Job Search Human Resources Question
 

Hola muchachos,
You know who I am, but I'd rather be anon for this question "for the world at large hath eyes..."

I am applying to work at a company for what seems like an ideal job for someone with my background. I've been self-employed since the early 80s and have no idea about how one submits salary requirements. I've got my resume and cover letter sorted out, and I have an idea of the salary range for someone with my level of experience in this job, but it is a very wide range and the market price for this service can vary not just regionally, but also due to the economy, etc. etc. Hard to say if they are looking for someone really young who will work for a pittance or someone with a genuine skill set that they can rely on.

The range that I've heard for this type of work is between 32k and 57k /yr. No data on benefits.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated, as usual I will deny everything if confronted with videos, photographs, or semen stained dresses.

I ask for the higher level of pay. They can always say no and offer you less, just as you can ask for more after their first offer.

Aim high.

I would say that it depends on whether they are looking for 'someone who can do job x for $y' or looking to hire you, specifically. If it's a general position with a group of applicants, expect them to specify the salary (though there might be a range). If it's a yes/no on hiring you, then you have more wiggle room.

In this day and age, aiming too high can also be detrimental if you're against a talented pool of candidates who would love to undercut you. "Salary is negotiable, given the right benefits" can be a weasel-worded way to keep yourself from having to commit if you're afraid of losing out to some young kid who will work for peanuts.

If you're really good at what you do, and have a unique skill set, you can be more forceful in your salary requirements.

That's what happened to me here, anyway. They had tried to fill a similiar position for a couple years...and when I applied it became a professional level position with appropriate pay. (I'm bragging a little. It's not the first time a position was "created" with me in mind. OK, I'm bragging a lot.)

So, I guess you want to keep in mind what Pie said: if you have unique skills you are marketable. If you have the skills of a hundred other people, you have less room for negotiation.

P.S.

In my defense, and apropos to the salary requirements question, I did start out in this business 8 years ago, front-line, entry-level, for 7.50/hr.

Have you worked in your "background" recently, or have there been innovations that you may not be aware of?

What is especially unique about my skillset is that is combines two very different disciplines in a way that should be particularly appealing to this company. there are probably a lot of people who have either of the two, but very few who have both with the degree of experience that I do.

They do not state any salary but ask for my requirements.

I am up to date in my background, have over 20 years experience in the industry. The only shortcoming is that they ask for familiarity with two software programs that I have not used. However, I am familiar enough with them and have spoken with colleagues about the apps who assure me that it will take me no more than a week to learn the ins and outs of the software. They are just variants of other programs I already am familiar with.

Awesome. In that case, shoot for the high end of the range, stressing your unique combination of skills.

If you ask for 60, and they settle for 50...etc.

Is 60k a lot of money?

*shrugs*

I dunno...you said the range was 32-57, but I chose 60-50 for illustrative purposes only (hence, the 'etc')

No, I mean in the general scheme of things. in the world at large. how much buying power does 60k have? It sounds odd, but I am incredibly financially naive. I have never really thought that much about money until very recently. I have no idea what people earn or get paid for what they do.

I've come to suspect that for a long time I have been selling myself short.

maybe I'll do a poll.

Heh...when I was offered the job here, I didn't accept right away but I also didn't ask for more than they offered: I was so floored at the difference from my old job. Looking back, I probably could have gotten a bit more.

There are those of us who sell ourselves short...but you won't get it if you don't ask for it. Think of yourself as being someone who would be very beneficial for the company: if you can do things that they would typically need two people for...you can use that as leveraging.

60 is a very nice salary, imo. For me to get that high I would probably have to go into director or asst director (meaning I need a masters degree) and I just don't want to go there.

An anonymous poll would be nice.

Depends on where you are - location, location, location.
60k in some areas of CA has a lot less buying power than say Tennessee or Rhode Island, for example.

Oh and we like polls - yeh create a poll!

True...I so wanted to move to San Diego when I was there for conference, until I saw an ad for a "starter home" for 600 grand. And it was a starter home!

They'd have to pay more, otherwise how could people live there?

poll is up.

Middle income especially after taxes. Living as I do now that's twice what I make. (made ) I could save a lot or have much money left over but if I bought a big house with a huge mortgage or as Classic said, moved to a spendy place to live then I could still be hocked up to my nose in debt.

No I don't think it's a lot of money. If you are married and had a combined income of the same then yes it's extra money with buying power.

I just checked indeed and salary dot com and it seems that someone with my experience should be making between 80k and 128k.

That is a scary amount of money to me, actually.

the 50% is about 58k.

WTF?

Don't ask....get them to make an offer.

Where I live, which isn't high end in the least bit, 60K is good but not great...you still need to be frugal if you don't want to go into debt. Meaning you can enjoy a decent standard of living, but on the low end.

60k to a singlet is hugely different than 60k for a family!

Yep. And kids add exponentially to the problem.

Don't mention a sum initially. If they can play coy, so can you. And make sure you do get yourself more than familiar with that software fast.

I already down loaded it and have started playing with it. It is a lot like its cousins, does some things better some things worse. It should be cake.

I'm pondering the salary question since they specifically ask for it. I've heard of cases where if you can't follow simple instructions like we need a, b, c. then your app is pitched.

Still thinking about it. I may ask for some crazy number. (to me anyway) considering what their current out of house budget must be. I know similar companies who go out of house can pay upwards of 2 mil a year, so 80k is a bargain.

I agree with monster. If they didn't even put a salary range in the job description, then definitely don't mention one either. Make them realize how much they want you first.

There you go, anon.

And you're right about the application. I have been on many hiring committees and some scholarship committees, and your application could be stellar in most every way, but it's going to be tossed for not following the process (very important to certain companies) or for misspellings and the like, in favor of the person who did what was asked and took the time to do it really well.

Am I right when I say that they are asking for salary requirements as part of the application? Then you have to do that part.

They expect you to ask for the moon: I doubt they'll toss your app for asking for more than they're expecting to pay. That will all come out in the negotiation once you've been offered the job.

Anyway, I hate that approach. I've looked at FA jobs and if there isn't a pay listed it kind of pisses me off. I've lived the disparity of pay in this field, and I think it would be nice to know if a job that sounds interesting to me is going to be a huge pay cut, before I even bother applying. Then, to ask you "well, what do YOU think you should make" seems to be part of the game, but one I am not fond of. It seems like a sneaky way to try to get someone cheaper than they expect to pay.

Spoke with a FOAF today who had worked for the co. I am applying to and got some of the down-low. He said, among other things, starting by asking for 100k might scare them a bit, so start with 75k and talk about a 4 day week plus bennies.

These are incomprehensible #s to me. But I think I could get used to them.

Do you trust this FOAF?

If so, go for it and good luck.
75k w/ 4 day week and bennies sounds good.

Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to...
Never mind that last thought there....

It all comes down to how many people want the same job, and are qualified for iit, and how bad they need your particular skill set. It is always better to know the salary ranges in your head and let them make the first offer and then go up from their offer. (IMHO)

For an entry level job, where you have never made that much money before, there is nothing wrong with taking what ever they offer you to get the experience you need for resume building. If you are just starting out, single, no kids, it could be an ideal opportunity to get your foot in the door. A lot of people are struggling now so employment at a higher rate than you are currently earning is a boon in it self. Go for it. Take the job, work it for a few years, ask for a raise as you contribute to the corp. Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

And as classic said, 60k is not a lot of money if you live in NYC, but you would get along fairly nicely in less populated areas. It all depends.