Salary Negotiations

AvgITGeek

Good day all,

I walked out of an interview a couple of hours ago and it all went well. I've just gotten an email from the company wanting to know what my salary expectations are and while I'd love to be making more than I am, I don't want to put them off and miss this opportunity to get back to working with something I love. What do you base your self worth on?  

SteveLavoie

In that case, it is up to you on how much you want. Some could not take an offer for less than what they have already.. some are more flexible. In my case, I would not take an offer for less than previously unless I am desperate to leave my current job or if I dont have a job.

Also, take into consideration all the monetary compensation (insurance, 401K, other benefits..)

Finally, you could answer by a question, and asked them how much do they value your experience and state that your current employer is giving you X K$ and you know you are worth more. 

  

AvgITGeek

All nice points. I have yet to respond regarding salary.

I currently have a job that doesn't offer any benefits. I had to stop paying for health insurance last September because it drug my savings account down below $700 and being I have my own house, that isn't cool. I've since put that money I would have been paying for health insurance back into the savings. This new company offers a good health insurance package but I don't want to jump jobs and still be living paycheck to paycheck. Right now, if I google the salary for the position I'm going for, it is a range from 3K below what I'm currently making to 65K more than what I'm making. I'm thinking of going in at 9K more than what I'm making and negotiate. I really want this job but also don't want to take it just for the bennies and then find out that I'm making what I did and am losing money because it is double the commute time. Am I making sense? If I move jobs, it is for more money in my pocket and better benefits.

Jon_Cisco

There are lots of variables. Most people will ask for more then they are currently making. They are not obligated to match that figure but they should not be offended by it.

Since I am not always very pushy about salary I will just say make sure you know the minimum number you can live comfortably on and don't go below it unless your unemployed.

EANx

You have to be careful with salary surveys, a lot depends on who is being interviewed. A self-reports survey typically has a wide-range associated with it because it will include people with a wide range of skill sets. Much the same way that a cert salary survey will include people with a wide range of experience and responsibilities.

You don't want to leave money on the table but you don't want to scare them off either so demonstrating flexibility can be useful. Many people here are simply after the highest dollar amount they can get and I think we all have that period in our career but the right benefits at the right time can be really attractive and only you know what that benefit is. If they balk at a certain salary, maybe they'd be willing to guarantee a certain number of classes or a certain amount of severance if you get laid off.

SteveLavoie

AvgITGeek said:

 I really want this job but also don't want to take it just for the bennies and then find out that I'm making what I did and am losing money because it is double the commute time. Am I making sense? If I move jobs, it is for more money in my pocket and better benefits.

Well.. commute time is to be computed into the decision. Going from 10 min to 20 min is a no-brainer. but from 30-45 min to 1h-1h30 is another. In that case even 10K$ over will not really add real $ to your budget because of all the expense. 

And there is the impact on your family life. 

MontagueVandervort

I try to keep it simple.

I base my "self-worth" on what the salary average is for the position. I refuse to take anything below that.

Also, I generally will not move unless the salary is higher than I'm currently earning. There are exceptions to this one though such as working somewhere I know will "boost" the resume.

So far, so good

AvgITGeek

Thanks as usual for the feedback folks! I really appreciate it.

I submitted my requirements today and gave them a high and a low which was well in the low to mid level for the position in this location. The interview went really well and I think I wowed them and I ticked all of the boxes they are looking for and more. If I get it, it will at minimum be $7K more than I'm making now. My current commute is around 16 or so and will go to 30 minutes. All interstate.

MontagueVandervort

Great

Best of luck!

TechGromit

AvgITGeek said:

I currently have a job that doesn't offer any benefits. I had to stop paying for health insurance last September because it drug my savings account down below $700 and being I have my own house, that isn't cool. I've since put that money I would have been paying for health insurance back into the savings. This new company offers a good health insurance package but I don't want to jump jobs and still be living paycheck to paycheck. Right now, if I google the salary for the position I'm going for, it is a range from 3K below what I'm currently making to 65K more than what I'm making.

Good benefits are worth a good 10 grand, so I would argue the job pays 7k more than you making now. While yes your not seeing that in your paycheck, when you don't have health insurance your taking a gamble you will not get seriously sick. While the 99% of the time you'll be fine, if your the unlucky 1%, a serious illness is basically a death sentence without health insurance.

AvgITGeek

Update time.

