Salary Negotiation with New Job

-hype

Hey Guys,

So I have a bit of a dilemma, albeit a good one:

So I got the call from a HR person for the job I interviewed with last Friday (the 16th). I thought I heard her say the salary I wanted which was 1k more than I asked for, lol. But the job letter (email) is 10k less than what I thought she stated. So I am trying to, obviously, split the difference atleast. How do I go about doing that?

They really like me for the job. HR claimed they were interviewing more people, but I knew it was fluff because the hiring manager said they would have a decision early this week. And here I am with a job offer.

How do I go about asking for more money, should I email back or call? And tell her I thought I misheard the offer. I've never negotiated a salary before. BTW, HR would like to know if I am accepting the job by end of this week.

Thanks in advance for the help!

iBrokeIT

Did you not know the range or give a range before going to the interview? If not then that is where you screwed up.

I would reply with your acceptable range and be prepared to walk if you don't get it. If you are not prepare to walk away from the offer if they don't meet your salary expectation then you should acceptable it.

Cyberscum

Send an email back telling them that you are excited about the position yada yada and ask if they would consider the salary you wish. Make sure to explain the reasons why they should consider the salary because you do not know who that email will get forwarded to. Do not add anything about the HR screw up or misspeaking as it might come across unprofessional. Don’t let companies low ball you because not only will you be screwing yourself, but you would be screwing the IT field in general. There are far too many people taking positions for nothing and setting the bar lower and lower for our field. Make an educated decision on what you are worth from certs, experience, local salary etc…and stick to it.

pinkydapimp

I would typically call them instead of email. Just ask them if thats the best they can do and see what they say. Or, if you truly think they said something higher, call back and mention that you were under the impression the position paid X. Then see what they say. If they don't give you the number you want, then be prepared to ask for it. Just be prepared to walk or have the offer rescinded if its out of their range.

anhtran35

I got hose like this before. I inform them what I wanted. They said they couldn't match it. I WALKED.

-hype

Ok guys, I talked to the HR person via phone and she talked to the manager. Unfortunately they couldn't exactly match what I wanted. Because I would making more than what my co-workers would be making, performing the same job. But they did revise the offer to add 3k, which was their max. I am leaning toward accepting it. Because it is about 20k more than what I make plus they do bonuses.

EDIT: I'm sure you guys would like to know what the new job is. It is basically a systems admin job. I am going to be jack of all trades there.

Cyberscum

Call them back and DEMAND the money!!!!!!

dou2ble

I'd say a 20k increase is worth it. You don't have to stay there forever. Use this increase to get your next increase.

I'm also curious why you're expecting a 30k increase? Did you get a new cert or degree?

-hype

dou2ble wrote: »

I'd say a 20k increase is worth it. You don't have to stay there forever. Use this increase to get your next increase.

I'm also curious why you're expecting a 30k increase? Did you get a new cert or degree?

I got a bachelor's. Added CCNA, MCSA:Server 2k8 and project+. Also, I am managing a 35k user Exchange environment. When I became a systems admin, they gave me a BS raise, which I only accepted because I thought I would get more exposure to the tech and get me the hell out of desktop support. Only the latter was true.

dou2ble

I'm in SoCal and I would say those quals are around 6 figure paying jobs depending on the company and your years of experience. I'd imagine Philadelphia is similar. If that helps any. My last job I accepted a 10% increase because they had bonuses + generous annual raise and almost 30 days off a year. I stayed there a couple years and with bonuses + annual raise I made more then if I had accepted a 20% increase. So sometimes it's not just the base salary. A lot of factors like stability and benefits should be considered.

-hype

dou2ble wrote: »

I'm in SoCal and I would say those quals are around 6 figure paying jobs depending on the company and your years of experience. I'd imagine Philadelphia is similar. If that helps any. My last job I accepted a 10% increase because they had bonuses + generous annual raise and almost 30 days off a year. I stayed there a couple years and with bonuses + annual raise I made more then if I had accepted a 20% increase. So sometimes it's not just the base salary. A lot of factors like stability and benefits should be considered.

I have 3 years of IT experience. Trust me I would love a 6 figure job.

dou2ble

-hype wrote: »

I have 3 years of IT experience. Trust me I would love a 6 figure job.

You're definitely on your way if you keep making 20k jumps. The biggest mistake I see colleagues make is expecting their current employer to appreciate there expertise AND reward them monetarily. Sometimes they do, but most of the time they don't. I start looking once I've been somewhere 1 - 2 years. I started off in IT as a hard worker and some experience but no certs or paper. Between my 4th and 8th year of experience I made a 40k jump, big contributing factors were completing my BS in IT and CISSP.

-hype

How do you justify it when they ask you why you keep jumping jobs every 2 years?

- Cliche answer: More money, more responsibility, different projects? Does this work if you have had 3 jobs withing 5-6 years?

MeanDrunkR2D2

-hype wrote: »

How do you justify it when they ask you why you keep jumping jobs every 2 years?

- Cliche answer: More money, more responsibility, different projects? Does this work if you have had 3 jobs withing 5-6 years?

You are early on in your career and being at a place for 2 years isn't a "bad" thing. If you spent 3 years jumping for new jobs every 6 months or less, then yes, it would affect you. But for now, it's a rather large pay raise from what you are making now and I would completely take that offer. It's more experience and new environment that may help you grow in your knowledge and could later turn into a promotion, or help you sell yourself to a new company for even more money.

Don't worry about becoming a job hopper. You are looking out for what is best in your position, and obviously where you are now you aren't being compensated fairly at all and it makes sense to jump for this position.

And the answer should a hiring manager ask why you left, just tell him/her that it was for a role offering more responsibility and a new challenge for more money. They won't shy away from you for being honest in that example. Now, if you worked for a jerk, I'd always avoid saying anything negative about a place you used to/currently work at. If you feel like your growth is limited at the job you are currently at, that is fair to say as well and that you are looking for more of a challenge.

anhtran35

-hype wrote: »

How do you justify it when they ask you why you keep jumping jobs every 2 years?

- Cliche answer: More money, more responsibility, different projects? Does this work if you have had 3 jobs withing 5-6 years?

Recruiters and hiring manager will always ask: Why are you seeking to leave your current position? I tell them the contract is up for rebid and I'm uncertain of the outcome. I'm looking for more stability...yada yada yada. Don't be afraid to BS a bit.

dou2ble

-hype wrote: »

How do you justify it when they ask you why you keep jumping jobs every 2 years?

- Cliche answer: More money, more responsibility, different projects? Does this work if you have had 3 jobs withing 5-6 years?

I always say I'm looking for more responsibility and challenges because it's true. I also agree with the other guy who said you're early in your career. Every 6 months looks fishy, but 1 or 2 years is fine. Use this time to leap your peers and find a good stable position to be SR at.