Salary negotiation

Quote from omghaxcode : sorry I think you misunderstood. I have an offer in Texas from job A. I'm interviewing in Mountain View for job B. The job that offers 75k is a different job, job C. It is in Sacramento.

The cost of living in Sacramento is very cheap. 75k there is a lot of money and more comparable to a ~90k salary in Palo Alto or even more.

I just dealt with a similar situation so listen up. If they made you an offer they aren't going to tell you to beat it if you ask for more, so go ahead and ask. With that said, recognize that your are comparing salaries in different markets so adjust accordingly. If you believe you are worth it, RESPECTFULLY ask if the salary is negotiable higher. It can't hurt. I've negotiated a higher salary for myself in larger markets (nyc) and smaller markets (miami) and was never asked why I wanted more. Watch American Pickers for some negotiating tips if you need! Come in with a range not an exact number because they will never hit your exact number.

Lets simplify it a bit.

Are you willing to lose this job over $8K?

If this is a better opportunity and a good job with more room for growth or experience or whatever, then it might not be worth the risk. If you have other offers with similar jobs and just want to get some more cash, then go for it. From my experience though, you will get your money sooner or later. Good opportunities with good companies are hard to find.

Quote from omghaxcode : I'm graduating in computer engineering in December and was recently offered a job starting @ $67,000. I'd like to negotiate that offer but I don't know what number to come in at. My goal is $75,000 but is a stretch. Do I ask for $75,000 or is that coming in too high? Also, do I mention that I received another offer from another company for slightly more money and I have another interview I'm expecting to get an offer from? Finally, I have 10 months of industry experience working at major tech firms, do I bring that up while negotiating? Recap: computer engineering graduate in December offered 67k want 75k what do I ask for?

Million dollar question: Are you going to join any consultancy company ?

Quote from MobileBucks : The cost of living in Sacramento is very cheap. 75k there is a lot of money and more comparable to a ~90k salary in Palo Alto or even more.

+1

cannot agree more. Palo Alto/Mountain View area will eat your salary

Quote from yescooldude2012 : Million dollar question: Are you going to join any consultancy company ?

no. both are big name tech companies where I'd be doing hardware design

Quote from Leb : You are not in any position to negotiate.. you are a recent graduate looking for a job in a terrible economy

Do not agree. OP has every right to, but that doesn't mean he/she *should* because he/she might be a terrible negotiator.

The key to doing something like this is finding a middle ground for both parties where they each end up winning. Everything should be planned beforehand to the very detail; you cannot just go in and ask for more $ and expect them to do anything but laugh at you.

Always remember that a job is a JOB: Just Over Broke. They pay you just enough so you don't quit and you work just hard enough so you don't get fired.

It doesn't put the offer at risk to negotiate unless you put them in an awkward position - for example, this is OK:

'Based on my experience & others I have talked to in similar positions, I feel that $75k would be a more reasonable starting point. How flexible can you be on this?'

That will hopefully lead to a counter-offer, or maybe at least open a discussion to non-salary benefits, like more vacation or a company paid smartphone or something. WORST case they don't budge & you're no better or worse off than before.

This is NOT OK:

'I have another offer for $80k, but if you can bring this offer up to $75k we can talk.'

The most likely response to this (as someone said above) is, "if you got an offer for $80k, take it! Why are you talking to us?"

Negotiation is part of any initial hire, so not at all out of the ordinary to talk about options before signing on the dotted line.

You need to get a benchmark for your area and job and experience and present that to them. You can start @ salary.com and go from there. You might find that their offer is fair or you might find 75k is still low.

Put in the criteria and see what happens.

Use Glassdoor.com to get salary ranges from the company you're going to and competitors.Use those numbers along with your experience for negotiation.

Yes, you and everyone should negotiate your salary. Hiring managers expect it which is why the first offer is never the best off. You do need to research the salary range for the job and base part of your argument on the market value of the job aka salary range. Aim for higher than average because you usually get less than you ask for. Also, you should aim for the men's salary. Women are making less than men and their salaries are included when calculating these averages so you will be low balling your number from the start if you use that. Here's a guide to help you alter the average of both sexes to the average of men. http://bit.ly/Yaj5jH

Good luck.
Katie

My company asked in my cover letter to put the desired salary range I wanted. They offered me 2k over what was my max of the range. I felt silly asking for more so I didn't.