5 ms·

Salary negotiation: how much should I ask for?

• cjcenizal 11y ago
  Ask the employer what the salary range is for the position (they should already have a number budgeted). Add $10-$15K to the higher number in the range they give you to get an idea of what you can push for if you are able to convince them that you will be a really remarkable hire. If you have a hard time figuring out how to do that, then you are probably not at that point in your career yet (which you shouldn't feel bad about if you're just starting out).
• hijinks 11y ago
  don't ask for anything. let the company make the offer and negotiate from there. I've hired a lot of sys admins and ops people and most undervalue themselves.
• ianamartin 11y ago
  The first person to mention a number is often the loser in a negotiation. If you must start with a number, Ask for what you think you're worth x 2 and work backwards from there. Don't count on people just accepting your monetary value simply because they should. 2 jobs ago, I was worth 65k/year. One year later I'm worth 135k/year. Did my skills double in that time? No. They did not. My bargaining skills did increase though.
• NumberCruncher 11y ago
  Read this: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ It gives you the right mindset for the negotiation.
• mkaziz 11y ago
  Your salary will depend on your location and personality as well, so it's hard for us to mention a salary range without knowing either of those factors.
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• tptacek 11y ago
  It depends a lot on what company you're interviewing at. Your first year comp package at Google will be much higher than your package will be at a startup, even one with traction and a high valuation.
• AnimalMuppet 11y ago
  They're going to ask you what you're currently making. Don't answer. Instead, say something like, "That isn't a relevant number. The two numbers that are relevant are how much you think I'm worth, and how much I'd need to decide to come here." Ideally you want them to reveal their number first. If they won't, you can suggest that you each write them down on a piece of paper, and then swap pieces. If they won't even do that, give them a number that you'd be delighted to receive. Note well: I think this is sound advice, but I have not tried it. Use at your own risk.
• JoshDoody 11y ago
  I write about this specific question in my book "Fearless Salary Negotiation". I'm happy to go deeper if you have further questions—just reply to this comment. The short answer is you shouldn't ask for anything. It's in your best interest to keep both your desired and current salary to yourself and to let the company make you an offer. That puts you in a better negotiating position and has the benefit of answering your secondary question of "What is the current market rate for new grads?" Sites like GlassDoor.com, payscale.com, and salary.com are good for getting averages and doing research (see below for a note on this), but the best way to find out what a specific company will pay a new grad with your skillset and experience is to let them tell you by making you an offer. Instead of telling them what you want to make, focus on demonstrating your value and competence throughout the interview process so that the company offers you a salary that's at the higher end of the range they're prepared to pay someone to do the job you're interviewing for. I see someone also recommended patio11's blog post on salary negotiation—you should absolutely read that (it was a big inspiration for my book). Here is the link in case you missed it: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ One last note on researching your market value: You should absolutely do that research because it will inform how you respond to the offer they make you. Getting the best possible offer is the first step, and then you want to work to maximize your salary by negotiating effectively.
• solomatov 11y ago
  Considering your resume, you aren't in a position of power in salary negotiation. You have nothing other than good education. If I were you, I would ignore salary negotiation, and consider employment in terms of learning opportunities and getting right experience.