5 ms·

I have found from hard experience that when I lowball my asking pay, I am treated with profound disrespect. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me as the

I have found from hard experience that when I lowball my asking pay, I am treated with profound disrespect. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me as the usual reason I do so is not to get an offer, but to help out my potential employer, for example by enabling them to hire other people as well. The actual result is that I get kicked in the teeth. Because of that I ask for what others of my expertise can command, despite that amount of money being far more than what I really require to be happy.

Mithaldu 12y ago
I've had the same thing happen. I went as a (relatively inexperienced) freelancer to heise (a large and old conservative company in germany) to a job interview and they asked me what i used to take (20$/hour remote internet work) and then told me they wouldn't even consider any freelancer below 60$ per hour.
- MichaelCrawford 12y ago
  a friend was a project manager for an early dot-com boom era web design firm. They flatly refused to accept contracts for less than $250k. I mean for like a homepage: $250k. Oh those were the days. So whenever they would turn away work, my friend would anonymously solicit the work himself.
nosuchthing 12y ago
You're being compensated for your work. If you don't want the money, donate it to help organizations that help other people. Leverage your work to help others people who could really use help, not just your business.
- MichaelCrawford 12y ago
  That's actually my current plan. When I find work I'm going to donate much of my pay to the Portland Rescue Mission.
meric 12y ago
Yes it does seem the more you ask for, the more respect you receive. It may have appeared to them you did not respect your own financial needs, and if you don't, why should they?
- MichaelCrawford 12y ago
  In reality I do respect my own financial needs: I am happiest when I live in a very modest way.
  - vpeters25 12y ago
    My point of view is you should ask for the value you provide your employer, not just your financial needs. In my case the value I provide is 3+ times my financial needs so that's what I ask and they happily pay based on the quality of my services. The rest goes to fund my retirement fund and pay off the remaining debts from that crazy dot-com era (strippers and booze, fun times)
  - meric 12y ago
    Would you donate $10,000 to a random business off the street to help them out? Because that's all they will be once you leave that company. I suggest offering to take more options in lieu of cash if you want to help the company hire more people. If the company can't survive paying you a market salary that is due you, it doesn't deserve to survive at all. You are important, don't sell yourself short.
nightcracker 12y ago
Consider donating the money to a third world country initiative. It will create a lot more happiness there than it will in the pocket of your employer.
nightcracker 12y ago
Consider donating the money to a third world country initiative. It will create a lot more happiness there than it will in the pocket of your employer.

Mithaldu 12y ago

I've had the same thing happen. I went as a (relatively inexperienced) freelancer to heise (a large and old conservative company in germany) to a job interview and they asked me what i used to take (20$/hour remote internet work) and then told me they wouldn't even consider any freelancer below 60$ per hour.

MichaelCrawford 12y ago
a friend was a project manager for an early dot-com boom era web design firm. They flatly refused to accept contracts for less than $250k. I mean for like a homepage: $250k. Oh those were the days. So whenever they would turn away work, my friend would anonymously solicit the work himself.

nosuchthing 12y ago

You're being compensated for your work. If you don't want the money, donate it to help organizations that help other people. Leverage your work to help others people who could really use help, not just your business.

MichaelCrawford 12y ago
That's actually my current plan. When I find work I'm going to donate much of my pay to the Portland Rescue Mission.

meric 12y ago

Yes it does seem the more you ask for, the more respect you receive. It may have appeared to them you did not respect your own financial needs, and if you don't, why should they?

MichaelCrawford 12y ago
In reality I do respect my own financial needs: I am happiest when I live in a very modest way.
- vpeters25 12y ago
  My point of view is you should ask for the value you provide your employer, not just your financial needs. In my case the value I provide is 3+ times my financial needs so that's what I ask and they happily pay based on the quality of my services. The rest goes to fund my retirement fund and pay off the remaining debts from that crazy dot-com era (strippers and booze, fun times)
- meric 12y ago
  Would you donate $10,000 to a random business off the street to help them out? Because that's all they will be once you leave that company. I suggest offering to take more options in lieu of cash if you want to help the company hire more people. If the company can't survive paying you a market salary that is due you, it doesn't deserve to survive at all. You are important, don't sell yourself short.

nightcracker 12y ago

Consider donating the money to a third world country initiative. It will create a lot more happiness there than it will in the pocket of your employer.

nightcracker 12y ago

Consider donating the money to a third world country initiative. It will create a lot more happiness there than it will in the pocket of your employer.