Salary Negotiations...

[Pastore]

I am currently working part time at a company in a fairly rural town for $7 an hour. I have worked here for 10 months now, and will be graduating University in May. I have been doing fairly rudimentary Sys Admin type stuff, managing our exchange server, backups, support, setting up new machines, the usual yadda yadda.

The company does not have a dedicated Sys Admin, only a software development manager that did the stuff I'm doing now before I got there. I will be offered a salaried position when I graduate and would be the 'Official' Sys Admin. The company policy is $30k to start, 6 month review bumps you to $32k and a year review bumps you to $36k. My problem is starting at $30k is way low for an MIS Bachelors degree.

The company is literally the only tech company in about 50 miles I could work at. I have plans of going to grad school, but almost definitely not until 2007. The company puts the salary offers on the table in a "take it or leave it" fashion, but they have been known to give decent raises if you threaten to leave. So my question is, when the boss sits me down and says, "We will start you at $30k and after 6 months... yada yada" should I say that's crap and tell him what I was thinking (starting at $36k, pretty good for the rural area), or take the pay, work for a year or so and go to grad school.

I am kind of worried that if I say $36k he'll laugh me away, but I can't see taking less than that with my education and experience with the company.

Any thoughts? Tips on salary negotiation? Funding grad school at Syracuse University? Any comments are welcome.

 

[FoBoT]

i recommend either take it or move to a city with more opportunities

 

[EyeMWing]

nevermind, my math was off.

 

[chambersc]

just take the 30k and wait a year.

look at it like this ... either take the 30k now and get a guarnteed (more or less) 6k bump in a year or walk away altogether. if you choose the latter, you're back at square one BUT you do have roughly a year of experience. that could help in negotiations with another company in another city.

 

[Pastore]

Thanks for the comments, any others?

 

[amdforever2]

Take it, and make your first battle at the six month mark.

 

[Garet Jax]

You have little or negotiating power. There are no other opportunities for miles. I wouldn't give you the salary especially if it was a company policy.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: amdforever2
Take it, and make your first battle at the six month mark.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Pastore
Thanks for the comments, any others?

well it's tough. You have no power. They pick up guys a dime a dozen (this is not ment to offend, just to help you understand your market)

It all depends on how much you need the job and how much they need you. Only you can decide that.

If you can turn it down then you can negotiate. If you can't then it will be hard.

Here's how it plays in my mind...

I know I have you. You have no experience and I will rape you to increase my bonus. I'm looking for a body and bodies are a dime a dozen.

-----------------

that being said you have other compensation goals in mind (school) and should work on that as negotiations. Only you can read your market and what you have to offer/your value.

If it matters much I was a general admin monkey for 50K back in 1994.

Let's put it this way, do you really want to bring a degree to the table and be paid what a fastfood worker is making?

Screw the company policy - that's used to make you believe that is their best and final offer. Unfortunately you don't have much power in your entry level so maybe it would be best to look at it from at "what is best to put on my resume for the first 3 years of my career"

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: Pastore
Thanks for the comments, any others?

well it's tough. You have no power. They pick up guys a dime a dozen (this is not ment to offend, just to help you understand your market)

It all depends on how much you need the job and how much they need you. Only you can decide that.

If you can turn it down then you can negotiate. If you can't then it will be hard.

Here's how it plays in my mind...

I know I have you. You have no experience and I will rape you to increase my bonus. I'm looking for a body and bodies are a dime a dozen.

-----------------

that being said you have other compensation goals in mind (school) and should work on that as negotiations. Only you can read your market and what you have to offer/your value.

If it matters much I was a general admin monkey for 50K back in 1994.

Let's put it this way, do you really want to bring a degree to the table and be paid what a fastfood worker is making?

Screw the company policy - that's used to make you believe that is their best and final offer. Unfortunately you don't have much power in your entry level so maybe it would be best to look at it from at "what is best to put on my resume for the first 3 years of my career"

Exactly. I'm not being paid what the salary sites say I should be making for my position (Asst. IT Manager)...but, for my first job post-graduation I'm looking at this as a springboard.

 

[bctbct]

I agree with the poster who recomended leaving the area for better opportunities. You are young and it doesnt sound like the job prospects are that great. If you stay it would be harder to move as you get older.