Okay, quit ruling yourselves out of good opportuni

[Sum Dum Gai]

I was wondering if anyone had any insights into the negotiating process when it came to salary?

The one time I did it didn't work out so well. Their offer was what I consider a joke, $40k. I was looking for at least $60k. They called to give me verbal acceptance and a salary offer, which made it easier since it wasn't face to face. Anyway, I told them the salary was much lower than I was expecting and I probably couldn't take the job unless it was 50% higher. They said they might have some room but couldn't go that high. I responded that I had an interview for another job in a couple days, so I'd think about it, see how the other interview went, and give them a call back in a couple days.

The other interview went great, they offered me $60k to start and I stupidly didn't negotiate at all. Probably cost myself a good $10-15k a year since I was undervaluing myself to begin with. C'est la vie. Anyway, the first company called me back several days later to ask if I was interested and let me know they could go up to $47 or 48k. I told them I'd already accepted a position from a company that wasn't cheap.

ETA - Just to put this all in context. I had just separated from the military. Never had a real professional job in my life. Was already married with two kids, and the four of us were living with my in-laws. Blowing off that first job offer was a bastard. If I had been on YM at the time, I'm sure they would have crucified me if I said I was mooching off my in-laws with two kids to support and had blown off a job offer because the salary wasn't high enough.

[Deleted]

Jun 19, 2012 18:29:43 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Blowing off that first job offer was a bastard. If I had been on YM at the time, I'm sure they would have crucified me if I said I was mooching off my in-laws with two kids to support and had blown off a job offer because the salary wasn't high enough.

Not necessarily. If you start off cheap in your first real job, it can be VERY hard to catch up later, and the result is that over your career you lose tens of thousands of dollars- maybe hundreds in your case. It stinks, but most employers start the salary negotiations out with "so, what's your current salary?"

In your case, iit sounds like you were marketable (already had another interview) and knew what you were worth, and weren't using the inadequacy of the offer as an excuse to keep mooching indefinitely.

[Phoenix84]

Well, I've only ever worked for the government as far as "real jobs." And with the government they really don't do salary negoiations. The job has a pay grade assigned to it and that's what it is. The managers can't change it even if they wanted to.

Didn't go too well when I tried it in retail either, but I did try.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Well, I've only ever worked for the government as far as "real jobs." And with the government they really don't do salary negoiations. The job has a pay grade assigned to it and that's what it is. The managers can't change it even if they wanted to.

Same in academia. It's not to say I haven't tried but it's next to impossible to negociate salary, the position is assigned what it is assigned.

[movingforward]

"ETA - Just to put this all in context. I had just separated from the military. Never had a real professional job in my life. Was already married with two kids, and the four of us were living with my in-laws. Blowing off that first job offer was a bastard. If I had been on YM at the time, I'm sure they would have crucified me if I said I was mooching off my in-laws with two kids to support and had blown off a job offer because the salary wasn't high enough."

Yep, you should have taken a job at Walmart. How dare you not take the first thing that comes along. Well, at least Stay Put would have been happy that you were all living together like the Waltons.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Well, at least Stay Put would have been happy that you were all living together like the Waltons.

It was friggin miserable. I love my in-laws, I really do, but living under the same roof just doesn't work for us. Any of us. They were just as miserable as we were.

[midjd]

Same here, Dark. We lived with em for 5-6 months... and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my in-laws, but I was about to have a mental breakdown. I just can't live with that many other adults. Hard enough to live with a husband.