How much money to ask for?

If I get a job offer from my current search, is there a certain percentage I should ask on top of what I'm getting now? I'm not leaving my current shop for anything less than I'm making and won't ask my current shop to top an offer either.

 

No real way to answer that without knowing a LOT more particulars. PM me if you want my $0.02.

RB

 

might be a little high

 

The old rule of thumb that I heard of a long time ago was 15 percent higher. Of course, it depends on the situation.

 

At this point . . .


job security > job pay

 

The biggest thing to remember is this: The biggest pay raise you'll probably ever get is from the start. I've been a big believer in this: I give the potential employer the number I think I deserve. It's not outrageous. but it's the number they're going to hit if they want to hire me. When I took this job, the pay scale was $2K to $4K lower than what I wanted. I said hit this number -- $2K more than the most they were "willing" to offer, according to the ad. They offered me the max, according to the ad. I told them, no. You hit this number.

They did.

It doesn't always work like that, but if you're reasonable, you might get the number you demand.

P.S. I also got an additional $2K in raises the first year I was here. Of course in this current economic climate, I haven't seen a raise the second year, but nobody in this business is getting a raise.

 

SCE speaks the truth. Be aggressive; you won't get another chance to negotiate (at least until you apply for a new job.)

Remember: If they're going to make an offer, they want/need you as much as you want/need them. Get what you can out of them.

 

Be willing to walk away if they don't budge like they did for SCEditor.

I had a paper acting as if I were the Golden Child or something some years back. They told me the salary range, with $2K being the difference between the high and low end of the hiring scale.

When they offered $500 above their low end, I asked for the remaining $1,500. When they refused, I turned them down. The publisher called back 24 hours later, offering to pay for some rounds of golf (I really wish I were kidding). I said no.

It ended there. The job was a one-man show and screamed 70-hour-a-week death trap, not to mention a publisher a little too proud of his thoughts on dropping AP altogether. Walking away was not difficult, and it shouldn't be for you, Stitch, if they won't budge.

 

Redacted ... a little too close to self-outing.

Don't take the first offer, but in this economy don't give them a reason to move down the list. It's a delicate game.

 

It's a whole new ballgame today I would think in terms of negotiating.
Hell you could be downsized in 6 months no matter how much you ask for.