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If you're worried apply for another job and tell the hiring manager on the other end what you're expecting for a salary. Don't be ludicrous, but maybe ask for 2

If you're worried apply for another job and tell the hiring manager on the other end what you're expecting for a salary. Don't be ludicrous, but maybe ask for 20% more than you're making. See what they say. If they don't blink and want you to come in, you're right: you're not making enough. I've gotten, "Well, we should probably stop this call soon because my cap is X and you're asking for more than that." It was reassuring.

onion2k 8y ago
My advice is be to be ludicrous. Ask for far more than you think you're worth. As most people undervalue themselves you'll often find companies saying yes, or at least negotiating down to more than you'd have asked for if you capped your wage raise to 20%. If they hire you you'll then be faced with the feeling that you're out of your depth, overpaid, and incapable of doing the job you took, but that's a different set of problems.
- Xcelerate 8y ago
  > My advice is be to be ludicrous. For recruiters who contact me from companies that aren’t my usual area of career interest, I do this to see what the upper bound is. It once backfired on me. Shortly after finishing grad school, a recruiter contacted me about a quantitative finance position and asked what range I was looking for. I replied “about $350k”. He responded, “We can work with that.” I think I had to scrape my jaw off the floor. I didn’t go any further with the process because the job seemed to require extensive travel and 80+ hour work weeks (and who knows if I could have even passed their rigorous interview process), but his reply was quite the revelation for someone who had never been in the workforce.
  - fossuser 8y ago
    I think quants can get 350k - 700k, extremely high compensation is the main draw of finance and what the positions seem to lead with.
    - mooreds 8y ago
      From my reading, it's pretty much the only draw. I guess you could say working in an algorithm heavy environment is the other draw. If a company has to pay you that much over typical market rate (for software devs), there's a reason.
  - orangecat 8y ago
    There are thousands of engineers at Google/Facebook/etc making $350k/year or more while working 40-45 hour weeks. For a position where you're expected to dedicate your entire life to the job, nothing under a million would be "ludicrous".
- twic 8y ago
  Meanwhile, over here in London, last time i was looking, i asked a recruiter for 10% more than i was then getting, and they audibly paused before ending the conversation as quick as they could!
  - marvin 8y ago
    That’s most likely the recruiter bring jealous. I had the same experience when I was honest with a Dublin recruiter what it would take for me to uproot my life and move to Dublin.

onion2k 8y ago

My advice is be to be ludicrous. Ask for far more than you think you're worth. As most people undervalue themselves you'll often find companies saying yes, or at least negotiating down to more than you'd have asked for if you capped your wage raise to 20%. If they hire you you'll then be faced with the feeling that you're out of your depth, overpaid, and incapable of doing the job you took, but that's a different set of problems.

Xcelerate 8y ago
> My advice is be to be ludicrous. For recruiters who contact me from companies that aren’t my usual area of career interest, I do this to see what the upper bound is. It once backfired on me. Shortly after finishing grad school, a recruiter contacted me about a quantitative finance position and asked what range I was looking for. I replied “about $350k”. He responded, “We can work with that.” I think I had to scrape my jaw off the floor. I didn’t go any further with the process because the job seemed to require extensive travel and 80+ hour work weeks (and who knows if I could have even passed their rigorous interview process), but his reply was quite the revelation for someone who had never been in the workforce.
- fossuser 8y ago
  I think quants can get 350k - 700k, extremely high compensation is the main draw of finance and what the positions seem to lead with.
  - mooreds 8y ago
    From my reading, it's pretty much the only draw. I guess you could say working in an algorithm heavy environment is the other draw. If a company has to pay you that much over typical market rate (for software devs), there's a reason.
- orangecat 8y ago
  There are thousands of engineers at Google/Facebook/etc making $350k/year or more while working 40-45 hour weeks. For a position where you're expected to dedicate your entire life to the job, nothing under a million would be "ludicrous".
twic 8y ago
Meanwhile, over here in London, last time i was looking, i asked a recruiter for 10% more than i was then getting, and they audibly paused before ending the conversation as quick as they could!
- marvin 8y ago
  That’s most likely the recruiter bring jealous. I had the same experience when I was honest with a Dublin recruiter what it would take for me to uproot my life and move to Dublin.