More interview/salary questions

[mustangj17]

I was just notified that I am a candidate for a gig and now I have a ton of newbie questions before making contact with the editor again.

I was told the salary was: $XX, xxx per year.

Do I have any negotiating power? It could be considered an entry level position; but a good one at that.

The editor said if I were hired I would not have my moving expenses paid- which sucks because it's a little further away from the hometown than I would like; which is why the salary is important.

Is there anyway to get more money out of them without sounding like I am only interesting in money?

 

[mustangj17]

Anyone? Bueller?

 

[mojo20205]

Same thing just happened to me.

1. The editor does not care that you have to move a little farther than you would have liked. You threw that chip out when you applied for the job.

2. Even if this is your dream job, don't let them know it. Let them think you have options. If they like you they will bargain with you. If not, the kid from the community college down the street will do it foe less money.

3. Money is money. Would the editor work for nothing? Doubt it. Be honest and tell him that $xx,xxx is a good start, but because of some things (i.e., the distance from home), you will need just a little bit more to take the job. You won't get that much more, but you'll get a little more.

4. Act and conduct yourself like you are the ONLY candidate. Listen, you know you're good, right? Now take a step back and try to play agent for someone that's good at what he does. They won't give you money because you hope they will. Sell yourself.

I would just be very honest about the money. Tell him/her that you are going to come in and work your ass off. Tell them they are getting someone that would run through a wall -- that type of stuff. Then say, "That's why I'm worth $xx,xxx."

Good luck with the job.

 

[expendable]

Wow. Two XXs to the left of the comma. You must not be getting a sportswriting gig.

 

[playthrough]

Be polite but don't be bashful. You're well within reason to haggle over money; the biggest raise you'll ever get at most jobs is the one you get before you walk in the door. Some bosses have wiggle room built in to that first number, others don't. Obviously be prepared for him/her to say that XX is the best they can do, in which case if you have concerns about vacation time or such things, maybe you can bring those up and get them tweaked.

 

[Mira]

Playthrough has some good points. Be sure to use vacation time as a bargaining tool. Maybe if you get a few extra days, if not a week, that might cover your moving expenses. Shop around for moving expenses, too. I got some pretty good deals when I had to hire moving trucks.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Most entry level offers are take it or leave it... Not paying anything for the move is bull****, but it happens a lot in this business, even sometimes at bigger papers...

If you could give us a range of the pay and how far you have to move we might be able to better gauge if you're getting screwed or if you should jump at it.

 

[mustangj17]

Its a 14-hour drive.

I might be able to do it in one day. Maybe not.

And the pay is in the 30s.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Its a 14-hour drive.

I might be able to do it in one day. Maybe not.

And the pay is in the 30s.

Take it. Don't ask for anything.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

What circ is the paper?

 

[Ace]

You can always ask for more. Doesn't hurt. Just don't make it the first thing you do.

If you like the job and things are going well and it's not a deal breaker bring it up near the end of the interview.

Don't wait till they offer you the job, though.

 

[PeteyPirate]

I have had some basic negotiation training.

First off, are you a candidate or have you been offered the job? If they mention salary first, that's a good opportunity to ask them if it is an offer of employment.

Make salary that last thing you talk about. Get the job offer first. That way you have established that they want you and you are negotiating from an advantageous position. It may very well be that their first offer is their highest offer, but if that is the case then they're simply using bad tactics. Since these are newspaper editors, I wouldn't be surprised. It never hurts to ask for more, and to attach reasons to your request (the move will be costly, cost of living is greater over here, etc.), but don't ever give ultimatums. The worst they can say is no, but be persistent until you sense you have truly reached the limit.

 

[Joe Williams]

It may very well be that their first offer is their highest offer, but if that is the case then they're simply using bad tactics. Since these are newspaper editors, I wouldn't be surprised.

Great sensible advice, FDP. Regarding the above sentence, I agree with you but feel it's a damn shame that employers don't just make their best offer up front. The down side of making a lesser offer is, they get a timid soul who doesn't try to bump them up but learns later that he/she got taken advantage of and holds it against the employer long-term. If newspaper editors aren't professional negotiators and might tend to foul things up, so are newspaper writers and copy editors. Why don't they lay down their weapons and acknowledge that they're not dealing with their strengths, and be up front about the dough?

