negotiating starting salary

[HardcoreRobot]

i dont see 70k happening. id be happy with 60. dont forget, these large companies have thousands and thousands of applicants, they really dont care about you that much to waste much time negotiating. take what they offer, pad a couple thousand and be prepared to not see any movement.

 

[LordMorpheus]

I'm having trouble finding jobs above 40K-50K and I have a BSEE as well, maybe I just need to move

What companies, what school is your degree from, and where are you?

That's absurdly low in my experience (BSME, working in the oilfield services industry in Houston, as a product development engineer (real engineering)).

 

[DesiPower]

IMO 1st rule of negotiation, dont tell them your expectations, let them speak 1st

 

[JS80]

$70k in Dallas? Hmm...I thought aerospace engineers start in Los Angeles at $55k. So I would imagine around there or less if they pitch the whole lower cost of living baloney.

 

[garndawg]

BALL Aerospace

Heh. No, I meant what I wrote.

BELL Aerospace.

As in, this one:
http://www.bellhelicopter.textron.com/en/index.cfm

 

[rcpratt]

The most important thing you can do is get a competing offer. Hopefully you can then negotiate slightly higher than whatever their first offer is.

I'm not in aerospace or in Texas, but I recently negotiated up to 70k (+2k signing bonus) from 65k because of a competing offer. BS in Nuclear Engineering, both companies were electric utilities. The one I took is in Detroit.

 

[Jadow]

it took me 8 years of busting my butt and learning the business inside out to get to 70, it cheeses me off when noobs out of college think they should just start there without knowing ANYTHING!

 

[thegimp03]

If it is an entry level position, you won't have much room to negotiate. Plus, with the job market the way it is, there are probably other applicants out there who are willing to just take what they are given without trying to "negotiate".

 

[rcpratt]

it took me 8 years of busting my butt and learning the business inside out to get to 70, it cheeses me off when noobs out of college think they should just start there without knowing ANYTHING!

Graduates are only expecting it because other graduates are getting it. It's not their fault.

 

[jiggahertz]

the company used to be part of lockheed, no more hints! taking all comments into consideration, but I will still shoot for the moon!

Hopefully it's not BAE... http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/02/bae.plea/index.html

 

[Jeff7]

Hopefully it's not BAE... http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/02/bae.plea/index.html

BAE Systems admitted Monday to knowingly making false statements to U.S. investigators to hide its failure to ensure compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Corrupt practices used to cover up breaches of compliance with an act intended to prevent corruption. I love it.

 

[thepd7]

Hmm, Lockheed in Fort Worth, let's see

If you're fresh out of school 70k is probably a bit on the high side. Aerospace companies aren't known for paying big bucks (especially compared to other big companies that hire electrical engineers).

If you're out of school with no experience and holding out for 75k, they can always find someone who'll do it for less.

my friends have been getting 80 and they only have their bachelors D:

i'd like to get close. really wish i had gone to the fall job fair :\

Graduating from where? I haven't heard of anyone making that much in EE. ME in the oil fields, yes, but not EE.

you think 70K is too much?

Yes. I had an offer at a Defense Contractor in Dallas (most likely the same one you got an offer from) 2.5 years ago for $61k. BSEE from UTD, 3.6 GPA solid job history. No one I spoke with got more than $65k.

Heh. No, I meant what I wrote.

BELL Aerospace.

As in, this one:
http://www.bellhelicopter.textron.com/en/index.cfm

That's Bell Textron, not Bell Aerospace.

Corrupt practices used to cover up breaches of compliance with an act intended to prevent corruption. I love it.

I dunno, either he's trying to throw us off track or he has no clue where Irving is in relation to Dallas.


Bottom line OP: if you get a $60k offer, try to negotiate to 63 or maybe 64. If you ask for 70 you very well might get turned down and the original offer rescinded.

 

[Leros]

it took me 8 years of busting my butt and learning the business inside out to get to 70, it cheeses me off when noobs out of college think they should just start there without knowing ANYTHING!

