 years since I've worked in my field, so being below the avg in pay (not by much) I can understand, but I do have experience. This company that I interviewed with isn't some little Joe Schmo joint they are a worldwide corporation. I do know enough that co's try to low ball wage so negotiating (if it can be) should be done. I heard of people doing it, I guess I never felt I was "good enough" to do it, until now. I have the opportunity to look for the job I want and not the job I need, for the first time in my life. Unfortunately for me, I felt it wasn't important to finish college (I only have a AA) so now I'm stuck getting jobs that pay 24-26K, where tuition reimbursement is part of the benefits. For someone who is use to living on bare minimum, 24-27K/year can be done. Trust me!! Anything is better than PB&J everyday (just kidding). As of now, my needs are met and my wants are on the back burner, my mother will be happy if the bills are paid out of my checkbook and not hers. Not to say I would love to make more or be where some of my peers are, but I am where I am.... and that is my reality. This job hasn't even called back yet so if this is the lesson I learned then great I know for the next time what to do and what not to do and I want to thank y'all for helping me.
Education is rarely wasted, so I'd encourage you to get your BA once you start a job. Most companies have some kind of tuition reimbursement program. It'll take some time to finish your BA, but you'll get through it, and you won't regret it. Also, you may want to use more paragraph breaks (esp. if your future job requires a lot of writing). They make what you write easier to read. Education was one of the questions during the face interview that was touched upon. Then she said (before I could answer) I guess of course the answer to that would be you can't pay for that until you get a job that is why you are seeking a job. I thought to myself DUH, there are other reasons too!!! I still kick myself for not finishing but I look back and call it my young and dumb years. I know now why it is so important, one for advancement and the obvious.... I wouldn't be looking at 24-26K a year!!! How is this for a paragraph break? I apologize for that my head was running a mile a minute I wasn't thinking of that. No, any of the jobs I am applying for do not entail writing, only numbers. Thank god!!! I do have one more question in regard to negotiations. When I am in the beginning of negotiation whether its for this job (if they even call) or another one, could I say something like, " was offer $xx as an (name the position) for another company (I wouldn't't state the company's name) and ask if they could match that or come close to that? Is that appropriate or should I stick with what Anna said, stating why I feel I should receive more than what they offered. "A house? I'm not even there yet.... let's just stick with getting the job first!!!! " LOL! I was just using that example as a way to point out how much less the COL in your area is than in much of the rest of PA! And since that is the one reference point I am very familiar with, I used that! And, re: your later post, do not refer to what any other company offered you. You may find yourself being told,"Well, then, you should really take that offer, because we cannot match it." If you are limited as to your geographic area due to the transportation issue, you unfortunately are not in a very strong bargaining position. You'll have to do it based on your skills, years of experience, and level of competence.
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