Also, because the folks doing the hiring are indeed newspaper editors, I wouldn't be so certain that "it never hurts to ask for more." Some of these non-negotiators get emotional about stuff like that, take it as a sign of character flaw or greed or sense that you're not motivated by the almighty job itself. Or they might recall a day when some employer took advantage of them and, by God, they're going to make sure no one has it better than they did.

Ideally, jobs would be listed with a salary range and then an editor could make a simple case for where he thinks you fall in that range. You could do likewise. Split the difference. Freedom of information. Done.

 

[Ace]

It may very well be that their first offer is their highest offer, but if that is the case then they're simply using bad tactics. Since these are newspaper editors, I wouldn't be surprised.

Great sensible advice, FDP. Regarding the above sentence, I agree with you but feel it's a damn shame that employers don't just make their best offer up front. The down side of making a lesser offer is, they get a timid soul who doesn't try to bump them up but learns later that he/she got taken advantage of and holds it against the employer long-term. If newspaper editors aren't professional negotiators and might tend to foul things up, so are newspaper writers and copy editors. Why don't they lay down their weapons and acknowledge that they're not dealing with their strengths, and be up front about the dough?

Also, because the folks doing the hiring are indeed newspaper editors, I wouldn't be so certain that "it never hurts to ask for more." Some of these non-negotiators get emotional about stuff like that, take it as a sign of character flaw or greed or sense that you're not motivated by the almighty job itself. Or they might recall a day when some employer took advantage of them and, by God, they're going to make sure no one has it better than they did.

Ideally, jobs would be listed with a salary range and then an editor could make a simple case for where he thinks you fall in that range. You could do likewise. Split the difference. Freedom of information. Done.

That's a good point. I have had editors who clearly were waiting for me to ask about more money and one who seemed offended that I asked. I figure if that's gonna be a deal-killer I don't want to work there anyway.

Except, of course, if it is the Plain-Dealer.

 

[Joe Williams]

I should have added that my comments on this topic all are largely hypothetical.

Because in today's reality, there aren't many jobs offers to be had or negotiated anyway. And there might really be a creeping attitude of "Take it or leave it, potential blogger!"

 

[PeteyPirate]

It may very well be that their first offer is their highest offer, but if that is the case then they're simply using bad tactics. Since these are newspaper editors, I wouldn't be surprised.

Great sensible advice, FDP. Regarding the above sentence, I agree with you but feel it's a damn shame that employers don't just make their best offer up front. The down side of making a lesser offer is, they get a timid soul who doesn't try to bump them up but learns later that he/she got taken advantage of and holds it against the employer long-term. If newspaper editors aren't professional negotiators and might tend to foul things up, so are newspaper writers and copy editors. Why don't they lay down their weapons and acknowledge that they're not dealing with their strengths, and be up front about the dough?

Also, because the folks doing the hiring are indeed newspaper editors, I wouldn't be so certain that "it never hurts to ask for more." Some of these non-negotiators get emotional about stuff like that, take it as a sign of character flaw or greed or sense that you're not motivated by the almighty job itself. Or they might recall a day when some employer took advantage of them and, by God, they're going to make sure no one has it better than they did.

Ideally, jobs would be listed with a salary range and then an editor could make a simple case for where he thinks you fall in that range. You could do likewise. Split the difference. Freedom of information. Done.

He/She didn't get taken advantage of. He/She was made an offer and accepted it. If you go into the room ready to take whatever somebody throws at you without question, that's on you.

In an interesting sidebar, do you know one of the main reasons women don't get paid as much as men? They don't ask for as much as men: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/29/AR2007072900827.html

 

[mustangj17]

What circ is the paper?

Not a paper.... its for a website thats part of a larger network that also does sports magazines.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

What circ is the paper?

Not a paper.... its for a website thats part of a larger network that also does sports magazines.

Then tell Scout.com you'll take it...

 

[Stitch]

Ask about benefits. Or if you'll even be an employee or just an independent contractor. Oh, it's Web site.

 

[mustangj17]

What circ is the paper?

Not a paper.... its for a website thats part of a larger network that also does sports magazines.

Then tell Scout.com you'll take it...

Haha, not Scout.com or Rivals.com.... good guess though.