I'm a senior right now. I haven't gotten an offer lower than 70k. I know several people getting offers over 100k. So chill out dude, it happens to some people.

 

[Bignate603]

I'm a senior right now. I haven't gotten an offer lower than 70k. I know several people getting offers over 100k. So chill out dude, it happens to some people.

Over 100k for engineering positions for new grads fresh out of school with bachelor's degrees? During a recession? Somehow I just can't believe that.

Unless it's in a place where $100k a year can only get you a tiny little apartment, is contract work with zero benefits and zero tax withheld, or is in a field that's so abusive that no one wants to do it that seems way out in left field. For $100k in this economy you'd have people with large amounts of good experience lining up for that job.

 

[Leros]

Over 100k for engineering positions for new grads fresh out of school with bachelor's degrees? During a recession? Somehow I just can't believe that.

Unless it's in a place where $100k a year can only get you a tiny little apartment, is contract work with zero benefits and zero tax withheld, or is in a field that's so abusive that no one wants to do it that seems way out in left field. For $100k in this economy you'd have people with large amounts of good experience lining up for that job.

Software engineers at some of the top companies in the field. Granted the cities are the more expensive ones, but the companies are absolutely great places to be. Voted some of the best companies to work for.

That being said. I also know a lot of people who can't get a job offer at all. I know a lot of people taking $50k job offers.

 

[Bignate603]

Software engineers at some of the top companies in the field. Granted the cities are the more expensive ones, but the companies are absolutely great places to be. Voted some of the best companies to work for.

That being said. I also know a lot of people who can't get a job offer at all. I know a lot of people taking $50k job offers.

Ah, just be aware about something if that's the field you're going into. I had a friend that got an amazing offer (about $80k straight out of school, this happened 4 years ago) to write software at a place that made programs for banks. At the end of 3 years the company had worked him to the bone until he couldn't take it anymore and he walked out. There's a reason why some of those places pay what they do. If it seems too good to be true (and there's not people with experience trying for that position) that's a big warning sign that something is up.

 

[Koing]

Ah, just be aware about something if that's the field you're going into. I had a friend that got an amazing offer (about $80k straight out of school, this happened 4 years ago) to write software at a place that made programs for banks. At the end of 3 years the company had worked him to the bone until he couldn't take it anymore and he walked out. There's a reason why some of those places pay what they do. If it seems too good to be true (and there's not people with experience trying for that position) that's a big warning sign that something is up.

Financial software, trading, exchange development is like that...solid bonuses but they get their pound of flesh out of you mate. They don't pay decent money for nothing...they will expect a lot of hours for their cash.

A mate has an offer from a magic circle law firm and a highly rated us law firm. The magic circle will pay him to get his law conversion and geth im on his training contracts and th en he'll be on £43k first year, £55k second year, third year £65k or so or even more? It's on their website. The other US law firm starts higher at £55k but somehow scales to £93k in the 3rd year! wtf?! 1000's of applicants will go for these roles but very few ever make it and the hrs will be ridiculously demanding. It happens but are you good enough?

My mate ticks all the boxes and also rates himself as 'one of the smartest guys he's ever met' LOL. But he's good enough to get 2 offers from 2 very high end companies. He's not that cocky in general though.

Good luck OP. You may have the skill set to warrent getting paid more then the average guy.

Koing

 

[TecHNooB]

I know a guy with a 3.4 getting 105 from qualcomm. I cried.

 

[Koing]

I know a guy with a 3.4 getting 105 from qualcomm. I cried.

Mate it happens.

I'm on nearly more then 3x my first job out of Uni. That was a poor paying job...

What are you doing up so early or late?! I'm in the UK and it's only 0851.

Koing

 

[PM650]

Graduated last May with a 3.5 - BSEE, zero offers as of yet....my limited experience would say to take whatever they'll pay you, maybe plus a few thousand if you're feeling lucky.

 

[TecHNooB]

Mate it happens.

I'm on nearly more then 3x my first job out of Uni. That was a poor paying job...

What are you doing up so early or late?! I'm in the UK and it's only 0851.

Koing

design review for senior design project tomorrow