They made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

I got the phone call this morning and they offered me the position at 8K more than what my upper value was so basically I start on the 18th, will have full medical/dental/eye insurance, profit sharing and a 20K pay increase. It still hasn't quite sunk in yet. I still want to finish up my CCNA but now I am going back to the world of SQL Server which I lived in for so many years up until two years ago.

cyberguypr

Fantastic! Congrats!

EANx

Congrats. In my experience, companies that ensure realistic pay for their staff enjoy greater stability.

AvgITGeek

EANx, I think that is exactly what this company did. Now it's up to me.

JDMurray

Congratulations!

coreyb80

Congrats, that's dope!!

MontagueVandervort

Great to hear!

Congrats!

AvgITGeek

Done deal. I spoke with the HR folks and they confirmed background and drug screens were both good (I wasn't worried in the slightest) so yeah. I have a new home starting on the 18th. I have two days of PTO remaining so I'm going to take next Thursday and Friday off as well as Wednesday as unpaid so I can drive to the new location during morning commute to gauge the drive time.

This is the first time I've been on this side of the table and I learned a valuable life lesson during this whirlwind of a couple of weeks. I'm never, ever again going to submit my two weeks and official resignation letter prior to their HR telling me that it's a go. Way too stressful for sure and a very reckless thing to do. I haven't slept much the past couple of nights just wondering what the hell I was going to do if they pulled the offer.

I will sleep soundly tonight for sure. Thanks for the advice and have a great evening!

Azt7

AvgITGeek said:

. I'm never, ever again going to submit my two weeks and official resignation letter prior to their HR telling me that it's a go. Way too stressful for sure and a very reckless thing to do. I haven't slept much the past couple of nights just wondering what the hell I was going to do if they pulled the offer.

Glad everything worked out !

That situation is incredibly stressful. I'm on the extreme side of safety because I give 2 weeks only after signing the contract 

Blucodex

Congrats on the new job!

scaredoftests

Congrats!!!

JD20

Congrats and wishing you the best of luck.

Kyrak

Congrats!  Sounds like a great move for you!

unrealskillz06

Congrats

NotHackingYou

Congrats! How is the new role going?

AvgITGeek

Thanks for asking @NotHackingYou!

This whole week has been a blur so far. I knew it was going to be hard work the first couple of months and they know that which is nice. I'm having to learn 13 new SQL Server databases and their Progress Database along with Crystal Reports, a semi-new production environment (My ex ex company did offset and screen printing on CDs/DVDs, this company does something similar but on different end products), their ERP system, their Server infrastructure, new people and three buildings. I was finally able to start digging into some tables to work on a couple of report change requests and I've already fixed the one they had sitting on my desk my first day (the fix was rolled out the next afternoon). The challenge I'm having is trying to figure out how the tables are related as there is no documentation of the SQL Databases and the documentation on the Progress side is in a .hlp file which Windows 10 doesn't support so I'm trying to figure out how to get at that. Most of the tables have columns that don't have names that immediately tell you what data it is storing.

They have been only been working with this very, very complicated system for 4 years and I'm only 38 hours in.

NotHackingYou

Sounds like a blast! My best advice for getting to know databases that don't have docs is to read the tables and columns and get a feel for what is there. After that, look at the views and indexes. These will give you insight into what the designer and developer of the database thought was most important. Lastly, look up any user defined functions, stored procedures, and jobs - these can also contain a lot of helpful information. Best of luck on your new adventure. Sounds like you're building some really solid skills - SQL is so portable and tends to show up for me in every role.

colemic

Sounds look you got a great fitting position for you with excellent bennies and pay, congrats!

AvgITGeek

Thanks @colemic! It suits me fine and they aren't shy about sending someone for training if it will do some good. Something I'm not used to.

@NotHackingYou Thanks for the tips. This will be the first database job where I wasn't there when it was implemented. I was finally able to track down some documentation on the progress database so that will help immensely. I've learned so much about Crystal Reports today that led me to be able to make another fix for them! I'm going to spend this weekend going through the Pluralsight 3 hour Crystal course they have. What is cool is that even though I have less than 32 hours with their tables and databases (the first day doesn't count as I wasn't at my desk the entire day), I'm already starting to see things I didn't the day before. I was able to rewrite a query I was working on because I saw some data which allowed me to drop a table from a somewhat messy join. Monday I'll be sitting with two of the production departments all day so I can see what the data means and the terminology. I'm loving it so far but I'm exhausted.