Telling a potential employer you're going to be looking for more money

It's Sept. 23 and they're trying to fill a position with the busiest time of the year for an SID rapidly approaching. Trust me, he wants someone in there...now. You won't be able to negotiate the 25 percent you're losing, but you might be able to make it a little better if he wants you. State schools tend to have pretty decent benefits, so it might not be as bad financially as you think.

 

I am counting on the improved benefits making a difference. My bennies at my soon-to-be-former job totally suck. How much of a difference remains to be seen.

Thanks for all the help guys.

I've probably totally jinxed it by starting this thread and now I won't even get an interview.

At this point I'm trying to do a little reverse-physchology on myself and thinking how cool it would be to have a four-month vacation, instead of having to jump right into a new job at a busy time.

 

Long-time lurker (many, many years), first-time poster -- because never before have I been so compelled to post. I have worked for eight different companies; left some on my own volition, got laid off three times, took a buyout once. After spending 10 years in newspapers have spent the past 12 online, some media, some corporate. All my way of saying I have some experience at job-hunting, interviewing and negotiating. And I've been the hiring manager many times, too.

Trust me when I say that whether you have a job now is largely irrelevant to your negotiating position. It might make you more attractive than another equally qualified candidate (particularly in the nickle-and-dime world of newspapers), but when they offer you the position, what they are saying is: Of all the people we considered, we think you're the best candidate for the job. That's your leverage -- you're the person they want. Your task at that point: wring as much from them as you can.

Without a doubt, the best chance you have to make significant gains in salary is when you change jobs. I have made jumps of 15 percent, 9 percent and 6 percent at times when I was unemployed (the one where I didn't make a jump was between my first and second jobs). And you better believe I made similar jumps when I changed jobs going straight from one job to another. Once you're on staff, the best you can pretty much hope for is annual increases in the range of 3 to 5 percent, and I know even that much is a pipe dream at many places. Plus, think about this: the increase you get when you change jobs is compounded by every future annual increase you get.

As for your point b): "they already told me it's not there and I don't want to start off the relationship that way." Again, trust me when I say you're not going to damage the relationship by asking for more money. I've asked every time and I expect to be asked every time when I make an offer. It's part of the process. (Although it is a much "cleaner" process when you're negotiating with HR rather than the hiring manager). And as for them telling you there's no more available? More than likely they have a range, and their offer to you is not at the top of the range. And they could be flat-out lying. I once asked for more vacation time and was told that was the "one thing that's non-negotiable. First day, at orientation, was told by the woman sitting next to me she really appreciated getting an extra week's vacation. Swear to god.

I could go on and on about this; I really hate to see people short-change themselves. I'd be happy to offer up more insights to anyone who is interested.

 

Yes, but you shouldn't even bring up money until they make an offer.

 

I got a job offer once. I was told I was being offered the very top level of what that job was slotted for. I told them that for the cost of living increase and the fact I was moving to a different region and would face higher rates on things like electricity etc., I was hoping for blah blah blah more. The HR manager said that was the highest pay and they would have to change my job title for that raise and that would have to go through higher levels, etc. etc. Basically, don't get your hopes  up.

Two days later they came back and met me in the middle for the same job title, and I accepted.

So even if they tell you they can't offer more...they can.

 

If it's at a public university, the job probably has to be posted, and that posting should provide a pay range for the job. If so, you might ask how soon employees typically reach the top of the range. Where you start (or, at least, where they might want you to start) within that range might depend on experience.

 

It is posted and the ad says "43,000-45,000" pretty specific .

 

Then check classification. This job, for instance, might be classified as "Communications Officer 1." Check the pay scale for "Communications Officer 2" and ask how long it might take to get promoted into the higher-paying classification.

 

Or whether it's even possible to be promoted into the next classification. In the state system, often classifications are applied to the position, not the individual. So while you may have skills and experience that would qualify you to be a Comm Officer 2, for instance, you would not be able to be promoted into that at your current job because the position you are in calls for a Comm Officer 1. From what I understand, the classification comes into play for the individual when they are trying to move into another job in the system. It would be tougher, for instance, to move to a Comm Officer 3 position from a Comm Officer 1 position than if you were in a Comm Officer 2 position.